Spruce Ridge Studios | Hooking 101—Rug Hooking Glossary


	Hooking 101 Welcome to Hooking 101! You will find discussions, tips and easy “how-to” suggestions to help you through your rug hooking adventure! If you have a topic that you would like to be considered for future discussions, please contact me. RUG HOOKING GLOSSARY A fun glossary of words to expand your rug hooking vocabulary.
	Antique Black	A color dyed over various types of wool to look like old faded black fabric. Most often it is mottled and is more of a very dark green color rather than black. Dyes used in Antique Black include browns, dark greens, black, and sometimes red.
	As-Is Wool	Wool used in its original color and has never been dyed.
	Blocking	Steaming, pressing with an iron, and shaping your finished piece. Let your piece dry thoroughly before handling.
	Color Triangle	The use of a certain color in three different places on your rug. This causes your eye to move around the design and creates balance and interest. There can be more than one “color triangle” in your rug design.
	Complementary Colors	Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, i.e. red and green are complementary colors.
	Cutter	A mechanical machine, most often operated with a hand crank. Wool pieces are guided along the machine and cut into strips. It may clamp to a table or stick to the top of a table with suction cup feet.
	Cutter Heads	The cutting blade that fits on a cutter and cuts your wool. The blades come in different sizes depending on strip widths, and can be easily changed.
	Directional Hooking	Some examples are hooking in the direction fur grows on an animal, or hooking the way the wind is blowing for skies, water, or waves.
	Fine Shaded	Hooking that uses many values of colored wool to create a realistic picture. Some examples are flowers and fruit shaded to look three-dimensional.
	Foundation (backing)	The fabric that you pull your strips through to make your rug; the “backbone” of your rug. Most commonly used are burlap, monks cloth, or linen. See the previous Hooking 101 for a discussion of backing types.
	Frame	What you use to hold your foundation taut. The tighter you can get your foundation, the easier it will be to hook. The most common and inexpensive frame is an embroidery hoop, at least 1" wide. More expensive frames use carding (“prickle”) strips. The foundation is laid across the strips and pulled tight with your hands. I find this type of frame has superior gripping power. Frames may also be collapsible, which make them portable and easy to travel with.
	Hit or Miss	A random placement of colors and strips and most often hooked in lines. A great way to use up left over or odd amounts of wool. The colors are hooked in such a way that no two colors are next to each other and can include all of the colors in the main design of your rug.
	Marrying	Combining several similar colors of wool and allowing them to simmer in a pot of water for a length of time and then cooled to room temperature. This blends their colors together so they are in the same color “family.” Great technique for backgrounds.
	Narrow Cut	Strips that are between 3/32" (#3) and 5/32" (#5). These strips give greater detail and are most often used in fine shading.
	Overdyed Wool	Wool that has had its color altered or changed by dyeing, either by chemical or natural dyes (tea, plants, etc.). Some other names associated with over dyeing: spot dyed, mottled, gradation, casserole dyed, dip dyes.
	Padula	An imaginary flower not found in nature.
	Primitive	A simple, naïve, cartoon-like style of hooking. Color and size of your subject don't matter! Primitives are always done as a wide cut.
	Prodding	A method most common in England where rag strips are poked through rug foundation with a peg-like tool from the wrong side of the rug. Prodding can also be done from the right side of the pattern with a “spring clip” tool, which looks a little like a curling iron!
	Recycled Wool	Wool that was originally made into a garment, blanket, coat, etc.
	Reverse Hooking	Pulling out your strips, most often to correct an error. Also called “ripping.”
	Rug Camp	A retreat that includes room & board and some meals. Usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Rug hookers sign up for classes during the week and fellowship with other hookers. Someone once described it as “Scout camp for rug hookers!”
	Rug Hook	The tool that you use to pull your strips up through your backing. It looks like a crochet hook set into a handle. There are different shapes and sizes of hooks ranging from primitive (largest) to fine (smallest).
	Spark	An unusual or unexpected color hooked into your rug that gives a “lift” to the other colors used.
	Strip	The material used for the loops in your rug. Most rug hookers prefer 100% wool. Strips must be cut straight on the grain of the fabric. Sizes of strips range from 3/32" (#3) to 1/4" (#8) or wider!
	Swatches	Usually a set of 6 pieces of wool dyed in gradated colors, ranging from light to dark.
	Tail	The end of your wool strip that is pulled up to the top of your work (and is later trimmed off—see “Thrum”).
	Textured Wool	A term to describe wools that are tweeds, herringbones, plaids, checks, stripes, etc. These wools are used quite often for primitives or wide cuts.
	Thrums	The little short ends and snippets that you trim off after you bring your “tails” to the top of your work.
	Twill Tape	A 1 1/4" wide woven piece of tape that is 100% cotton used for hemming your hooked piece.
	Whipping	To completely wrap the edge of your finished piece with wool yarn. May also be done with wool strips.
	Wide cut	Strips that are at least 6/32" (#6) and larger are used for wide cut.

	CURRENT HOOKING 101 TOPIC	Dyeing with Kool-Aid It’s fun and easy!
	PAST HOOKING 101 TOPICS	Backings What are the differences and what is best for me?

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