Tools and Materials
PUNCH NEEDLE TOOL
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There are two tools commonly used: an adjustablepunch needle and a fixed punch needle. Here we lookat each of these. While these terms are not universal, they are what I will use to describe the tools through-out the book.
You’ll notice that Oxford Punch Needles are available in both Regular gauge and Fine gauge. Fine gauge punch needles are for use with thinner (often referred to as “fine”) weight yarn while Regular gauge punch needles are for use with thicker (often referred to as “chunky”/“rug”) yarn. We’ll chat more about yarn in the next section.
The parts of a punch needle are as follows:
Tip—A sharp tip is needed to pierce the monk’s cloth, and there is also a small hole where the yarn passes through to create the loops on the right side of your rug.
Adjustable punch needle (left) and Oxford Punch Needle (right).
Shaft—The shaft determines the pile height. Adjustable punch needles allow you to vary the pile height by adjusting the shaft length. More on this subject can be found in the information included with your punch needle. On fixed punch needles, such as the Oxford Punch Needle, the tip is fixed, which means the pile height is not adjustable. Oxford Punch Needles are currently available in five different pile heights, three of which are available in both Regular and Fine gauges.
Oxford Punch Needles come in eight sizes. Left to right: #14 (⅛ in. loop), #13 (³/₁₆ in. loop), #10 Fine (¼ in. loop), #10 Regular (¼ in. loop), #9 Fine (⅜ in. loop), #9 Regular (⅜ in. loop), #8 Fine (½ in. loop), and #8 Regular (½ in. loop).
Body—Either closed or open, this is the largest section of the punch needle; yarn is threaded through its center.
Adjustable lengths—Available only on adjustable punch needles, a twist-and-lock mechanism and spring change the finished pile height.
Eye—Featured on the top of all punch needles, this is the area that yarn is threaded through, to the center of the tool and out the shaft.
FOUNDATION CLOTH
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Punch needle rug hooking requires a foundation cloth that must meet several requirements:
1. Flexibility
2. Strength
3. Even weave
4. Durability
Let’s look at the backings currently available for punch needle rug hooking.
MONK’S CLOTH
By far the preferred foundation fabric for rug hookers, monk’s cloth is a 100 percent cotton woven backing. It is important that you choose the right kind of monk’s cloth. There is one type of monk’s cloth found in bigbox stores, often in the utility fabric section or packaged and hanging in the embroidery section. This is not what you want. This monk’s cloth is 100 percent cotton but has a stitch count of only 7. That means that there are only about 7 threads per inch. This is too loose for punch needle rug hooking.
The proper monk’s cloth will have about 24 threads per inch (sometimes listed as 12 double threads), is a much tighter weave, and will often feature white lines marked at every 2 inches. This monk’s cloth is most easily found online or in your local rug-hooking shop. Monk’s cloth is also available in two widths, 58- to 60-inch and 75- to 76-inch.
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Note: Monk’s cloth is a woven fabric and, when cut, it frays heavily. To prevent this, you can serge the edges or sew a simple zigzag stitch or simply grab your favorite brand of masking or heavy-duty tape and secure the edges.
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Monk’s cloth is one of the best fabrics for punching.
LINEN
There are two types of linen that are great for punching: traditional linen and primitive linen. The difference is simply in the tightness of the overall weave. Traditional linen features a tighter weave perfect for finer yarns and punch needles. Primitive linen is great for use with larger punch needles and chunkier yarn. Both options are available in bleached, unbleached, and mixed options.
Whether traditional or primitive, linen is made the same way. Two strands of linen are spun into a single thread, which is then woven to create a solid foundational fabric. Linen is a favorite among many traditional rug hookers and punchers alike. Linen is truly one of my favorite foundation cloths.
RUG WARP
Rug warp is a very firm and heavy cotton backing, great for use with Fine punch needles. I don’t have much experience hooking into rug warp, but it is very popular among many hookers.
BURLAP
The old standby. Burlap is ever popular among beginners because of its low price point and wide availability. The problem is that burlap is terrible for all types of rug hooking. The weave is not consistent, the fibers often break, it is not easy to fix mistakes, and it smells. Stay as far away from burlap as possible. It is not a great choice for any type of rug hooking.
WOOL OR AIDA CLOTH
Three of the projects in this book use unconventional backings that you don’t often see in punch needle or rug hooking. Felted wool fabric can be used as a suitable backing. It is easy to fix mistakes on this wool, which is relatively inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors. Aida cloth is traditionally used for cross-stitching projects. However, a type of Aida cloth—Aida Canvas—can be used for punch needle and is used for two of the projects in this book. The canvas is quite flexible, and with Fine punch needles, the yarn glides through the fabric with ease. This fabric can be difficult to find in many places, but, for very specific projects, it is quite suitable and worth looking for.
YARN
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Choosing the right yarn can take some trial and error. Most yarns will work with punch needles, but not all yarns will give you the experience you want. Below I’ve broken down yarns into their weight, fiber content, colors, and sourcing. Taking time to get to know your yarn will ensure that you have a pleasant punching experience and enable you to design future pieces with ease.
WEIGHT
Yarn is available in seven different weights. Of these, with a few exceptions, only four will work well with your punch needle:
Medium/worsted weight yarn (left) and bulky/chunky weight yarn (right).
1. Fine/Sport
2. Light worsted/DK
3. Medium/Worsted
4. Bulky/Chunky
You’ll notice that there are two names for each of these weights. Most yarn companies follow a general guideline when classifying yarn. However, the ranges in each of these weights can be quite dramatic.
I love to work with worsted weight and bulky/chunky yarns. These work well with the designs I enjoy making, and they glide through my Oxford Punch Needles with ease. As I mentioned previously, Fine gauge punch needles work well with worsted weight yarns, while Regular gauge punch needles work well with bulkier, chunkier yarns.
FIBER CONTENT
As with weight, yarn can come in a variety of materials—from wool to linen to cotton. What you choose to punch with will depend entirely on the finished piece and its intended use. For example, if you are creating a wall hanging, feel free to mix all the materials you can to create a unique look you’ll want to share. If you’re creating a rug, I would advise you to choose 100 percent wool. The wool is strong enough to stand up to daily wear and will ensure that the rug lasts a lifetime or two.
Cotton—Best used for wall hangings, bathmats, pillows, and bags. Do keep in mind, however, that punching with cotton is not the easiest thing in the world and can often create uneven loops on the pile side. Take your time and explore various cotton yarns.
Wool fabric strips, used in traditional rug hooking, will also work in your punch needle. Just make sure that your strips are a size that will flow freely through your punch needle; adjust your strip or needle size if necessary. (This design is from a kit created by Karen Poetzinger.)
Wool—My go-to choice for creating most projects. Wool is a workhorse fiber and widely available. It is the choice of most rug hookers. All projects in this book were made with either worsted weight or chunky weight wool yarn.
Harrisville Designs Highland is a 100 percent wool yarn that punches beautifully.
Roving—A loosely spun style of yarn. This is great for punching and adds a bit of interest. However, it easily sheds and shows wear, so keep it off the floor and use it on the wall or for accessories.
Acrylic and blends—Plastic and slippery, acrylic yarns do not work well for most punch needle rug-hooking projects. You need a fiber that can “grab” the monk’s cloth to maintain an even pile height. The benefit of acrylic yarn is that it’s easy to find and incredibly inexpensive. Use it for practice before graduating to more expensive fibers.
Linen—Linen is quite a firm yarn that does not stretch. It is great for punching and adds a gorgeous textural interest to a variety of projects.
Plant-based yarns—These include anything from hemp to bamboo. They’re fun to work with but not made to last. Bamboo is quite slippery and won’t hold its place in the monk’s cloth, and hemp can be a bit too firm. Experiment with your desired yarn and see if it’s what you like!
Fabric scraps—A great way to add a bit of interest and to recycle is to use strips of fabric. Silk, wool, and cotton can be used to add a unique style to your pieces. Just make sure it flows easily through your punch needle.
Novelty yarns—These yarns are terrible for punching. Beaded, foiled, metallic, and plastic yarns can get caught in your punch needle and create a mess.
Rug yarn—This is the go-to choice for most rug hookers. Rug yarn is considered a three-ply, which means there are three distinct strands of yarn spun together to create a thicker yarn. It is 100 percent wool, and a very coarse wool at that. Rug yarn isn’t meant to be next-to-skin soft. You won’t find anyone knitting with it—instead, it is meant purely for rug hooking. The coarser the wool, the longer it will last. As the popularity of punch needle rug hooking increases, the availability of rug wool also increases. There are a number of rug wool producers now online. There are even producers specializing in breed-specific rug yarn.
COLORS
Color planning deserves a book all to itself. Choosing the right colors will depend heavily on the rug design you’re looking to create. Take time to investigate color theory, find rugs that inspire you, and look around your home. Color inspiration can be found just about anywhere.
SOURCING
The biggest struggle for many beginner rug hookers is where to purchase the right kind of yarn. There seem to be many places that sell yarn, but not many that sell the right kind of yarn.
Local craft shops—Not all of us are lucky enough to have a local craft or yarn store nearby. If you are, I encourage you to take a trip and look at the yarn. Knowledgeable staff is always a plus, but you might not find anyone who knows anything about punch needle. Use the guide above to give them a guide to what you are looking for!
Rug-hooking shops—Few and far between, rug-hooking shops, if you can manage to find one, are the perfect choice for new rug hookers. They often stock foundation cloth, materials for hooking, punch needles, and more. They also have classes you can take.
Retail craft shops—Also referred to as big-box shops, they tend not to carry anything related to rug hooking except yarns. These are great places to stock up on practice yarns, supplies, and more.
Etsy—When all else fails, go to Etsy. You can find just about anything you’ll need for punch needle rug hooking on Etsy. From yarn to foundation cloth to punch needles, it’s all there. You can also find special hand-dyed yarns that really give your rugs a little something extra.
Local markets—Local fiber festivals and craft markets are the perfect places to find artisans selling local yarns. Some of my favorite yarns to punch with are those that I’ve found at local markets.
Other online retailers—There are several online retailers perfect for rug hookers. Some of my personal favorites are the Old Tattered Flag, the Woolery, Dorr Mill, and Checkmate Farm.
FRAMES
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There are two crucial elements to make certain your punching experience is smooth: your punch needle tool and your frame. Frames come in several different shapes, sizes, and materials. Each is unique to its maker; however, they generally comprise two different pieces: the base and the gripper.
Base—Bases are often made of wood and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular are smaller square and rectangular frames that can be used to create both small and large projects. Frames can also be lap style or come with floor stands, perfect for hooking ergonomically.
Gripper—Grippers come in two different styles. They may be carpet tack strips, which have a number of small razor-sharp needles that can grip the fabric and hold it in place, or gripper strips, which have thousands of teeth that grip the cloth with ease. Gripper strips are the easier and better choice for frames, especially for seasoned punchers.
Frame with gripper strips.
CHOOSING A FRAME
Choosing a frame is a deeply personal choice, and the more people you ask for advice on choosing a frame, the more kinds of answers you’ll get. So let me tell you what I did with my first frame.
I knew I wanted to do large projects but not right away, so I chose a smaller frame that I could use and simply move larger projects around on. My first frame was 11 × 14 in. (27.9 × 35.6 cm), and it’s the same one I use today. I find it’s the perfect size for making small and large projects. I also have a large rug frame that measures 20 × 25 in. (50.8 × 63.5 cm), which I don’t use as much. Once you find a frame you’re comfortable with, you’ll find that you use it again and again.
Embroidery hoops can be used to hold your punching fabric when you are just starting out or when traveling, but if you do a lot of punching, you will likely want to invest in a frame.
Embroidery Hoop
While a great option for beginners, embroidery hoops aren’t my favorite. They require an almost constant retightening of the fabric, and I find them too cumbersome to use on larger projects. However, for classes and travel they work very well.
Building a Frame
A great first frame is one that you make with your own two hands! It’s the cheapest option I’ve found, and it takes just a few steps. This is just one way to create a frame. My biggest tip is to make sure that any frame you find and/or make is sturdy. You don’t want something that will buckle or lean when you have your fabric stretched tightly.
1. Gather your supplies. You’ll need a 12 in. (30.5 cm) stretched canvas, a set of carpet tack strips from the hardware store, and a hammer.
2. Remove all staples from the frame that hold the canvas in place.
3. Remove the wooden frame from the canvas.
4. Cut your carpet tack strip into two 12 in. (30.5 cm) sections and two 11 in. (27.9 cm) sections.
5. Hammer the two 12 in. (30.5 cm) strips to the frame on alternate sides.
6. Hammer the two 11 in. (27.9 cm) strips onto the remaining two sides.
Now you are ready to stretch your cloth and start hooking!
TOOLS
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While you need just foundation cloth, a frame, yarn, and a punch needle to get punching, you’ll need a few other tools for finishing and other tasks.
Sharp-tip scissors—They should be very sharp and have a pointed tip. Rounded scissors will not work. You’ll use these to push the snipped ends of yarn through the fabric from the wrong side to the right side.
Large scissors—Large fabric scissors for cutting monk’s cloth are crucial. The longer, the better!
Applique scissors—Applique scissors are used to trim any loose threads and loops on the pile side of our work.
Tracing paper—Transferring designs to monk’s cloth is easy and made easier using tracing paper. I like to use Pellon 810 Tru-Grid. This is a thicker, fabric-like paper with 1 in. (2.5 cm) grids, which makes it perfect for transferring designs from standard ¼ in. (0.6 cm) graph paper and expanding it to a larger size.
Marker—Using good old permanent markers is best here. I recommend getting a thicker version of the marker, to make a line that measures about ⅛ in. (0.3 cm) when made on paper. This will ensure that your lines are not too thin and can be punched clearly.
Tapestry bobbin—Often used for tapestry weaving, these small, inexpensive, wooden bobbins are perfect for sorting your loops on the pile side of your rug. These can be found online and purchased in bulk.
Crochet hook—Working a crocheted edging is a quick and easy way to finish your rugs! I love Furls crochet hooks. They’re ergonomic, easy to use, and come in a wide range of sizes perfect for just about any rug.
Gauge/Ruler—I like to use a small quilter’s ruler with 1 in. (2.5 cm) marks. This will help you ensure that your loops are consistently the same length on the wrong side.
Needles—Have a thicker tapestry needle on hand for whipstitching the ends as well as a sewing needle to secure the backing for those projects requiring a binding.
Tape—I like to use masking tape or all-purpose tape to secure the edges of the monk’s cloth. You can also secure the edges with a serger or sewing machine using a zigzag stitch. I just find tape to be quicker and easier.
Rope—This is perfect for whipstitching around the edges of your work.
Iron—For steaming. Make sure it’s a good heavy iron with a high heat setting. Use an iron only on wool rugs.
Towels—Use for steaming and finishing your projects.
