How to Make Your Rug - Latch-Hooking Guide!
Welcome to our guide to latch hook rugs!
If you're reading this, you've already purchased one of our latch hook kits, and I appreciate your support.Joyscraft is a small business run with my husband, Victor, and your choice to shop small makes a huge difference. Thank you for your support!
In these tutorials, I'll show you what's in the kit and how to latch hook!
Below is everything that is included in the kit! If you missed anything or need help in building your kit, you can always ask for support at info@joyscraft.com.
Learning to Latch-Hook
Latch-hooking is an incredible craft! It's easy to pick up and incredibly meditative, so it's the perfect activity to keep your hands busy whilst you relax after a busy day or watch your favourite TV show.
Below you can see our video tutorial on how to latch-hook.
Which Sections Do I Latch-Hook First?
This is a common question and one that has an easy answer - it's up to you!
If you're a beginner, I always recommend starting your practice knots in the centre of the piece as it's easier to get the hang of than along the edge. But once you're used to the technique, then it's best to start working from the top down.
Everyone has a different way they like to latch-hook, and you want to find the method that you find most satisfying. Some options could be:
- Stitching in colour sections
- Stitching in shapes/design sections
- Working across each row, from left to right (like reading)
- Working from top to bottom in chunks (my personal favourite)
Which Colour Do I Use?
Sometimes when you're stitching you'll find that a square on your canvas is printed with two colours and it can be tricky to decide which colour to stitch there.
If one colour is more dominant in the printing, go with that coloured yarn.
If they both look even I always recommend going with your gut. Whichever colour feels like it should be stitched there is always the best to go with. The beautify of latch-hooking is that it isn't meant to be precise and perfect, it's meant to look shaggy and beautiful. And any small changes to the colours won't make a difference on your finished piece.
Finally, you can also check your pattern! But if you can't be bothered counting, I'd recommend going with your gut.
Extra Tips
To make latch-hooking a bit easier, here are a few tried and true tips that I've picked up over my years of creating these fluffy pieces.
Tugging your yarn: It's very important that you tighten your yarn after each stitch. This is only meant to be a small tug, but that little tug makes a big difference as it allows your yarn to stay tight on the canvas and for your piece to have a long and happy life. As long as you tug your yarn, you'll never have any stitches come loose.
Stitching from top to bottom: It's easier to stitch new knots underneath the ones you've already created. So if you're stitching a specific shape or section, stitch the knots at the top first and then work your way down.
Odd sized yarn: Sometimes you might come across pieces of yarn that are slightly longer or smaller than the average size. If a piece is too small to latch-hook simply discard the yarn and use another piece instead. We add extra yarn into your kit to account for these occasional smaller yarn pieces and for any mistakes you might make when stitching. If you find a longer piece, simply stitch this as usual and trim the ends with your rug trimming scissors.
Stitching Faster
I strongly believe in enjoying the journey rather than the destination! And this is true for all crafts, including latch-hooking.
But if you're worried that your piece is taking longer than you'd hoped then here are a few tips for speeding up your stitches.
Smooth strokes: The best tip for fast stitching is to practice latch-hooking so that the technique becomes one smooth fluid stroke. When I teach the technique, I always show it in steps.
- Put your yarn on the hook
- Slide your hook through with the latch open
- Put your yarn diagonally across the open latch
- Pull your hook back through, closing the latch on the yarn and creating the knot
- Tug your yarn tails to secure the knot
But as you get faster you want to blend steps 2, 3 and 4 into one quick and smooth motion. So instead your steps will be:
- Put your yarn on the hook
- Slide your hook through, drawing your yarn diagonally across and pulling your hook back again smoothly to create the knot
- Tug your yarn tails to secure the know
It might seem like I'm just writing the same information into one long sentence, but it actually becomes one easy and smooth action!
You can see this smooth motion in this Instagram reel. It really feels like a 3 step process instead of a 5 step process.
Stitch on a flat/hard surface: When you stitch on a firm surface, your latch hook has an easier time of gliding in and out of the canvas. The easiest way to do this is to stitch on a table or desk, but if you're on the couch or in bed then I recommend placing a pillow in your lap and then putting something firm like a thin hardcover book in between your piece and the cushion. If you find the book slides around, fold your project in half and tuck the book into the fold and it will stay secure.
Keep your yarn close: When you stitch, keep your current colour of yarn super close to your fingers. I'll usually keep it just above the area I'm working in, only an inch or two from where I am stitching. This means that I don't take extra time picking each piece of yarn up from the box next to me. It might seem like a small thing, but if you make 1000 stitches it ends up saving you a fair bit of time!
Listen to an audiobook or podcast instead of watching a screen: I've made many rugs (really!) and I know that if I'm watching the TV then it will take me a lot longer to finish the piece as it means my head isn't always looking at the canvas. Now this isn't a bad thing at all, and I think enjoying my favourite show or movie is more important than whipping up a piece in record time. But if I'm on a deadline, then it's no TV for me and I'll be listening to an audiobook or podcast instead!