Chain Stitch Rug Hooking

Radiant Sunset, 33" x 22", wol strips crocheted on latch hook canvas. Designed and stitched by Kira Mead, Albany, Western Australia, 2015.

Being fairly new to rug making, I have been devouring different ideas and methods to enhance my work, and I’m having the most marvelous time experimenting with dye.

A picture of an eye-catching hooked rug that was done entirely with chain stitch caught my eye. Crochet is not hard, and chain stitch is the most basic stitch you can crochet. Throwing myself in the deep end with a “can do” attitude and seeing how it turns out was just the mood required.

If you have seen my work, you know my passion for a bright palette and color is always my first inspiration. My approach to dyeing is not scientific: throw in the dye and the wool and see the surprise at the end. Then look at the colors and see what they conjure up in my imagination

In this case, I saw a garden at sunset—an impressionist’s painting.

This piece is done on the same canvas you would use for latch hooking. The strips I would usually use for my standing wool rugs (roughly 2½") were cut into seven strips.

I placed this piece on a table—no canvas frame required—to hook it. I believe it is easier to judge tension this way.

This article is from the January/February 2016 issue. For more information on our issue, check out our issue page.