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The Knitted Rug: Knitted Shag Rug
6 hours (one 6-hour session or two 3-hour sessions)
Pile, or shag, knitting has been around for years. The Shakers and other New England knitters used pile knitting to make insulated mittens in the 19th century. Mary Thomas has an entire chapter about loop stitches in her 1938 classic, Mary Thomas’s Knitting Book. She even talks about loop-knitted wigs, rugs, and birds nests!
Today, many knitting encyclopedias and stitch libraries include instructions for at least one form of loop stitch, while most other types of pile stitches have faded from popularity. The stitches are infinite in variation. The loops are made on the right side or the wrong side, wrapping the yarn around a thumb or two fingers, on a Garter stitch or Stockinette stitch background.
The workshop will cover the following topics:
- Materials and supplies needed for rug knitting
- Selecting and arranging colors
- Learning several shag stitch techniques
- Choosing the right shag or loop stitch for your rug
Backing and edging options
Easy+ level. Students need to know to knit and purl, cast-on and bind-off, and have experience making 2-3 projects.
Morning / Session 1
Overview of the history of shag knitting
Learn several different shag stitches
Make swatches
Afternoon / Session 2
Review questions
Complete swatches
Go over options for backing and edging rugs
Begin knitting a wool shag rug
Materials
Size 7 straight or double-pointed needles
800 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn
800 yards of bulky wool yarn or 1600 yards of worsted weight wool yarn (to use double)
Basic knitting tools
Handouts and pattern will be provided
