So here is the rug that I hooked to use up some of my precut worms left from other products. I named it "Dots and Dashes". For beginners, they often call it these rugs "Hit or Miss". The idea was to just pull the next strip out of the bag or basket and it would be the next strip to hook into the rug. But I'll let you in on a secret...I cheat, most of us do. if we don't like that strip we'll pull out a different one instead.
When I decided not to put a border on it. The long sides of the rug with the strips all going across gave me a detail that had to be addressed. The edges were all beginnings or ends of strips, a little raggedy.
So I thought I'd show you how to hide the strip ends. This technique comes in handy,not just at the edges, but when areas of a rug with directional hooking meet and the ends just look a little sloppy. Of course, there are those hookers whose work is magnificent who hide every end, but I'm just not like that.
Here is the edge. As you can see, the tails are between the first and second loops. Here is how it is done.
Hiding the tail at the beginning of a strip
Start the tail one thread inside the border. Hook "backward"- make the first loop at the edge line. Hook the second loop just past the tail then go ahead and trim the tail.
How to end a strip with the tail hidden
Hook to the end of the strip, leaving a little more wool than usual. Pull the tail through the second to last loop.
Trim the tail short and tuck it under the loop. Here is how the edge looks with some strips started and some strips ended.
So there is a new technique for you. You might not want to use it often but now you have a new trick in your arsenal.
Debra
