Judy P. Sopronyi - Basic Rug Hooking: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started

Judy P. Sopronyi, editor Janet Stanley Reid,
rug hooking
expert and consultant photographs by
Alan Wycheck STACKPOLE
BOOKS J anet Stanley Reid, a rug hooker with eighteen years of experience, loves to teach beginners. In this book, she shares her knowledge of the craft and her teaching experience to take you step by step through the process, with lots of tips to help you develop and refine your skills. Spend some time with chapters 1 and 2 to get an understanding of rug hooking tools and materials and some familiarity with the basic motions involved in rug hooking. For the most part, the later chapters progress from simple to more difficult projects, with new skills and techniques introduced along the way. Once youre comfortable with the process, give some thought to developing your own patterns.

Thats the way the craft started out, and we encourage you to carry that history forward.

T here are many tools and materials available that add to the ease of rug hooking. However, keep in mind that the craft began with some imagination, a bent nail, a burlap feed bag, a pair of scissors, and the good parts of worn-out clothing. While we highly recommend that you scrap the idea of a bent nail and buy a hook, there are alternatives to high-priced gizmos. When youre just starting out, you might want to try some of the simpler tools before you launch into the purchase of such things as hooking frames and cutters. Quality counts with the wool you select. Quality counts with the wool you select.

The ideal weight is 12 to 14 ounces per yard. If youre uncertain of the weight, cut a piece 36 36 inches and weigh it on a postal or kitchen scale. The Dorr Mill Store, Woolrich, and the Wool Studio specialize in fabrics for rug hooking, as do rug hooking shops. Blends of wool and man-made fibers such as polyester do not tear as well as 100 percent wool. Tearing determines the lengthwise or crosswise grain of the fabric prior to cutting. The wool needs to be fairly tightly woven, or the strips you cut will simply separate into individual threads. The wool needs to be fairly tightly woven, or the strips you cut will simply separate into individual threads.

This example (above) is too loosely woven for hooking strips, but it could be used as a backing. Visit thrift shops to find clothing made of attractive wool, but keep in mind that the finish of worsted wool such as in mens suits is too flat, and the wool of a winter coat is too heavy. Thrift shop kilts and fabric from a pair of pants yield plenty of desirable, inexpensive wool.

The foundation of your work should be of good quality. Hooked rugs can last for generations, so an investment in a good backing is well worth it. Although you can buy this even-weave cotton backing in fabric shops, the weight and strength may not be appropriate. Although you can buy this even-weave cotton backing in fabric shops, the weight and strength may not be appropriate.

The monks cloth available from hooking shops has a lighter-colored thread incorporated in the weave to aid in keeping patterns straight.

This strong, durable fabric is ideal for rug hooking. Buy the type available from hooking resources to be assured of the appropriate weight and density. The color is usually unbleached and neutral. Its available in a smooth, hairless version as well as a rougher type. This is a fairly new material available for rug hooking.

It comes in several colors such as oatmeal, soft blue, and rose, which make it especially desirable for projects such as Red in where the background is left unhooked. Its also called Verel or panel fabric, owing to its use on cubicle dividers in offices.

Rug warp is cotton and similar to monks cloth. The threads in the fabric are heavier than in monks cloth, and whereas monks cloth has two threads woven together, rug warp has one. Rug warp is especially good for larger rugs. Originally used as a backing when the craft of rug hooking developed, burlap has been found not to wear well and is not recommended for modern rugs. Originally used as a backing when the craft of rug hooking developed, burlap has been found not to wear well and is not recommended for modern rugs.

Burlap is made of jute with short fibers that dont interlock. The weave loosens when damp and contracts when dry, resulting in quick wearing and broken fibers.

This is another way to keep the edges of backing fabric from fraying. Just fold it over the edge lengthwise. While not necessary, a zigzag-equipped sewing machine can quickly protect the raw edges of the rug backing. Use the zigzag stitch to sew along the raw edges to keep them from fraying.

The straight stitch of a sewing machine is also used for attaching the binding in , although the binding can be sewn on by hand.

This necessary tool pulls strips of wool from beneath the backing to form loops. Many different handle styles are available. Choose one that feels good in your hand. Hooks also come with a wider shank to aid in enlarging holes for wider wool strips, and some shanks are bent, which you may find more comfortable to use. Size medium or coarse hooks work well for strip width cut sizes #5 and up.

For narrow cuts such #3 or #4, look for a fine hook, marked F on the end of the handle. (Page 11 shows cut sizes.)

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