My mother had a large carpet loom. It took the space of a bed, so it needed its own room. Fortunately for her, it was set up in my grandparents' barn. My mother made rag rugs. People from all around brought her old clothing which she cut into strips and rolled into balls. Sadly to say, I don't have one of her rugs, but have purchased a couple from other people over the years.
I am starting out SMALL, like a coaster to put your coffee on ... 6-1/2" by 9". I purchased my looms from The Country Farm Home, a set of three ... this small one, one for placemats, and a larger one for a small rug. They are put together with screws, so you could change the sizes and shapes easily.
The first step is to go through the closet and find those old clothes that are calling to be cut into 1" to 1-1/2" strips. Select a light color for the WARP (the strips going vertically). Maybe an old sheet. I started by cutting up a shirt I no longer wanted, attached the strips together, and made the warp. My suggestion is for you to read the following blog and watch the videos. It is an excellent source for making rag rugs! The link is Simply Resourceful.blogspot.com
The WEFT: If you are making a coaster like mine and the strips you cut are already long, don't attach them together for this small project. I made balls of strips that were linked together and ended up cutting them shorter to keep from going crazy. Pulling through a yard-long strip is not much fun. Of course, when the strips get short, you need to add another piece at that time. I have finished several rows of my coaster, and tonight will turn it around and start at the other end. You finish it in the middle. I like it so far and will have the finished piece to show you after a few more nights.
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