...of Hearth and Home and Who I Am.: Crochet Rag Rugs

I started making rag rugs to use up extra fabric that I'd bought and never used...and now, a couple years later, I'm making them as stress relief...and because they're beautiful. I've posted a few pictures of them on facebook, and been asked for the pattern, so here's at least an initial set of instructions. Hopefully, there will be pictures to follow...

I generally make my rugs as ovals, so that is the set of instructions I'm giving.

Gratuitous Kitty picture...under a rag rug

Step 1 : Making the "yarn"

Really, you should be able to do this with any kind of old fabric, but I found that I like using used bedsheets. Use ones that are old and worn-out...and/or buy them from a thrift shop. (I love it when there's a 50% off sale at our local Savers.) Depending on how big a rug you want, you may need a LOT of sheets. I still don't know an exact number, but I'm working on that.

It's up to you whether you want to make all your yarn at once, or do it as you go. I prefer to do it as I go, and cut/stitch one sheet at a time.

Cut the sheets into strips

I find that it's easiest to use a rotary cutter with a cutting mat to do these. Depending on how thick you want your rug to be, make your strips between 1"-3". Remember that the thicker your strips are, the less strips you'll get out of the fabric, so you'll need more fabric to get the size you may want from your rug. For a thick rug that I want to use on a hard floor, I generally use 2" strips. If I want to make a thinner rug that I may be putting over carpeting, I'll use 1-1 1/2" strips.

Join the strips

There are multiple ways to do this, depending on the look you want for your rug. I prefer to stitch them together with my sewing machine. I stitch them end to end in a continuous strip, then roll them into a ball. The balls roll up pretty big, so I'll do a couple balls per bedsheet.

When I get to the end of a ball, I'll take my rug over to the sewing machine and stitch the end of the next ball to the end of the old one. I know there are other ways to join a new one in, but I find this leaves less bumps.

Step 2 : Crochet the rug

Choose your hook

Again, the hook you choose will affect the feel of your rug.

Using 1" strips and an 11mm hook will give a "loosey goosey", thin rug. I've done them and they look nice...but don't have much substance. A 10mm hook with 2" strips gives a nice thick, tight rug that seems to hold up fairly well.

I'd suggest using a 10mm hook for 1-1 1/2" strips, and an 11mm hook for 2" strips, but feel it out and figure out which works best for you and the look you want.

Starting the rug

As with most crochet projects...start with a basic chain. If you have an idea of how big you want your rug to be, then do the math to figure out how long to make your initial chain.

Desired Length - Desired Width = Length of base chain

This isn't exact...but it's as close as I've been able to get. Just remember that the chain will actually stretch a bit as you go back over it.

When your chain is the desired length, single crochet in the back loop of the second chain from the hook, and all the way back down the chain. When you get to the first chain, do three stitches in the same hole to get all the way around. (If you need more, do more...but three is the number I'm used to using.

Single crochet down the other end of the chain.When you get to the end, do three or four stitches to get around the end, and continue down the first side again. Here is where you have another style choice. You can do the entire rug going through the back loop only, or go through both loops, as in most crochet projects. Going through the back loop gives a flatter, stretchier rug. I started doing the rugs through the back loop only, but now I generally do them through both, which gives them more bulk and I think they hold up better.

Continuing the rug

Stitch the rug in a spiral. Add increases as necessary around the ends of the oval to make it lie flat.

For at least the first few rows, increase by the number of stitches you used to initially get around the end. For example, if you used three stitches to get around the end, then on your second time around, do two stitches in each of the three end holes. On the next time around, do two stitches in one hole, then a single stitch in the next hole, then back to two stitches...but only adding three stitches around the end. If your increases are always at the same spot, you'll make corners, instead of the rug being round. That's ok, if it's the look you want...but make sure that's your choice.

This is the shape you get if you always increase in the same place

As the rug gets bigger, it's sometimes less practical/easy to only increase by three stitches. That's when I start going by feel. I'll mark the end of the straight parts, because you don't want to increase stitches in the straights. When you're working around the ends, add a stitch where it looks like the stitch you have in one hole won't reach to the next one without buckling or pulling. Honestly, this takes a bit of practice, and I've started laying the rug out flat periodically to make sure that it's not curling up or rippling.

Finishing the rug

For the most part, when you get to the size you want, or run out of sheets...just stop. I'm still working on my "preferred" way to end it, but I generally just loop the end of the fabric through the next few stitches so that they lay flat, then stitch the end down using a needle and thread.