Then i re read the little house books and read the bit about braided rugs so i looked up how to make them.
How to rag rug warp.
For a solid structure use a fork or a comb to beat it down and make the the rug stiff.
Remember to beat the fabric down properly.
Tight warp tension is best for weaving a sturdy tightly packed rag rug.
It doesn t have to be a standard size if there is such a thing.
The first rug from this warp is about the same thickness as my regular rag rugs but i would say the rug is stiffer and feels more densely packed.
The rug needs to be beaten down well if you don t want it to turn out flimsy.
Use a strong warp yarn with a tight twist such as bockens 12 6 cotton that will withstand tight warp tension and rag rug wear and tear.
The 12 6 cotton comes on tubes a little over a pound each i think.
Thanks for asking karen.
I made a rag rug with a piece of hessian and strips of fabric looked great when i finished but took months and was so much work i got tennis elbow.
The nice thing about weaving your own rug is you can make it whatever size you want.
The sett is 7 doubled ends per centimeter i think that s about 18 doubled ends per inch which makes the warp very dense.
I ve used it for warp on all my rag rugs and it makes a nice firm warp.