Old dog? New tricks!
Ok, so I've been engrossed in tackling this 'rag rug' project. I fiddled around trying to learn how to crochet plastic shopping bags that I'd cut up into long strips first. Then I played with the loom salvage itself--trying to figure out the stiches involved. I spent about 2 hours trying to figure out how to make an oval shaped rug and then ended up with a big ugly mess. So I called it a night.
Next day, I took out all the work I'd done the night prior (now experiencing major carpal tunnel effects) and started anew--this time with a Q size crochet hook and a plan to make a rectangular rug instead. I made a long foundation row of chain stiches (basically almost making a knot and then instead of pulling the loose end all the way through I pulled it through just enough to be able to pull the crochet hook with another loop of 'yarn' through the first loop, creating a new loop and the opportunity to start another 'knot'--doing this all the way to the end). This approach worked much better. My mantra the entire time was that I had to be smarter than that 'dang' piece of wool. ;)
Two days later and I've gone through 3 of the 4 monster loom salvage 'balls' I came home with from the mill. The rug as it currently exists is 6' long by about 10" and about 2" thick. It may become the world's 'narrowest' runner. ;) I have one monster roll of material left about 2' in diameter--which may only add about 4" to the width of the runner. I might not have a very functional rug when I'm finished but instead it might be a rather heavy piece of avant-garde 'shag carpet' artwork. ;) I may have to return to the mill repeatedly hoping to find more bags of this particular color array of loom salvage just to make a rug the size in which I'm interested. But, I figured that I can at least 'knot' wool into something more than just a monster ball of loom waste. ;) I've dubbed my 'shag rug' project as my first installment in my "Craft Challenge 2005" (& I emphasize 'challenge' here--I'm quickly learning that 'crafting' was not included in my genetic code). ;) I included a pen in one of the photos so you'll see the scale of the rug. The pen's about 6" long. It's sitting on a step in the living room. So, for about $25 I'll have an interesting, if not educational, 13-pound piece of 'work' (notice I omitted the term 'art' here?) for my home.
Next day, I took out all the work I'd done the night prior (now experiencing major carpal tunnel effects) and started anew--this time with a Q size crochet hook and a plan to make a rectangular rug instead. I made a long foundation row of chain stiches (basically almost making a knot and then instead of pulling the loose end all the way through I pulled it through just enough to be able to pull the crochet hook with another loop of 'yarn' through the first loop, creating a new loop and the opportunity to start another 'knot'--doing this all the way to the end). This approach worked much better. My mantra the entire time was that I had to be smarter than that 'dang' piece of wool. ;)
Two days later and I've gone through 3 of the 4 monster loom salvage 'balls' I came home with from the mill. The rug as it currently exists is 6' long by about 10" and about 2" thick. It may become the world's 'narrowest' runner. ;) I have one monster roll of material left about 2' in diameter--which may only add about 4" to the width of the runner. I might not have a very functional rug when I'm finished but instead it might be a rather heavy piece of avant-garde 'shag carpet' artwork. ;) I may have to return to the mill repeatedly hoping to find more bags of this particular color array of loom salvage just to make a rug the size in which I'm interested. But, I figured that I can at least 'knot' wool into something more than just a monster ball of loom waste. ;) I've dubbed my 'shag rug' project as my first installment in my "Craft Challenge 2005" (& I emphasize 'challenge' here--I'm quickly learning that 'crafting' was not included in my genetic code). ;) I included a pen in one of the photos so you'll see the scale of the rug. The pen's about 6" long. It's sitting on a step in the living room. So, for about $25 I'll have an interesting, if not educational, 13-pound piece of 'work' (notice I omitted the term 'art' here?) for my home.
posted by Adventure Seeker | 7:52 AM
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