About Hooked Rugs

"Hooked rug - a little rug for your hearthstone.”  The English Dictionary of 1810

There is much romantic legend buried deep in the history of hooked rugs. In America, hooked rugs were first made in Maine and the Maritime provinces, and later in New Hampshire and the eastern areas of Canada. Today, rug hooking is known throughout America. New England is still a rich resource for antique hooked rugs. 

Early American homemakers relied on wool and linen as their primary textiles, and every cast-off scrap was used in making rugs. These were made first for the bed for warmth and then for the floor. The foundation for early hooked rugs was woven flax. Later, when various commodities began to imported from overseas, burlap made from jute became available. These sacks were washed and sewn together to make rugs of various size. 

Designs for hooked rugs were drawn using charcoal from the fireplace. Early patterns were borrowed from quilts, and often immortalized a friendly horse or house pet. Gay sprays of flowers and scenes were also drawn. These designs were bold and naïve. A home was very personalized in this way, especially when it came to pattern and color. 

Color was chiefly obtained using natural dyes. Nowadays, we use chemical dyes to overdye the wool and rugs portray beautiful arrays of the color palette. 

A well hooked rug will last about 100 years, a family heirloom! Many museums display hooked rugs made on linen, the lasting foundation of choice. 

The first rug hooks were made from whale bone. Later, rug hooks were made of metal that was bent and inserted in a wooden handle. The material most used are strips of wool cut from 3/32nds to 3/8ths of an inch wide. The hooker inserts the hook into a stretched foundation, often on a rug frame, and brings up a half-inch strip of wool. The hook is inserted about one to three meshes away and a loop of wool is pulled up. 

In a rhythmic action, the hooker forms loop after loop, which becomes the pile of the rug. The rug is completed by applying a bias binding around the periphery, and hemming it back firmly. 

Rug hooking has now surpassed quilt making in America. It is a vital art that is often practiced in groups of hookers working together on individual or sometimes large group rugs. It is a very therapeutic craft that creates an artful product for the home or office. Again today, your hooked rug can grace your hearth and bring delight to everyone who is welcome.