A Pelican Anchored Loop Rug from Florida
Patti, from the Florida Keys has been crocheting rugs and recently got "hooked" on the anchored loop technique. This is her Pelican rug. I think Patti has a lot of potential as a rug designer, and she can be contacted at keysrugs@bellsouth.net. She is currently working on a new rug with a palm tree motif. 
 

Braided-In Rugs in Nebraska
Somehow I've become hooked on doing rugs. I've been doing this braided type for two years and I have made some small primitive hooked pieces that I've framed.Here is a couple of photos of my work, the small one in the photo is an "in progress" piece. I start by braiding three strands to about 12" then turn and use one strand as a filler piece and then put safety pins on the other two strands and start looping back into the braid, you cross over one strand and come up from back side of rug through the braid loop, lay this down over the filler strand and repeat. Thank you so much, I'm thrilled about sharing too! You can use my photos to share, or let me know what I need to do or what site to post on. Thanks a bunch!

Diane Heisner Lincoln, Nebraska 
 

Ruth's Wonderful Sewn Shag Rugs
Ruth Cannon of Charlotte North Carolina writes: 
"First a note to tell you how much I have enjoyed the various rug books and bulletins I ordered. I hope to be able to learn to make some of the creative variations described. Also, I wanted to send you photographs of a few of the sewn shag rugs I make using traditional and contemporary patterns. In the construction of the rugs, I machine sew ruffled fabric strips to canvas in lines close enough to force the fabric upward. This process creates a thickly textured surface that displays colors from the cut edges of the fabric. To finish each rug, I hand sew a lining to the back that complements the colors on the surface. ...Normally for a two foot by three foot rug, I will use approximately twenty to twenty-five yards of fabric. I have been making this rag rug variation since 1992 and sell them at a limited number of juried art and craft festivals each year." (A note from Diana: These pictures just don't do justice to Ruth's wonderful colors and textures--her rugs are beautiful. There are two other of Ruth's rugs pictured on the sewn shag tour stop. If you would like to contact Ruth, she can be reached at simplyrugs@msn.com --Thanks for sharing your rugs with us, Ruth!)

A Sister-Rug
I really enjoyed your rug tour!! I make "rag rugs" with a toothbrush and didn't realize it had a name! One of my favorite rugs is my "Sister Rug" - originating from all the clothing my sisters (4 of us) were ready to discard. Over the years, it has grown, just as we have grown. Now, our daughters-in- law have added to the rug. Eventually, our granddaughters will add to the rug. Thank you again for the informative journey into rug history. 

A Family Mystery Solved!

Dear Diana, A quick Grandma story . . . When they were alive, both my grandmother and grandfather made rag rugs on looms. I remember seeing mounds and mounds of rags rolled into balls for the loom. When she died, I got an oval rug that I thought had been made (somehow) on their looms because it looks just like them -- after reading my "Crocheted and Fabric Tapestry Rugs" from cover to cover, I realized it is string crochet! My sister is excited for me to make one for her as it seems I've got the only one of Grandma's left. Unfortunately, she'll have to wait. I've got so many other wonderful ideas from your book, I'm sure I won't get to it for quite some time. Roseann Dear Roseann, Wonderful! I love that you've read the book cover to cover, and solved the 'family mystery'. The rug you have of your Grandmothers should be treated with great care because surviving string crochet rugs are quite rare! Happy Rugmaking! Diana

More from Roseann: After I read your e-mail, I got out a hooked? rug that Grandma did also and have included pictures as well. I then called my mom to get a little more background. She thinks the String Crochet was done in the late '50s or early 60s and the Hook was done late '40s, early '50s or before. Grandma saved all the old silk stockings she could get her hands on and that's what she used for both of these rugs (the hooked rug also has some other silk fabrics around the edges). To make the String rug look multi-colored she used different colors of warp -- the silk is all the original (but faded) "natural/taupe" color. She must have dyed the stockings to make the colors in the Hook, and it was worked on an old burlap feed bag. (Mom says she never threw any fabric away and also never used "new" fabric. It was all discarded clothes, etc.) These rugs were made to serve a purpose and as far as I know were used until I got them, so they definitely have signs of wear (the string more so than the hook). They haven't been on the floor since!
 

The Rug Vicar's Story
A funny story about the popular name, "Toothbrush Rugs" (Naalbinding)
When I was doing my pastoral internship in a Finnish church in Northern Minnesota, I used the rugs as an object lesson once. It attracted a lot of attention, and several ladies asked me how to make them. So, I set up several meetings where I would show them how it worked. One lady was unable to make it, as she developed a medical condition, and had to be hospitalized. I promised I would come see her in the hospital down in Duluth, and show her how then. 

Apparently, my arrival was much anticipated and talked about, because when I arrived to find her with a hoard of family around her, I was announced as the "rug vicar." One of her daughters then said, "Oh, good, because I've been wondering how on earth you get the toothbrush handles to stay together."
The Rev. Peter A. List
(The photo shows one of his rugs being thoroughly approved by the resident feline rug inspectors.)

An heirloom braided rug

This 8-strand "plaited braid" rug was made by Sandi Pratt's Grandmother who lived in Omaha, Nebraska. She made two others in the same pattern.