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Wednesday 7 October 2009

Circular Crochet Rag Rug – Instructions

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Circular Crochet Rag Rug Tutorial

This pattern is for a circular rag rug to illustrate the process of crocheting a rag rug in the round. Once you understand this concept you can then choose a variety of patterns to work with - ovals, squares, rectangles or even a hexagon.
A rag rug crochets up fairly quickly but the time consuming aspect is in the preparation. You will need to gather a variety of fabrics to cut and turn into your yarn. Think about the properties of any particular fabric you choose - is it stretchy, flexible, coarse, closely woven. Is it likely to fray? Although most fabrics do initially shed some fibres some materials are worse than others.
You will need a fairly large hook I always use 10mm but anything between 10mm and 15mm would be suitable. I find a 15mm hook a tad unwieldy in the hand.
Your next job is going to be to cut the yarn into strips with as few joins as possible. To avoid too many knots cut in a zigzag style from side to side or cut from out edge in a spiral manner to the centre. The fabric should be approximately 2cms wide or 1”. This measurement is not cast in stone and there will be slight variations in the width which is a natural property of any handmade crocheted rag rug. Roll the yarn into balls. It is difficult to estimate the amount of fabric required but I always find it is more than you might initially anticipate. If you prepare approx 5 different colours/patterns to begin with you should then be able to estimate how much more is required to complete the project.
If you are not used to using your hands intensively you may end up with aching hands during the cutting up stage - I think in my eagerness I even ended up with a blister or two. It is worth preparing the yarn in advance as it can become frustrating to have to stop crocheting to do more cutting up. It will also take a while to get used to working with such a large hook and fabric as it it is a very different experience to crocheting with yarn.
As you become more familiar with the process you will learn to assess which fabrics work best for you and your design. You will also learn when you need to make additional increases etc to stop the rug curling. The structure of a crocheted rag rug is synergistic each separate stitch is dependant upon all other stitches and the properties of the fabrics used.
175-7583_IMG1. Chain 3
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2. Join the ring with a sl st, ch 1 and then sc x 5 into the ring, join the circle with a sl st.
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3. ch 1, (It may be useful at this stage to start marking the beginning of your round with a safety pin). sc x2 into each st,then join with a sl st.
175-7589_IMG 4. ch 1, *sc twice into next st, sc 1 in next st* ** rep to end, join with sl st.
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5. ch 1, *sc twice into next st, sc 1 in next st* ** rep to end, join with sl st.
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6. Now begin working in the round (no more ch at beg of row and no more sl st) *sc twice into next st, sc 1 in next st* ** rep to end.
175-7594_IMG7. Continue to use pin to mark your rounds. 1 sc into each st. 
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8. 1 sc into next 3 st, sc x2 into next st and every 4th st to end of round.
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9. 1 sc into next 4 st, sc x2 into next st and every 5th st to end of round.
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10. Complete 1 round 1 sc in each st to end.
11. sc x 2 into 1 st, sc for next 3 st, sc next st and every 4th st to end of round.
12. Complete 1 round 1 sc in each st to end.
13. sc x 2 into 1 st, sc for next 3 st, sc next st and every 4th st to end of round.
14. Complete 1 round 1 sc in each st to end.
Continue with these rounds (13 & 14) until work measures required diameter.
At this point my rug measures 19” diameter.
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You can keep going here for as long as you like – but be warned they can become difficult to work with after a 4-5ft diameter.
170-7010_IMGHere is one of my earlier rugs and this reached approx 6ft.
Note: If your rug begins to wrinkle you are increasing too often – reduce amount of increase for 1 round.
If your rug begins to curl upwards, like a bowl you are not increasing enough. 
Happy Rug Making.

25 comments:

RecycleCindy said...

Great tutorial and the pictures are a wonderful help for people crocheting a rag rug. Thanks for sharing!

The Sunroom said...

Recycle Cindy,
Thank you so much for your kind comments and for reviewing and recommending this at stumblesupon. I hope that people will be inspired to create their own rug :-)
Happy Hooking

Tina said...

I just 'repaired' the outer edge of a rag rug someone's grandmother had given her. It really made me want to do my own. Thanks so much for your tutorial. You make it look so easy! :)

dymphna said...

can't wait to try it you made it seem easy enough to do.

deefna

The Sunroom said...

A lovely email from Nancy

I just wanted to THANK YOU so much for the great tutorial on doing rag rugs. I've been wanting to try making a rag rug for a long time but didn't really trust myself to do the increases correctly or prepare the fabric. I've been saving up old sheets for just such an opportunity and now I'll have to get busy cutting. Need to finish a large circular knitted shawl first BUT will start the cutting process.

I have such fond memories of my wonderful grandmother making her own rag rugs and just loved the finished product.

Thanks again !! Best wishes, Nancy

Tilly Rose said...

I really want to try this project. Thanks for the tutorial. You've made it look easy! Just need to get cutting the fabric now...
Karen x

theneon said...

This brings back such wonderful memories of my grandmother -- all the family brought her used clothing and fabrics and everyone in the family had more than several of these. I have always wanted to make one -- and now I can try. Yours is gorgeous!

The Sunroom said...

Than you all for your positive comments and I do hope that you al manage to make a rug - they are so durable and retro. I love them.
Best wishes and good luck :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello,
I have been wanting to make a braided rug for sometime then it dawned on my my Grandmother crochet her, so I was looking for instructions ( as I do not crochet) and found your sight. It is very informational and a pleasure to read. I xan't wait to get started

Kathy said...

I will try making a rag rug from the tutorial.

Cheryl Moore said...

I love your rug! Thanks for posting! :)

Rjoy said...

Hi there. Thanks for the tutorial. I am trying to make it right now but #13 is confusing me. IS there any way you can clarify for me? Thanks. :)

JoAnn said...

Thanks for the pattern. I've been crocheting rag rugs just like this for a while but never wrote down the pattern. Now I have the pattern to give to others.

Anonymous said...

I hate to sound like a dummy, but I don't quite understand rnds 11 and 13. (Sc every 3 st and every 4th st)

I am so excited about making cushions for my chairs.
Alene

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your detailed tutorial. My mother in law taught me to crochet yesterday. I am determined to crochet a rag rug for our first babies' room and have been searching for free instruction. It's nice to see in today's day and age, where everything has a price, that someone is generous enough to share their artistic knowledge at no cost. Thank you! Happy crocheting! D.Trumble, Michigan

Dezzy said...

Thank you for the great tutorial! I have been wanting to make a rag rug for some time but always got stymied on the fabrics (patterns) I should use. Reading (and seeing) this tutorial makes it easier for me to make a (silk) rag rug. I'm past the hump. I will send a picture when it is complete. Thank You once again.

Anonymous said...

I really want to try this. Would this work with old sheets cut up? the tutorial looks great and I am eager to get started :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your bit about what do to when the round gets wobbly. I searched for a half hour trying to find a site that would tell me. I FINALLY found you.

Stephanie Krawchuk said...

I am a little confused on Round 11 and 13. Just wondering if you could explain it to me a bit. I know this blog is old but I thought I would just try incase you still look at it.

Anonymous said...

My mother just caught this as she was teaching me how to crochet this rug: she suggested for rows 11 and 13 that it should be repeating the pattern ... sc x 2 next stitch and every 4th stitch. (the 'x2' was left out of original pattern). That seemed to make more sense to her for continuing to increase the size of each round. :)

newbiehooker said...

OK Ladies I am new the the whole crocheted rag rug so I have some confusion. Are the strips of fabric joined together? Or are they worked in as you go? I have several old blue jeans waiting to be made into a kicthen sink rug.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Thank you Thank for this great tutorial..I have TONS of top sheets I got from sets as well as old fabric from Stepdaughter's clothes and do not know how to us 'em now I do!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for clarifing the #11 & #13 instructions. I couldn't figuret out. I really am enjoying this patteren. Very fun!

Lindsey said...

Hi, I just made my own rag rug following your instructions :) I've linked to your tutorial from my blog post ;) http://impatientlycrafty.com/2012/02/21/round-crochet-rag-rug-cheap-and-lovely-28-and-15-hours/

thanks for such a great tutorial!

Regina Diniz Outeiro said...

Cindy, Thank you for sharing this great tutorial.