Rug hooking supplies such as foundation cloth, wool strips and hooks are instrumental in every stage of the hooked rug-making process. Burlap and monk’s cloth are typically covered in loops of wool strips buy using specially designed hooks, which are made in a variety of materials from plastic to steel. Patterns and measuring tools are also instrumental components of rug hooking supplies. Other key necessities in rug hooking are a quality pair of scissors and a sturdy frame on which the rug may be mounted during the assembly process.
The foundation cloth should be slightly larger than the desired size of the finished rug to allow enough extra material for binding the rug’s raw edges. Rug hooking supplies include cloth, which can have a pre-printed pattern or be blank. Colored markers can be used to draw a pattern on a blank canvas, or a transfer pen can be used to trace the pattern on paper, which can be iron-transferred onto the foundation fabric. Foundation cloth is available in a variety of colors and materials.
Frames are an integral part of rug hooking supplies and are used to hold the foundation cloth taut during the rug-making process. Hooked rug frames range from handheld lap frames and floor stand models to sit-on styles, where a portion of the frame is anchored by the artist’s body for added leverage. Frames are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate different-sized projects.
Rug hooking supplies are also available for cutting the wool into usable strips. Wool fabric is fed into the hand-cranked machine, which features a series of rotary cutting wheels. As the fabric is cranked under the cutters, the fabric is cut into a number of strips based on the number of cutting wheels the machine has. Rug hooking supplies for cutting wool include replacement cutting wheels, as they wear out with use.
Rug binding tape and rug cording are some of the rug hooking supplies used for finishing a hooked rug for use or display. Rug binding is a wide cotton twill tape sewn around the edges of the backside of the rug to cover raw edges. Rug cording uses wool yarn, which is available in a variety of colors, that can be whip-stitched along the rug’s edge to provide a durable finish. Other rug hooking supplies include rug hooks, heavy-duty thread and specialty scissors, which feature angled blades to allow the artist to easily trim the top side of the rug.