WOVEN RUG FROM SWEATERS
1. Full the sweaters.
Wash the wool sweaters in hot and then cold water
until they’re felted, so they don’t unravel when cut.
A
B
2. Cut the sweaters into strips.
Once dry, cut sweaters into 1¼"– 1½" rag strips,
starting at the bottom of the sweater. Cut 1 continuous strip (Figures A and B).
D
3. Warp the loom.
Allow for fringe and loom waste: warp 1epi (ends per C
inch), 28" wide, 28 warp ends, 2yds long (Figure C).
F
4. Sley 1 warp end per dent.
Center your warp on the loom and tie each warp
thread (rag) onto the back or top beam using a half
hitch knot (Figure D). The warp is the length
of your rug. E
5. Thread the rags.
Thread the rags through the heddles and your reed
(Figure E). Wind the warp onto the back beam. Tie
the warp onto your front apron (front beam) using a
reef knot. Check for even tension (Figure F).
H
G
6. Lay the weft loosely in the shed.
Allow about 8"– 10" including tie-on for fringe. Leave
an 8" tail and weave it back in on itself (Figure G).
Beat firmly.
J
7. Weave, sewing the rag ends together.
Join ends with a sewing machine when you change I
color (Figure H). Weave the rug (Figure I) until you
can no longer advance the warp. Watch your selvedges and measure to see that they remain even.
Photography by Peggy Campbell
8. Untie the warp and knot the fringe.
Untie 2 warp threads at a time from the top of the
loom (Figure J). Tie these threads in a reef knot
close to the rug to make your fringe (Figure K).
Continue tying, 2 by 2, until you have the top edge
finished. Repeat on the bottom (Figure L).
L
K
9. Trim the ends.
Lay the rug out on the floor and trim the fringe to
your desired length.
You can see more of Peggy Campbell’s work at
fiveforty.etsy.com and
icraft.ca/five_forty.
