Rag Rugs 1

Have been playing around with rag rugs, using sock loopers and also using fabric (rags).  Have really enjoyed using a real temple - makes the selvedges consistent.  With the sock loopers, I put a pick of carpet warp in between picks of sock loopers.  This gave subtle increased definition, and also allowed me to play around with changes in the warp that showed (rather than having them just alternate between picks).  I will use this again.   I really liked the way the one rug (below) looked, also, with constant changes in color between the loopers.

The fabric I used for this blue rag rug was all cotton, mostly from India; I had found many bolts of related fabric but each had a different design; I loved the way the gold prints were so different, and the way they looked in the rug was also very different.  I also used a blue and white striped cotton, and also a blue floral.  They complemented the blue warp, which was a combination of navy blue and smoky blue Maysville carpet warp.

 Special thanks to Stephanie Morton for the rag rug workshop where I learned many tips that will help me make my rugs be better (including how to beat each pick without having to use as much energy as I have been).  She's a great teacher.