How to Rug Hooking and Design Your Own Pattern
Article by KarensVariety.com

Rug hooking is a relaxing craft which can easily be done while talking to other people or just listening to the TV or radio. There are a wide variety of kits available which are comprised of a coloured picture stamped onto fabric with large holes, a colour chart, rug hook and pre-cut yarn. You simply hook each length of coloured yarn into a matching colour hole. If you are feeling creative, you might wish you could make a rug with a specific design, sentiment, name or other ideas.

Draw your design freehand or photocopy a picture you wish to use onto graph paper. Enlarge the picture using a photocopier to a size which fits your block. Blocks can be small or large. Twelve inch square blocks can be joined together to make a rug the size you wish and they are easier to work with. Smaller blocks will require more joining. For beginners, it would be wise to begin with a pillow top or a rug made in squares.

Once your photocopied picture is ready, you need to colour it and transfer it to your fabric square. You may use burlap, canvas or monk's cloth. Be sure the fabric you purchase is specific to rug hooking and is preshrunk.  Bind the edges with wide tape or fold and sew so they don't fray or fold and sew the edges. Trace your picture using transfer fabric crayons; you can use a different colour for sections. Your picture can now be used as an iron on transfer. The colour is permanent and be reused.

I would suggest pinning your fabric to your cloth ironing board so that it doesn't slip. Place your iron on the picture colour side down and press with a warm iron. **It is important to remember that your picture will be reversed. Pictures or printed words must be backwards on your transfer in order to appear normal on the fabric.

As this fabric is not stiff, you should consider attaching it tightly to a wooden frame with the design side up. Use thumbtacks very 2 inches to prevent slipping.

To join squares, leave generous edge of about 5 inches on each of the four sides of the frame. Overlap this edge with the edge on the next block and work through this double thickness. This is easiest to do if you use a plain colour border in between the two blocks.

The Basics

	Fold one length of yarn around the latch hook. Be sure it is exactly in half
	Push the hook under one strand of fabric.
	Place the two ends of the yarn under the hook and push the latch closed.
	Pull the two ends through the loop snugly.