For the last few months I’ve been latch hooking this rug in my spare time. I don’t think I’ll finish it anytime soon though, as I don’t really have spare time these days. It was fun to design, and I like the brown and cream colors. Hopefully someday it can be a foot rug next to the chair in my art studio.
It’s best to cut your own pieces because the pre-cut yarn is usually polyester and I wanted to use high quality wool yarn. I use a cardboard strip, and wind the yarn around it, then cut up the middle with scissors.
That is such a great idea! I used to make latchhook rugs with my grandmother all the time. It was such fun. Since she's just recently passed, I should make one in her memory. The tip on using higher quality wool yarn and cutting it is SUPERB! (Those kits do come with awful yarn.)
Really a great idea I must say. Love the colors, looks so comfy!
I was quite surprised when I read the words 'spare time' as I could not imagine that you had any! Then I read on! I like the simplicity of the rug. Love the snake, the light drawings(I made some a while ago-by moving the camera-so they are not really drawings-more lines) but it had not occurred to me to do it this way. Also congratulations on the book!
Man, that brings back memories. I haven't latchhooked since I was a kid. I'll have to add that to the must do list when renos are over.
Man, that brings back memories. I haven't latchhooked since I was a kid. I'll have to add that to the must do list when renos are over.
I love a good latch hook project!
Thanks! Yes, both of my grandmothers latch hooked, too. One was a brilliant artist who taught me how to paint with oils when I was a kid. She designed the most amazing latch hook rugs and pillows. She hung the rugs on the wall most of the time.
And yeah, the thick rug wool yarn I used makes it soooo soft to stand on. I can't wait to have time to finish it
This is great!
Have you seen the hooked rugs that Alexander Calder designed for his wife, Louisa, to create?
Check out the book 'Calder at Home' if you haven't seen them.
Cindy – Yes, I have! They are so cool, and also huge! Louisa must be a lot faster at hooking than I am, that's for sure.
I just took the train to Seattle and back on Saturday to go see the Calder exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. It was amazing! He's definitely one of my favorite artists. Total genius.
Aaaaaw, Joel, you're making things with wool! Heehee I'm sure you can guess how big the smile on my face is right now… : ) Your rug is going to be gorgeous, I'd love to have something warm like that close to my feet all the time…
cool, looks great!
It's pretty tedious work. As far as I know, she did the rugs and crochet, so she was pretty well practiced with using a hook. I'm sure the speed picks up over time.
Lucky you to get to see the exhibit! There's a definite Calder influence to the things that you make. And now you've got lots more inspiration!
Seeing this post brought back memories of doing latch hook as a kid! Starting in 2006, I lived in Madagascar for a few years in the peace corps and my neighbor made a variation of this kind of rug for her house, and a few for me. She would take old goony bags (large woven bags that hold many kilos of rice) and cut up all her old fabric scraps (she was a seamstress) and tie them onto the goony base in rows. The result were these beautiful and very colorful rugs that could be easliy washed. They were fantastic!
Ohhhhh, Joel, that is just Lovely!!!
This could very well be my next project for me. I love to have a rug like this one. Thanks for reminding me that my grandmother made a lovely one for her son one day. I'll check it out with my mother! LOL
Regards, Guusje
I love the design – and gosh, latch hooking, another thing you're good at…
I really like the rug design. When I think of latch hook rugs I think of bengal tigers and clowns…I guess it never occurred to me that I could create my own patterns. I think this is something I might try.
I love the colours. One of my first ever craft projects as a child was a rag hook rug with 3 smiley faces on it (although I think my mum did most of it as I didn't have the strength to pull the wool through). My parents then got the local joiner to make a seat/box and the rug became the seat cover – I still have it in my living room today! Now it's full of wool.
Thanks Everyone!
Di, that sounds awesome. You should post a photo of the seat/box on your blog! I'd love to see that.
My grandmother latch hooked too! We have a little latch-hooked picture of a horse in our house. I like the design and colours, looks very soft. Hope you'll get to complete is someday.
oh my! I am 53 and remember hot summer days (no ac for us) and my mother had the entire dining room table set up with crafts to do, including
latch hooking. She did the cutting (so the pieces were reasonably consistent & no waste)…..but the four of us kids & the neighborhood gang
had access to at least 6 hooks.
your design is terrific…ours was a big sunflower with a blue background.
Holly
May i send you my daughter for holidays, she's bored with us? :)
I really wish I was patient enough to make something like this. It can be a very nice hobby.
Thanks everybody!
outdoor area rugs – Yeah, it sure does take awhile. I usually work on it when we're home watching a movie or something.
I used to do this as a kid. I can not imagine doing it now though. You really need ALOT of time to finish something like this. But maybe once I am retired or something … :-)
Miss Muffin – I know! It takes forever, but the results are very satisfying. It's also pretty mindless, so I do it in the evenings sometimes while watching a movie. Still, I want to learn how to crochet because I've heard that's much faster.
Wow, this is beautiful! I want to design my own hook rug and found your blog while searching for supplies. 2 questions: Where did you get the blank hook rug canvas base, and how did you draw your design on it- did you just use magic markers or paint??
Thanks!!
Thanks Ellen – Yes, I got my rug canvas here. You can find them at many craft stores too, but I wanted one that was a bit smaller squares for a tighter rug, which my local stores didn't have.
I just drew my design with Sharpie pens. I didn't want to have paint flaking over time. I bet a watered down paint would work well though.
Have fun! It's a good winter project. I've actually not finished mine yet, but I'm about to get it out again!
what can't you do? Just amazing!
Вдохновило!!!!