Rug Hooking

The Ancient Art Of Rug Hooking

The craft of rug hooking has been practiced for many hundreds of years. Even today it is still possible to visit traditional rug makers in parts of Asia, such as Turkey, who still use the ancient techniques.

Today there has been a resurgence of interest in many old crafts thanks to the wealth of information that we all now have at our fingertips through the internet. If you would like to practice rug hooking then you should understand that there are various styles to choose between.

If you are a novice then you should begin with what is known as the Primitive style, this is by far the easiest technique to learn. Though the finished products are hardly of high quality, the simple designs are ideal for around your own home.

Beginners may also find it useful to practice the abstract or geometric form of rug making. You create designs that incorporate circles, squares, diamonds, and other shapes. As there is only a vague plan any errors are not so noticeable to the naked eye.

The pictorial style of rug hooking involves creating landscapes. The actual width of the tool and the hook size will depend upon the pattern chosen. This style would create far more advanced rugs than the primitive or geometric option.

An experienced rug maker would be able to use the realistic style to create products that appear very lifelike. For this it requires a narrower strip of wool than when using other hooking styles. It is also important to use a wider selection of colors.

Another more advanced style is the Waldoboro technique. The name refers to the town in Maine where the American style of hooking rugs was first developed. The method differs in so much that the rug is hooked onto a woollen back as opposed to linen.