Crocheting rugs is not just a pleasant hobby, but also a very useful activity. Such work allows you to escape from everyday hustle and bustle, and the result will be a magnificent product created by your own hands, which will also decorate the interior of your home and make it more comfortable. Depending on the chosen material and size, the mats can be used in different ways: put small under hot, medium cover chairs and stools, and put large ones on the floor and use as a full-fledged carpet.
Matching yarn
The main secret of a beautiful product lies in the choice of color. There are many variations of yarn combinations. Personal taste plays the main role here, but there are win-win combinations that everyone likes and always does. Rugs crocheted look interesting and stylish, using yarn of similar colors, slightly differing in tone. The smooth transition from a light shade to a darker one or from warm to cold looks gentle and expressive. Classic options are also good: a combination of black and white, black and red, red and blue. Gray and beige are neutral tones, they are in perfect harmony with any other colors.
In addition to color, the texture of the yarn, from which the rug is crocheted, plays an important role. Thick acrylic or cotton threads are suitable for small products, and large floor models are best made from cotton fabric cut into thin strips, ropes, cords, plastic bags. According to the yarn, you need to choose a suitable hook. It should be large enough and have a rounded head, pointed options are less convenient.
Round, oval or square
There is no perfect option. The appropriate form must be selected based on the purpose of the product and its location in the room. If you need to crochet a rug for a chair or stool, the square shape will be optimal. Ties can be attached to such a product and securely fixed to the seat so as not to slip. It will be easier for beginners to crochet a rug of a round shape, in this case there is no need to worry that the edges will turn out uneven. If the room is in the shape of a rectangle, the oval carpet will look beautiful on the floor. A hot-knitted stand made by one's own hands can be of any configuration: round, oval, square or rectangular.
Suitable patterns and patterns
First you need to figure out how to crochet a round rug. The most preferred patterns in this case are a single crochet, a single or double crochet. In the first case, knitting will be dense, and in the second and third - more light and openwork.
Many experienced craftswomen offer complex knitting patterns, which, although they guarantee a perfect circle, are very difficult to perform, as they require constant attention to correctly count the loops. Here's an easy way to crochet a round rug for beginners. It consists in knitting in a circle with the selected pattern, and in each second loop knit two. Thus, a simple scheme is obtained: one loop, two loops - and so on to the very end.
Making a square or rectangular rug is even easier. To do this, knit a strip of the desired length from the air loops, and then knit a row of the selected pattern. After that, turn the product over on the wrong side and tie another row. To make the rug more interesting, even rows can be crocheted with single crochet, and odd rows with single or double crochet.
A cozy rug from old things
Do not rush to throw away old things from natural cotton fabrics: chintz, batiste, knitwear. From them you can make a wonderful rug that will decorate the interior and make it more comfortable, warm and homely. To get started, you need to wash the clothes and open them at the seams or just cut the seams with scissors. Then the pieces of fabric must be carefully smoothed with an iron. After that, tear or cut the material into thin strips and roll them into balls. Yarn of our own production is ready! How to crochet rugs from rags? The scheme is the same as when working with any other yarn.
Rug crocheted from plastic bags
Thanks to the unlimited color palette, the rugs crocheted from plastic bags are very bright and distinctive. Such a product can easily be used in rooms with high humidity and even on the street, for example, to cover garden chairs or cover the floor in the gazebo. Polyethylene mats are pleasant to the touch, retain their original shape for a long time and are completely undemanding to care: if the product gets dirty, it is enough just to rinse it with water.
For packing, any packaging or garbage bags are suitable. Using scissors, cut the material into strips 1.5–3.0 cm wide, depending on the density of the starting material. After that, you can start knitting according to the already known pattern. Please note that the polyethylene is quite slippery, so for beginners it is better to practice using ordinary yarn first.
Useful tips and tricks
The main difficulty is choosing the right hook. It should be thick enough, otherwise the knitting will be tightened, and the mat will bend inward. To choose the optimal size, it is best to make a test sample, then the result will be immediately clear.
If you decide to make a rug from old T-shirts, cut the yarn in a spiral: in this case you will get a long thread without knots. The same can be done with outfits of chintz and cambric.
For carpet on the floor, dark, practical and non-marking types of cotton yarn are best suited. Acrylic is better not to use, as it quickly rolls into spools.
Crocheting a rug is an exciting and enjoyable task, and a beautiful product will be a worthy reward for your work!