# Rug Hooking



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

> I'm thinking of getting into rug hooking or punching.


Carol asked about rug hooking in the April FAC.

The only type of rug hooking I knew of before was latch hooking and needle punching. A few weekends ago, I learned about locker hooking. 

The locker hook looks like a crochet hook at one end with an eye at the other. I'll see if I can find a website that describes it since words are escaping me.


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## MTDeb (Feb 20, 2003)

Here's a good one http://www.geocities.com/lockerhooking 

Now, that you mention it Cyndi (in another post) I bet that Lincoln longwool that you have that you sent me would be WONDERFUL for locker hooking. I measured it and it's 13 inches long!!! And, a beautiful silvery gray color. I love that stuff!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

It is! I started out with some guard hair from an off white shetland, did 2 rounds on the outside, then switched to black icelandic tog for one round. I ran out of shetland, so looked around and saw that lincoln. I used that fleece once before in a fleece woven rug and it was incredibly soft. 

This rug is going in the bathroom that is pretty rustic. Paul has forged a freestand TP holder with a entwining vine that comes up the stand. And has forged a towel rack and round wash cloth holder, both using vines/leaves as accents.

For this rug, I drew out a vine and am hooking that with brown Jacob. I'm adding multi- colored accents on a whim, here and there.

The concept of locker hooking is to have a thick yarn threaded through the eye of the needle. Your roving or fabric strips are underneath the canvas while your 'needle' is above the canvas. You go through a hole on the canvas, catch the roving from underneath and pull it back through the canvas. Repeat on next hole in canvas until you have 3-4 loops on your needle. Pull the yarn through. (you'll want to leave a 6" or so tail when you start a new yarn so you can weave it in at the end.)

When you begin, you'll want to fold the canvas over on the sides a couple of squares so you have a nice finished edge.

This site has everything you need!! http://www.ericas.com/crafts/fabricrugs/lockerhook.htm


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I found a locker hook at Walmart today. They had a paperback book on it but it was $18 and I'm on a budget. So I'll be checking the sites you listed for instructions. I got a yard of monk cloth, I had read it was used for rug hooking but now I'm not sure that is the same thing as locker rug hooking. The canvas shown on that site looks allot more open. It seems that everything would be in little lines, 3 or 4 loops long. I'm still looking for a punch, I'd like to try both.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

No, it's not the same. What I'm using is a STIFF open canvas with holes a little less than 1/2 inch.

I don't have any books on locker hooking - just going by the directions that came with the hook I got and by watching a lady do it at the fiber fest a few weeks ago.

She had a beautiful design that was based on a common quilt design.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

here is a website with punch needle supplies (including free patterns!)

http://www.punchneedleembroidery.com/


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

This is the kind of rug hooking I do. It isn't latch hooking.
http://www.rughookingonline.com/whatis.html


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> Carol asked about rug hooking in the April FAC.
> 
> The only type of rug hooking I knew of before was latch hooking and needle punching. A few weekends ago, I learned about locker hooking.
> 
> The locker hook looks like a crochet hook at one end with an eye at the other. I'll see if I can find a website that describes it since words are escaping me.


Explain something to me. When you start the first row of locker hooking, what do you attach the end of the twine to? Do you knot it or what? 

Also, what do you do when you turn your work? I'd love to know these details without buying a book. Do you ever bring the hook up and around the canvas to sort of anchor it, or just keep doing the locker hook thing through the fllece/material, etc.,?

I bought a hook for some fleece that I want to make a small rug out of, but I am a little mystified about the details.

Thanks for any help.

Donsgsal


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> This is the kind of rug hooking I do. It isn't latch hooking.
> http://www.rughookingonline.com/whatis.html


I like that! Maybe Carol will be able to use this with the material she got.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

donsgal said:


> Explain something to me. When you start the first row of locker hooking, what do you attach the end of the twine to? Do you knot it or what?


No, you leave a tail long enough that you can weave into the canvas.



> Also, what do you do when you turn your work?


I guess it depends on the design you want. For the first few rounds, I just went round and round on the border. I just finished with the free hand designed 'vine'. Now I'm filling in around the designs to for a straight edge all around. 



> I'd love to know these details without buying a book. Do you ever bring the hook up and around the canvas to sort of anchor it, or just keep doing the locker hook thing through the fllece/material, etc.,?


I can't picture what you're trying to explain. I just keep doing the locker hook thing with the canvas ... the fleece is kept underneath, pulled up by the hook for 4 or so 'loops', then the yarn is pulled through which 'locks' the fleece against the canvas.

Maybe I'll have time to take some pictures and post them.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Confused here (and what's new about that?). 

It looks to be the same as latch hook (yep, same canvas, my hook looked the same - or maybe I just broke it and kept going *sigh*) - is the main difference that in locker hooking, the loops are left intact as a sort of closed pile? If that's the case, how is this done in an even fashion? 

Maybe I just need some more caffeine, eyes aren't focusing right today for some reason. 

~Falcon


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Latch hook uses bits of yarn and a knot is created on the back side of the rug. Locker hooking uses a continuous piece of roving or material strips with a continuous yarn that goes between the upper loop and the canvas to lock the roving in place


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> This is the kind of rug hooking I do. It isn't latch hooking.
> http://www.rughookingonline.com/whatis.html


That's "traditional" rug hooking, right? I've been experimenting, I tried using burlap and doing alittle bit with a crochet hook and yarn, and then tried with fabric strips I can't seem to keep the loops the same height. You have to have a frame for this right? I stapled the burlap to an artist canvas wood frame.(canvas removed) Then I tried using the locker hook (crochet style hook on one end-hole on the other) with some fabric strips on the burlap. I'm not sure what you would do with all the tails on the back. It had a nice look, it would be better with the right rug canvas though. I still want to get a punch to test that out also. I want to be able to sit on the couch and work on something with my hands, all these seem like they would be soothing hobbies. Which do you think would be best for pictorial designs? Like the kind you see in old style tapestry, not primative but not too realistic either, Like celtic animals?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I took some pictures last night when I was working on my rug. Sorry about the blurring, my camera doesn't take close ups too well.

Putting the locker hook 'needle' through the next hole: 










The bottom side of the rug, catching the fleece like a yarn over in crochet










The top side of the rug with the fleece pulled through.










Drawing the 'locking yarn' through the loops made:









Almost completely drawn through:









Completely drawn through:









The rug showing the tails left to work into the rug and the locker hooking needle at the bottom.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

designer said:


> That's "traditional" rug hooking, right? I've been experimenting, I tried using burlap and doing alittle bit with a crochet hook and yarn, and then tried with fabric strips I can't seem to keep the loops the same height. You have to have a frame for this right? I stapled the burlap to an artist canvas wood frame.(canvas removed) Then I tried using the locker hook (crochet style hook on one end-hole on the other) with some fabric strips on the burlap. I'm not sure what you would do with all the tails on the back. It had a nice look, it would be better with the right rug canvas though. I still want to get a punch to test that out also. I want to be able to sit on the couch and work on something with my hands, all these seem like they would be soothing hobbies. Which do you think would be best for pictorial designs? Like the kind you see in old style tapestry, not primative but not too realistic either, Like celtic animals?


The 'traditional' rug hooking is totally addictive once you get the hang of it. 
First tip.....leave the tails on the top side of the fabric...not the back. When you are through you cut them to the same length as your loops. It takes practice to make the loops all the same height. I'm betting that you are trying to make the loops too long. You can use burlap or monks cloth for your backing. Use 100% wool strips of cloth. Nothing wider than 1/4 inch. I've found that the best/cheapest way to get cloth is to hit goodwill when they are having one of their sales designed to clear room for new clothes. In order of preference...blankets, womens professional skirts, outer coats, mens slacks, business jackets. Check the labels to make sure they are 100% wool. You can sometimes get away with a 90% wool garment but 100% is best. I take the clothes home and cut them apart at the seams. Don't mess around with trying to undo the seams...just cut the seams out. Pay attention to colors when you are making your stash. Be especially on the look out for bright colors. Wool yarn will also work. If you don't spin, a cheap way to get wool yarn is to unravel a used sweater(oh how I miss goodwill and thrift stores!). I use wool strips rather than wool yarn most of the time because the wool yarn is so lovely crochetted into a rug on latch-hook canvas. Rather than tacking it to a frame try using an embroidery hoop. The backing needs to be fairly taut to be worked easily. Depending on the thickness of the material you are using....you don't have to use every single space. Pull loops through in a manner that lets them lay easily together without being crowded or too sparse. Get a real rug hooking hook. Latch-hooking hooks or crochet needles don't do a very good job. Much easier with the proper tool. This method is very artistic and flexible. If you are looking for 'pictoral' this would be my recommendation. You can really make works of art with this method.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

I use an embroidery hoop too. Here is a place I would love to visit:
http://www.fredericksburgrugs.com/


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Here is a link to an interesting article on Locker Hooking. It also walks you through the process. http://www.fiberfemmes.com/article1.htm


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I tried hooking with the yarn I had through burlap. I'm still looking for a real hook so I did use a crochet hook. The real thing has to be better! But I think I might like punching better, since you work from the back. I had a hard time not missing spots working from the face. But here it is, about 6 x 4 inches.










I did try the locker hook with cloth strips. I like it but My first loop on the hook ends up too big and the last one on the previous set gets pulled to tight. There must be a trick to it. :shrug:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Very cool.

When using just a crochet hook, how did you get the 'locker' yarn through???


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I didn't use a locker yarn, it is a thin cotton yarn, close to a sport weight. With the locker hook I tried fabric strips on a canvas like latch hook canvas. I was rough on my hand getting thecrochet hook through, a punch has got to be better!


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