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ANTIQUES PEEK by Jessica Kosinski
ANTIQUES PEEK

Hooked on Rugs

t is easy to go through life not paying attention to what you are coast. Similarly, in the United States, it took hold in the area of New
walking on. After all, nobody cares about most modern carpets. England before spreading south and west into states like Pennsylvania.
IHowever, hooked rugs are another story. They are like works of art. That suggests immigrants who traveled here by boat introduced the
In fact, many are used as artistic wall practice to North American shores.
hangings, rather than for their intended
purposes. American hooked rugs have a Changing Hooked Rug Materials
long and storied history. Let’s take a and Designs
peek into that history as we examine In the early days of North American
how rug hooking started in North hooked rugs, materials were not always
America and why hooked rugs are still easy to come by. Yarn was especially
enjoyed today as artistic pieces. uncommon in many areas. Families
were often poor and had to do their best
What Hooked Rugs Are with what they had, utilizing fabric
Hooked rugs are typically rugs made scraps from clothing or bed linens to
with fabric or yarn. A special hook tool create rugs.
somewhat similar to a crochet hook is Hooked rugs were also somewhat
used to pull the yarn through a stiff identifiable in terms of where they were
framework. By wrapping each individ- made in the 1800s because the rugs
ual piece of yarn or fabric around the often utilized regional materials.
This early 20th century hooked rug framework, a rug is The patterns chosen by 1902 hooked rug with design
features a favorite topic: flowers eventually created. The the makers also often of the American Flag
frameworks can be indicated the locations. For example, early hooked rugs
made out of many different materials today, but burlap made in North America often featured depictions of trees
was the preferred choice originally because it was readily or plants native to the areas where the rugs were made.
available due to its everyday uses in such fields as farming Animals like chickens and horses were also common
and as sacks for goods in general stores. subjects, and flowers were always popular. Not all hooked
rugs depicted scenes. Some simply had geometric patterns
The Latch Hook Kit Craze of the 1980s like stripes or cubes and circles.
If you are like me, when you hear the phrase “hooked Over time, traditions changed and more material like
rug” you might think of the latch hook kit craze of the yarn became available. Rug hooking became more of a
1980s. At that time, it seemed like rug kits were for sale hobby than a necessity. As those changes took place, more
in every store. They usually consisted of a rug “frame- diversity and complexity in materials and patterns
work” full of uniformly-sized holes. In some cases, the developed. Even the hooks and tools used evolved quickly.
holes were actually colored to match the included yarn
colors to create a pattern to follow. Either way, the process Early Hooked Rugs for Display and Purchase
was a lot like doing paint-by-numbers projects. Early hooked rugs from the United States, Canada,
and many other countries are routinely displayed in
The Origins of Hooked Rugs in North America museums around the world. Special hooked rug exhibi-
There is no concrete evidence showing when rug tions are also held regularly. For example, Sauder Village,
hooking started in North America. Some conclusions Ohio holds a week-long rug hooking event every year. It
have been reached based on certain identifying factors. typically includes amazing displays of early American
For instance, hooked rugs made in the mid-1800s are A section of an early geometric and hooked rugs, as well as classes where visitors can learn
known to exist, so nature pattern hooked rug early rug hooking techniques.
the tradition goes Of course, there are also plenty of early hooked rugs
back at least that far. Another clue available for sale. Many early American hooked rugs look like folk art.
is the material the yarn was hooked However, patterns can be copied by more modern rug makers, so shop
onto to make the rugs. Early with care. Wear can sometimes be an indicator of age because early
American and Canadian hooked hooked rugs were, of course, used. They were made out of necessity. It is
rugs were hooked on burlap. rare for one to be in perfectly pristine
Burlap was not a material that was condition unless it was made later
widely available before the 1850s. specifically for show.
It is also clear the tradition of Price can be another indicator of
rug hooking in North America age. Most early American hooked rugs
came over from England as in good condition fetch at least several
evidenced by records of English hundred dollars to a few thousand
rug hooking practices and dollars or, in certain instances, more.
examining rugs over time across A lot depends on the size of the rug
This early floral hooked rug showing
a strong “folk art” style rug North America. In Canada, it was and the intricacy of the pattern, as well A 19th century example at Colonial
sold for $649 in 2012. first popular in provinces along the as provenance. Williamsburg shows the family cat

Jessica Kosinski has been a freelance writer specializing in writing short articles for 15 years. She is also an avid collector of both antique books and Star Wars memorabilia. Although she is not in the
antiques industry professionally, she has learned a lot about antiques over the years by periodically helping out at her mom’s antiques shop in Greenville, NH. She currently balances maintaining the
antiques shop’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MallofNE, and working on various freelance writing assignments. She can be reached at dementorskiss77@yahoo.com.
34 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles