rag rugs

[Helen D]

I am about to embark on a proddy rug, having seen them at Beamish and other such museums. I have an old washed hessian sack, some old T shirts, and a proddy that my son carved for me (he usually makes crochet hooks). I think I will just do a simple spiral pattern at first for the cats to lie on in front of the stove, and if that works, do a proper pattern for the lounge hearth! Rather too ambitious I suspect .  Any tips and advice would be welcome

Helen

[rancegal]

  Make one of those small ones first, the ones women stood on at the sink. Black border and mixed colours for the rest. They have them at Beamish. I turned to my granddaughter and told her my grandma had one just like it in front of the sink (in Northants)
     I then told her about the 'cottage with garden' fireside rug that my mother made, without any pattern, she just made up the design. When I had finished, the lady behind me said,'Thank you, I did enjoy that, it was so interesting'  Once a teacher, always a teacher, it seems!   

   The trouble was, once they got grubby they could not be cleaned, they were too thick and heavy, at least the larger ones were, so they had to be thrown away.

[bykerlads]

I remember my mum standing on a small rag-rug in front of the kitchen sink- to stop " the cold striking up" from the stone -flagged floor.
Also, if you look on bbc i-player for yesterday Mon. 14th, on "Antiques Road Trip", you'll find a rather nice short piece on rag rugs made nowadays by a lady in North/West Yorkshire, if I recall correctly.

[Helen D]

Thanks for the advice Rancegal. I have started on an oblong one to go in front of the rayburn, so not too big. Its in dark colours so it does not show the dirt, tho when it will get to go on the floor goodness knows. It does take time, and I cant do it while watching telly as I always have  a playful kitten on my lap .

I'll see if I can find that on I player BL - thanks. I'll post a picture on here if I ever get it finished, but don't hold your breath

Helen

[Ashgard]

I was born in 1936 and still find the war-time 'waste not, want not' philosophy impossible to shake off.  When my youngest child outgrew clothes and there was no one to pass them on to I made them into peg rugs. (have to confess my children go boy, girl, boy, but they got hand-me-downs none the less!)
I get sacks from the pet shop.  Would recommend a large crochet hook works better for me than a latch hook.  I cut the clothes 1/2 inch wide and as long as possible, just pull a loop through from the back until you reach the end of the length.  I did 'flowers' (just blobs really) as you can do a different colour when you get bored.
I made one with old blanket dyed with blackberry juice, lovely natural shades of colour.
I have one from 1970 and still very good.

[BordersCrafter]

Does anyone have any handed down hooked rag rugs, mats, tools, stories, from within their family?(particularly if they have farming, mining, fishing backgrounds/ancestry?)

My mother got into terrible trouble once when she cut up her mother's lodger's best Sunday coat for a proggy mat!