My First Rag Rug & Some Thoughts on the World

You know that rag rug article we published two days ago? Remember how easy I said it was to make them? I'm finished. With the first one that is. This is a great project that can be picked up and put down easily, it gives me something to do while I deal with the late winter doldrums, and turns out a beautiful, useful product in a short amount of time.

I couldn't quite figure out how much to increase the loops or where, so I experimented. After I had gone a little farther than the picture I showed you in the last post, the rug started cupping up on the ends. So I started adding an extra loop here and there in an effort to get it to lay down nice and flat.

Well, then I ended up adding too many. There was a helpful comment on the last post, that said to only add extra loops on the corners and not on the straight sides, but it was too late by then and the rug was getting kind of ruffley all the way around. So, as I got to the size I wanted, I ended up decreasing the number of loops again. This time I kept laying the rug down on the floor and looking at where the decreases needed to happen.

30 x 22"

Is it a perfect rug? Absolutely not. Is it a beautiful, functional rug? Yes, definitely. I am not completely satisfied with the outcome, but I am very happy with my rug. And the funny thing is, that I can point out what each type of material in the rug came from - mostly dresses, but one was from a shirt.

Now that I finished this first oval one, I am starting another one that I am going to try to make rectangular. This time I will add the extra loops in the corners and see if it will help create the shape I want. I started off with four loops.

As I turned the piece around to begin working (see the videos on Rag Rug Cafe again, they are very, very helpful. I watched them a number of times), I put two loops into the first loop to make end 1, then one in each of the remaining two loops going down the side. Again, two loops in end 2, and two more going back up the side to form the foundation of the rug. Now, put two loops in each of the original two loops on the end 1, work down the side and put two loops in each of the original two loops on end 2. Get the idea? I know this would have been easier to see if I had started with a lighter colored material, but I really like this material and I liked the dress that was made out of it as well.

The challenge here is to keep figuring out which loop is in the corner, then continue to put two loops into each of the four corner stitches on every row, or round. That will keep increasing the size and hopefully keep it somewhat symmetrically rectangular.

Some things I learned. The strip of fabric you 'sew' with (in your right hand if you are right handed), will get twisted on a regular basis. It goes much smoother if I stop and untwist it every so often.

If you're using fabric that has a right and wrong side, the rug looks much better if you make sure the right side is facing out. At first I was concentrating simply on figuring out the technique to use and didn't even notice that a lot of my fabric had the wrong side up.

The tail piece of fabric that you make the knot around doesn't really show much. Because of this, I used up some fabric that I thought would make a decent background. This black material won't add much color, so I'm using it for the tail piece. Besides that, I didn't like the dress that I made with it and the material faded very quickly.

A funny side note. As I made the first rug, I came to the point that I needed to tear up some more fabric. So I tore and I tore and I tore. Then Frank pokes his head around the corner and says, "Do you have enough of that finished for now?" This surprised me and I laughed and asked if it was bothering him. It was. He asked that I wait until he is outside before I tear up a bunch more. Unless it is only a piece or two. He didn't think I was ever going to stop all that tearing noise.


My rug tool needed to be squeezed just a little more. It was a little wide to fit in some of the loops comfortably, so Frank made the fine adjustments I requested, and it works like a charm. Funny how a girl can be so pleased with a short piece of clothes hanger and some duct tape. It's always these simple little things that bring me the most pleasure.

The world. There are times when I decide that nothing can surprise me anymore, and then the next unbelievable thing happens. The onslaught of gruesome death continues to grow until the horror affects more and more people around the globe. First it was beheading and crucifixion. Then as if that wasn't enough, came parading people in cages through the streets and burning them alive. The soul of mankind in more and more people has been left desolate. The abomination of desolation. There is evil in the wind. It blows across the world whispering to those that will listen. Many are heeding it's call and gathering. They fill themselves with hate and loathing for those that will not bend to it's demand. There will come a time when we will all have to chose sides and not sit on the fence and pretend all is well.

We plan to watch Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to congress tomorrow morning. I find it very disturbing that many of our elected leaders are refusing to treat the elected leader of another country with respect and dignity. It's unconscionable.  

I'm glad I found a fun, easy project to get me through these last days of winter. Soon it will be time to get in gear for the summer growing season. We plan to grow, harvest and preserve more food this summer than ever before, for us and the animals. These are skills and supplies we feel will be very important in the not-so-distant future. Rest up, for the work is just beginning.

Until next time - Fern