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About Knitted Rag Rugs |
Knitted rag rugs have been in existence since
the mid- 1800’s in one form or another. Knitted
rag rug creations range from quite simple to
very elaborate.
The knitted rag rugs are most often made using
the simple garter (knit stitch only) and
stockinet (knit one row, purl one row, etc.)
stitches. However, many other stitches can be
used to make more intricate rag rugs. These
stitches include the reversible shingle stitch,
corn-on-the-cob stitch and woven or fabric
stitches.
The shapes of the knitted rugs were
traditionally round, oval or rectangular.
Nowadays, many different shapes of knitted rugs
have developed, including heart shaped,
half-round, and hexagon. Also rugs known as
"winding path" shapes have been made by
combining different types of knitted stitches,
which makes for an interesting appearance. This
look of combining different stitches can also be
achieved with other shapes as well.
The different types of knitted rag rugs may
include: block and strip; round; hexagonal
block; heart knitted; winding path; cross woven;
and rake knitted rugs.
The block and strip knitted rugs are described
as the most primitive of the knitted rugs. The
reason they are described as such is that simple
strips of knitted fabric are joined side by side
to form the rug. However, they can be created
with a little more detail when blocks of
knitting are laced together in a quilt style
pattern. A little more detail can be provided
when hexagonal blocks are used.
Examples of round knitted rugs include coiled,
bulls-eye and wedge. The bulls-eye round knitted
rugs were commonly used in the Shaker colony of
New York. These rugs were made with a small
round knitted center; then sections of knitted
fabric strips were curved around the center in
rings. To make a coiled knitted rug, start with
a narrow strip of knitting, then coil it to the
center and continue with a spiral in the same
continuous knitted fabric strips. The wedge
knitted rugs were quite simple to make. They are
knit in a single section on the radius of the
rug.
To create a cross-woven knitted rug, knit a rug
base with rag strips and include sections which
are not knitted. These unknitted sections are
woven across with rag strip. This results in a
continuous formation with alternating strips of
knitted and woven fabric strips.
Rake knitted rugs were actually made by using
the tines of a rake. They could also be made
with a succession of pegs in a board which are
similar to the teeth of a rake. A primitive
knitting machine was fashioned with loops of
fabric strip worked in sequence over the pegs.
Spool knitting is a variation of rake knitting.
These rugs are made using a hollow, wooden
spool, with four pegs on top. then the tubes of
knitting are coiled, then laced together similar
to braided rugs.
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