ART OF RUG HOOKING

Whether placed on the floor to muffle the sound of footsteps, or hung on the wall as a piece of art for all to admire, hooked rugs have a long and splendid tradition.

Women would meet, sharing friendship as they worked, and they aimed for practicality even more than perfection.

In primitive examples, rugmakers sometimes even changed colors in midstream when they'd run out!

Pore through a magnificent gallery of color photos of rugs old and new, and then use these patterns and techniques to make your own.

A complete primer fills you in on basic supplies (hooks, wool, and hoops); preparing your fabric elementary "stitches" and loops; and whereto find patterns and design ideas.

Follow the general "do's and don'ts" list to save time and effort; you'll find advice on when to cut wool where in the rug to begin hooking, how to fill in the design, and finishing off.

There's even advice on how to display the finished product!