Thanks to the Rag Rug Cafe, I'm going to be able to share my love and some directions for getting started in Primitive Rug Hooking. It is lots of fun, fairly easy, and can be tried without investing lots of cash. Later, if you love it as much as I do, you can buy equipment to assist you in certain parts of the work/art such as cutting your wool strips with something other than scissors. :)

So, what do you need to get started "Rug Hooking"?

To begin with a backing which is generally either a special type of Monkscloth for rug hooking or primitive linen. Later, I'll give you some sources for those items. Monkscloth is less expensive but stretches, so that isn't what I use. Linen is expensive compared to monkscloth, but quite wide so as long as you get a length a few inches longer than your finished rug, you should get enough to make a couple of projects. In addition, you may find an auction on ebay for either a beginners rug hooking kit, or scraps of the linen. More on that later too. It is possible to buy "patterns" with the picture predrawn on either background. If you plan to draw your own, a sharpie and some tulle (bridal veiling) can be helpful.

A quilt hoop or rug frame will simplify the hooking, but I hook without a frame of any type. I've done handwork for most of my life, and this just seemed easiest to me.

A rug hook, there are many types to choose from, or even a crochet hook is enough to try it out. In fact when my expensive hook was mislaid, I used a crochet hook to continue working. It was harder on my hands, but you can not find the areas on the rug.

Most important of all. Wool!!! Mostly I use upcycled wool from a thrift store. Part of the fun is finding a great skirt or jacket that can be felted. But there are many people who sell hand dyed wools on ebay, etsy, and other websites.

Hope you'll use the comments to ask questions, or make a personal connection. Here is a bit about me. I'm a retired teacher and first time grandma, who has been rughooking for about 4-5 years. I don't have a guild nearby, but have "virtual" pals on ebay who have generously shared their knowledge, and helped me to grow my skills through challenges etc. Well, that's enough for you to begin to form a mental picture of me. I am also on twitter as cottoneyedjo if you want to follow my tweets.

As we say in the south, "Y'all come back now!"  Jo