This page is taken from Chapter Four - 'Arts and Crafts'.

Rugs

Rugs can be woven, hooked, plaited, knitted or crocheted. Any method could be used for a group project, to be brought out from time to time.

Project - A Traditional Rag Rug

This project is ideal as a group craft activity and as a means to stimulate memories. Long winter evenings, in the past, were often taken up by the ladies in the family cutting up cast off clothing, to make into rugs.

Materials

A piece of hessian, traditionally a washed sack opened out. Shops selling wild bird food may be able to supply a hessian sack, or may be able to beg one from a friendly farmer.
Washed woollen coat, skirts etc.
Hook (traditionally a specially adapted wooden peg).
Scissors.

Method

Cut long strips of material, traditionally cut in a spiral between the seams so as to waste as little as possible. You should end up with a long strip which can be wound into a ball.

The long strip is hooked through the hessian into lots of loops, making a pattern with areas of different colour.

Half of the opened out sack is covered with the hooked strips and the other half is folded under to make a backing, oversewn all the way round. A piece of blanket can be inserted at this stage.

This method was shown to me be a group of elderly ladies at a Day Hospital in the Forest of Dean. The more widely used method involves using lots of short lengths (about 10cm) hooking through the hessian once, or knotting like a latchhooked rug.