Shaggy Blue Rug

A N N D A V I E S

The loom technique was rediscovered by the author in a long-out-of-print American book, and works on the principle of the oriental Ghiordes knot. The loom is simply built, or can be ordered from Ann Davies. The loom is not quick technique but it is one that can easily be picked up and put down. You can cut up strips, Put them into a plastic bag, balance the loom on your knees and work away anywhere you happen to be.

Cotton does not lend it self to traditional hooking as if flattens and picks up the dirt easily, but it is usually the material that most people find readily available.

Using cotton and string makes this rug easily washable and therefore ideal for bathroom or kitchen. Cushion, for garden furniture could be made in the same way, and narrow strips of lurex might be knotted over fine string to make Christmas decorations.

62 x 40 cm (24.5 x 15.25)

Material and Equipment

• Loom
• Hammer
• Glue
• 2 balls of string
• Ballpoint pen
• Ruler
• Card at least 25 x 6.5 cm (10 x 2.5 in)
• Scissors
• Cotton material
• Strong thread
• Needle
• Thimble

The loom comes in kit form but is easily assembled. Put a ball of string over each dowel, as shown, and [pull out enough string from each ball to reach across to the single dowel, a little surplus.

Wrap each piece of string firmly around the nails at the top, winding it in a figure-of-eight so that it does not slip. As you do this, pull the ends down to the base of the loom so they are taut.

Bring the ends of the string down behind the single dowel and double-knot firmly.

Draw a rectangle at least 20 cm (8 in) long and 6.5 cm ( 2.5 in) deep on a piece of firm card to use as a gauge when cutting the cotton. Cut out and fold in half, along the long edge.

Tear or cut the cotton on the straight into long strips 1 cm (0.5 in) wide.

Wrap a strip of material round and round the folded card in a single layer until either the card is covered or you have used up all your strip.

Insert your scissors into the centre of the folded card and cut through to make small strips of similar size.

Place one of these cut strips over the two strings about halfway down the loom.

Bring the two ends up between the string in front of the centre of the strip.

Holding the two ends firmly, pull the whole strip down to the single dowel. Continue working in this way until the string between the dowelling and the nails is fairly full.

Remove the ‘full’ area of string from the nails and bring it behind the dowel. Easing more string from the balls, wrap it around the nails until the new string between the dowel and the nails is taut as before. Continue making fabrics strings in this way until you have a few feet of continuous knotted fabric.

The proportions of the oval rug in this project are determined by the length of the strip of knotted fabric. To work this out, subtract the desired finished width from the length of the centre strip. If you want a rug measuring, say, 81 x 61 cm (32 x 24 in ), subtract 61 (24) from 81 (32) and make you centre strip 20 cm (8 in) long.

You may like to work for a while knotting the fabric and then do some coiling and sewing, before knotting some more fabric. The knotted fabric should be coiled clockwise in an oval or round shape and laced together on the back with strong linen thread. It is advisable to keep the knotted fabric flat on the table when you are swing the coils together, easing the knotted fabric on the curves so that the rug will lie flat.

Do not cut the string until the rug is as large as you require. Then, tie the two strings in a knot and tuck into the pile.