Needle Felting Brings the Zing

Felted discs done separately and attached to the backing, then hooked around with wool strips.  Designed and hooked by Alice Strebel. 

I enjoy combining different techniques and materials in the pieces I create, so rather than limiting my rugs to just hooking with loops, I try different approaches to create interest and texture.

Incorporating needle felting with rug hooking is not a new idea, but many people are unfamiliar with the technique and the results. I’ve found that needle felting is a great way to enhance a hooked piece, and it prompts people to ask, “How did you do that?” 

I use several methods to combine rug hooking and needle felting. In one technique, I use the felting needle to apply dyed wool roving directly to the surface of the rug backing, and then I hook around it. For those of us who hook with primitive or wide cuts of wool, roving adds fine detail without having to hook a fine cut.

This article is from the June/July/August 2013 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.