Last year I rekindled my love for rug hooking and as a result of posting pictures of the primitive style rugs I have been making, a few of you have asked for a tutorial on the subject. But the thing is, rug hooking is a little complicated. Well, actually it’s not, rug hooking is pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but finding the supplies, the inspiration, and all the little tips and tricks, that’s the hard part for a newbie.
So I’ve decided to break down the ins and outs of rug hooking a bit and do 3 or 4 posts over the next few weeks. This week I am going to focus on the basics. Mainly where to find the supplies you’ll need to get started and once you have those supplies, how to draw out your patterns.
Rug hooking is sort of a unique hobby in that most of what you need to get started, cannot be found in your local craft store. {I LOVE THAT!!!} You want to know why? Because it ‘s one of those hobbies like woodworking, or leather-craft that is not for the faint of heart. Rug hooking is one of those hobbies you have to invest a lot of time into if you want good results. It takes time to find your groove, learn from your mistakes, and to realize the absolute beauty of a finished piece is it’s uniqueness and imperfection.
Oh, and it’s expensive too.
Have I scared you off yet? 😉
Okay, let’s get started.
I prefer to use ivory linen backing for my hooked rugs. Some people use monk’s cloth because it costs less, but I prefer to use linen because it is nice and sturdy and doesn’t stretch. When I was first starting out I tried using burlap {it’s crap, and it breaks, don’t try it} and then monk’s cloth because it was cheap{er}. I quickly learned starting with a quality product made all the difference and it was worth every penny.
Rug Hooking Patterns.
You can find inspiration from the several rug hooking books available for sale online or through your local library. In recent years I’ve had good luck finding patterns on Etsy on occasionally in quilt shops. As I’ve gotten older and narrow in on a certain style I’ve started to create patterns of my own and offer them on Etsy for sale through my online Etsy store.
Drawing Rug Hooking Patterns
A lot of the time I’ll see a design online I like, but that I want to adapt to suit my taste. Buying the pattern doesn’t make sense because I’ll only be incorporating a few of the original elements into my rug design. So when that happens, I draw the pattern freehand or use things from around the house {like bottles and cookie cutters} for the shapes I need.
When I buy paper patterns I will typically enlarge the pattern to the size I need then copy it onto a piece of Tru-Grid interfacing before then transferring the pattern to my rug hooking linen.
Buying Ready Made Kits
If this all seems like too much work, although buying a kit is probably the most expensive way to get started, if you are only wanting to hook one rug, it may be the cheapest in the long run because you won’t have to invest in things like books, linen, wool and dyes.
That being said, I personally LOVE hand dying my own wool. It’s cheaper {about $3-20 a yard vs $45 – $60 a yard} and you get to create the colors you really want instead of having to buy what someone else is selling.
Size Matters
Before I started blogging full time, I sold my primitive hooked rugs on Ebay. Back then I could whip out 2 mini hooked rugs a day {5″ by 8″} and maybe one or two larger ones a month. It was a nice side income and I enjoyed staying up late hooking rugs at night and watching movies by myself when the kids were younger. In all that time, I NEVER made a rug for myself. Although I LOVED the creative process, the rugs never really fit with the Pottery Barn type look of the inside of my home.
In the olden days people would make rugs out of necessity {to use or to sell}, not for pleasure. And it was only last year that I finally made a rug for myself {the one in the top photo}. Finally, after all these years of living/breathing in high maintenance suburbia, my dream home on the East Coast is in sight. As a result of that, I’ve started making larger rug. Rugs I plan to use at my front and back doors, in the kitchen and in the bedrooms. These days I am selling my own patterns in my online Etsy shop.
I’m getting old, and I’m finally realizing that it’s okay to make something {and keep} it for myself. And that anyone can order something from Pottery Barn, but not everyone is going to invest 200 hours into making a one of a kind rug.
Use a Serger to Prevent the Ends of Your Rug Hooking Fabric from Unraveling.
Before I had my serger, I ran over the ends of my rug hooking fabric with the zig zag stitch on my sewing machine to prevent the ends of the fabric from unraveling while I worked on my rugs.
Rug Hooking Frames
I’m fairly certain if you were to take a poll of rug hookers, 95% of them use a rug hooking frame. After 10+ years of rug hooking without a frame, last summer I bought a frame and quickly decided using a frame just wasn’t for me. I was just learning to rug hook, I would want to learn how to use one. But old habits die hard, LOL and I just can’t get into it.
The basic idea behind using a rug hooking frame is that the grips {or teeth} hold your fabric in place while you hook. 
Rug Hooking Tool
When I first started rug hooking, I learned how to using a Cushing Hook. They sell for around $10. You can spend upwards of $50 for a handmade one, but even after all these years, I’m still using the basic one.
Where to Buy Wool
While I do sell patterns and and dyed wool in my Etsy shop from time to time, you can also google “Rug Hooking Wool” to find a boatload of sites selling both regular, and hand dyed wool.
But I have a favorite. 🙂
For the last 10 years or so I’ve been ordering my wool from Rebecca Erb’s Wool Studio. She offers such an amazing assortment of colors and textures {the selection is always changing} that it has become my one shop for buying wool.
New customers can order a 30 swatch New Customer Mailer for $5.00. If you become an active customer by ordering 2 yards {or $42.00}, you will be added to her quarterly swatch mailing list.
The Dorr Mill Store is also a great source for solid wool they are located in New Hampshire {but you can buy online} and their oatmeal wool is one of my favorites}.You can also read about my trip to the Dorr Mill store to get a feel what the place is like HERE.
Hand Dyed Wool
I LOVE hand dying wool. And it deserves a post of its own so I will save that tutorial for next time.
You’ll need these to dye your own wool. They cost around $2.85 each and it typically takes tiny amounts of several different colors to create the warm, primitive colors I like to use in my rugs. By themselves, most of the colors are too bright for dying in my opinion.
Mini Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons Set I use the set above instead of shelling out big bucks for fancy dye spoons.
Okay, so that’s it for this week. I hope I have not overwhelmed you with too much information.
Next week, I will post a tutorial on how to dye wool and after that, I’ll show you how to use everything mentioned above to hook your own rug.
~Mavis
Find More Rug Hooking Posts HERE.
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amy says
Squee! i have been hoping you would tell us more about rug hooking!
Margaret Bushee says
Wow! I had no idea! It is a whole new world! Thanks for sharing!
Jenny says
Mavis, I think the rugs you make are beautiful, and I was wondering if you would share how you learned rug hooking. Is this easy to learn on my own or should I take a class?
Mavis Butterfield says
I learned on my own. I have never taken a class nor did I watch a video to learn how rug hook {I don’t even know that youtube was even available them}. You can do it. It’s pretty simple. 🙂
Melissa says
That’s awesome. I have dreams of taking these techniques into an ultra-modern pop direction someday.
WendyinCA says
Thanks for this post, Mavis! I got into rug hooking a few years ago, made my own pattern, started it, and then ran out of steam. I’m getting inspired again!!! 🙂
Mary P says
Wow! I need another craft like I need a hole in my head, but you have me “hooked”! 😉 And not finding everything at Michael’s only makes it better!!
Peggy says
All I can say is FANTASTIC! I look forward to these tutorials, thanks Mavis! You make the prettiest rugs! 🙂
judy says
Hi Mavis, I just wanted to let you know how much I love spending time with you each day on the computer. I have learned so much!!! I admire the rugs you make and would love to make my own. Since I have no idea where to start I am looking forward to your upcomming instructions. Can’t wait.
Mavis Butterfield says
Very sweet! Thank you Judy. 🙂
Zoë Dawn says
Brad’s grandpa always cut up old wool clothing for his rugs. You can’t be as picky about specific colors but it doesn’t get much cheaper than thrifting for woolen clothing!
I love that rug in the first picture. You are quite talented!
Mavis Butterfield says
Aww thanks! I’ve used recycled wool skirts cut up into strips before and they worked just as well. Sometimes I get lucky and find them at the thrift store. You are so flipin’ talented, you need to make one for your farmhouse. 🙂
Deborah Nay says
Mavis, you are so talented.i wish I knew just one of your talents. I would love to do rug hooking. I have tried jewerly making, knitting, Crocheting and I had to say but I am unable to do it. I am on disability and I really need to learn something to use my time.I stay depressed all the time just sitting around doing nothing.
Thanks for listening,
Deborah Nay
Tammy H says
Hi Mavis! I just had to give rug hooking a try to so purchased a kit, watched quite a few YouTube videos, and finally started on my small project last night. One thing I ended up doing right away is ordering a smaller hook. The kit came with a 4mm and it is just way to large for the monk’s cloth that was sent. Also, do you always use wool or have you also used wool yarn?
I love your blog!! Have gotten so many great ideas and recipes. Give Lucy a squeeze!
Tammy
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Tammy, I have never used wool yarn before, just wool strips. I’ll be posting a tutorial on ho to dye wool later today. Have fun with your project and send me a picture when you’re done. I’d love to see it!
susan says
I LOVE THIS! I have made several rugs using locker hook (or anchor hook) technique. It uses cotton fabric. My fabric stash may have to make a shift to wool. My rugs are fairly indestructible, but I bet wool would be even more so! The other thing I like about your rugs is more pattern versatility than with locker hooking.
I have also tried naalbinding , aka toothbrush rugmaking – a knotted technique that pre-dates knitting and crochet) but there is a really high learning curve with those, that is, if you want a flat rug. LOL Or maybe it is just me…..
Looking forward to seeing the tutorial!
Mavis says
I think you’d LOVE wool if you made the switch. And this toothbrush rugmaking sounds fascinating!
Nancy Olsob says
I am new to rug hooking and wondered what you used before the frame? After buying the kit I find the frames more than I can manage now. Being retired I wanted t do the rug hooking as a completion to my bucket list. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Mavis Butterfield says
I just hook on my lap. That’s it. The frame was too difficult for me to manage.
Cindy says
I just recently started my very first rug hooking project and did not want to invest in a costly frame. My husband helped me out for free…he took a sturdy old wooden picture frame and tapped small finish nails on the outer edge of the frame on all four sides. He did go the extra mile and added an angled base to it so that I could sit it on my lap, but I certainly could have made it work with just the frame itself. The small nail heads (left sticking out approx 1/4 inch) are just enough to catch the material (hooking quality burlap) and allow me to stretch it to a nice tight surface. I started my 20 x 20 rug 3 weeks ago, and only have one tiny little section left to do! Other rug hookers also suggested a large quilting hoop, or an old picture frame and push pins, but I am loving my little home made frame. I hope this info helps you to enjoy your new craft on a budget.
Mavis says
I love that your HH made you a little homemade frame. Sounds perfect!
Lynn C says
How exactly do you transfer the image onto the linen? Do you iron it on or trace with a sharpie?
Mavis Butterfield says
I lay the pattern on top of the linen and then use a sharpie to trace it on the linen.
AmyLynn says
So does the sharpie go through the paper onto the linen when you trace it well enough to see? And do you go over the lines after you take the pattern off?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, and yes.
Linda Dell'Aringa says
I want to join your blog..how do I do this??
Mavis Butterfield says
Do you mean get a newsletter? You can subscribe in the upper right hand corner. Look for the Gnome and enter your email address and follow the directions. It’s super easy.
Lorma says
Thanks so much for all the info I’ve never done rug hooking before and I want to give it a try but as I watched so many videos it was always expensive but now with your help of what to use its way better please make more videos for newbies
Tammy Kniffin says
How do you cut your wool in to strips? I am so fascinated by this craft/medium. I am making myself finish the other project I started before I start rug hooking, but I want to be prepared!
Mavis Butterfield says
Rotary cutter, mat and ruler. 🙂
Annette Williams says
Have you ever used an Oxford punch?
Mavis Butterfield says
I have not. I like to hook with wool strips {a #8 or 8.5 cut} and although I know it can be done with wool strips instead of yarn, I feel like the Oxford Punch is more for yarn or a smaller cut of wool strip. Do you use an Oxford Punch? How do you like it?
Annette Williams says
Just got mine. I haven’t started anything with it yet. Will let you know how it goes!
Jeani says
How do you transfer the pattern onto the linen?
Pam says
Looking for wool in second hand stores, how do I know what to look for? Will it say 100% wool? Is that what I’m looking for? Thanks
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, you are looking for 100% wool. It should be marked on the tag.