From: LIANA KIFF

Subject: Crocheted wool rugs                                         N

This is long, and is of most interest to people who are interested in rugs
or old/lost techniques............

My Mother used a technique that I have never seen elsewhere.  It is very
old, and she was taught it by my grandmother - we still have one of
Grandma's rugs.

It begins very much like wool braid rugs, in that you start by cutting lots
of bias strips about 1" wide.  From there on it's completely different.

My title is mis-leading about the technique.  It is not really the wool
that gets crocheted, but very heavy and strong waxed rug twine (Nylon).
I'll describe the technique below, but first - here's a rough text schetch
of the needle that you use.
                                               __
______________________            _______________)
                      -_        _-
                        -_    _-
                          -__-

WELL - that's not very good, so by way of a description -- It is very like
a long lace crochet hook - with a big v in the middle.  I think it's about
10" long.

First - you take the bias pieces of wool, and accordian pleat them onto the
needle, through the center of the accordian - so you have approximately the
same amount of fabric on all sides of the needle if you look straight on at
it.

Example        _______      Top - or eventual surface of rug
              |       |
 Folded edge->|       |<-- Folded edge
              |   0   |  <--  Needle in center.
              |       |
              |_______|      Bottom - reversable surface of rug

And then, using some technique that I can't describe, you use a single
crochet stich [possibly with some chain stiches (1-3) as well] to crochet
the twine through or around each pleat in the accordian.  This involves
pulling the wool back over the head of the needle - and onto the
crocheting.  [Since I have neither the needle or the fabric to try this out
with, I can't test it out and confirm the precise technique - but I think
this would be impossible without also having the twine ride along the
outside of the pleat as well.]  This is how to start.  When you have a
piece long enough to form the inside row, you start picking up the stiches
in between the pleats you've already stiched [presumably on the side away
from the "floaters" on the outside of the pleat], and crocheting the new
row into/next to it.

This may be hard to envision - and I won't even attempt to "draw" it, but
the end result is a rug that is about 1 inch thick - or whatever the width
of the bias strips you cut.  The surface is made up of the _open_ edges of
the bias strips which have been tightly croched together to form an even
surface.

My mother made a few of these when I was _very_ young (4), when she had a
hysterectomy.  I remember it being very hard to handle because of the
extreme weight.  My father and I had to help her move it as she worked,
since she couldn't lift it.  That one is 10"x12" complete (and weighs a
good 100 lbs minimum).

If anyone else is familiar with this technique, I'd love some more
information on it.  If you try to do this from my instructions and get
stuck - let me know. I'm sure my mother would be delighted to help you
figure it out if you're interested.  The needle may be impossible to find
these days, as it seems to be a lost art - but I think it could be managed
on a regular small guage crochet hook.  I think she's discovered since then
that the company she bought the needle and the twine from originally has
closed.

The part I remember best about these rugs was all the fun I had cutting the
strips for my mom.  [She must have continued to work on these when I was
older, because I remember using an electric scissors to cut them.]  It was
and is a very practicle use for threadbare woolen clothing.

Happy crafting! --Liana

[As I think about this, I suppose the technique requires making a couple of
chain stiches, sliding a pleat onto them, and them stiching more chain
stiches, etc.....experiment a little.]