How to Use This Book

This book was created to take you on a journey from beginner to confident rug hooker, but here’s the deal: punch needle requires just one simple movement—punching. It’s as simple as holding a pen. Just punch.

You’ll work your way through the projects, making quick-to-stitch pieces to display and show off your skills. You will work through all the steps you need to know to become confident in your punch needle rug-hooking skills. I’ll share a few tips and tricks along the way, and then we’ll get into a few more complicated techniques that will encourage you to stretch your skills.

Remember, we become skilled by simply doing, doing more, and then pushing ourselves to do even more.

Chapter 1 of this book will cover the materials and tools you’ll need for punch needle rug hooking. We’ll learn some common terms and practice our stitches. You’ll find a tutorial for making a small beginner frame, and we’ll learn all the best yarns and tools to use.

Chapter 2 will cover the basics of punch needle. This includes choosing the right foundation cloth, tightening this cloth, finishing with basic techniques, and working in both geometric and organic shapes.

Chapter 3 will introduce a number of small projects, which will help you hone your skills. These are small wall hangings and “mini rugs” perfect for getting a feel for your punch needle and yarn.

Chapter 4 includes several more challenging rugs that feature a number of different techniques. We’ll play with color, switch up your loop length, and show off your emerging skills.

Chapter 5 covers our most challenging designs. Don’t worry—these aren’t too complicated. We’ll focus on lots of color, dimensional punching, working on both sides of our foundation cloth, and using unconventional foundation cloths.

Chapter 6 is a quick troubleshooting set of “Frequently Asked Questions” I have encountered along the way. Look here first if you have a question or are experiencing difficulty; chances are you are not alone and will find the answer in this chapter.

ANATOMY OF A RUG

Every rug is different, but every rug features some common elements. These terms are used throughout the book, so it is best to learn them. Don’t be afraid to flip back to this page as needed.

Right side—This is the side of your rug that will face up.

Wrong side—This is the side of the rug that you will be punching into. Often patterns need differentiation between the “Right” and “Wrong” sides of the piece, because you’ll be punching into both to create dimension.

Pile—The loops on your rug. These can vary in length depending on the tool and technique used.

Foundation cloth—The projects in this book used exclusively Monk’s cloth. Monk’s cloth is an open-weave, 100 percent cotton fabric perfect for both punch needle rug hooking and traditional rug hooking.

Binding—Binding is often worked around the perimeter of the rug and can be worked from the same monk’s cloth used in the rug or from wool sewn on after the piece is finished.

Border—Worked in a smaller stitch gauge, these are the outer two rows of the rug and should be worked first. The smaller stitches protect the rug from unnecessary wear and tear.

In my classes, I have one rule: “Be kind to others, but most of all, be kind to yourself.” The techniques and projects in this book are presented to take you from an absolute beginner to a confident puncher in no time. That doesn’t mean you won’t struggle. We all do. That doesn’t mean your loops won’t be uneven. They will. That doesn’t mean you won’t destroy your monk’s cloth from ripping out and restitching. You will. What all this means is that you’ll become confident in your skills and be able to grow. The more you punch, the better you’ll get. It’s really that simple. If you work each of these projects from beginning to end, you’ll have plenty of practice and be able to move on to new and exciting things!