Supplies for Making Latch Hook Rugs

Yarn

• Latch hooking requires cut yarn to make the rug. The length of the yarn pieces will vary depending on how long of a pile you want. Generally, yarn pieces purchased from a hobby store are pre-cut at 2 1/2 inches long with 320 yarn pieces to one package. The yarn is 4-ply, which is very thick so it holds up to traffic.

Latch Hook

• The latch hook has a hard plastic, rubber or wood handle. The latch hook has a hook end with a moving pin. The hook is inserted through the hole in the canvas. By manipulating the hook and the yarn, a loop is made, which is pulled tight to secure the yarn in place.

Canvas and Transfer

• The waxy covered canvas has 3 3/4 holes per every 1 inch. If you using written directions for hooking instead of a transfer, you can use canvas that has blue lines making a square with nine holes across and 10 holes down. If you are using a transfer, you will need to lay the pattern face side down on the canvas and follow the transfer directions.

Rug Binding

• Latch hook rugs can be bound at the ends to prevent unraveling of the canvas. Rug binding can be ironed on or sewn onto the canvas. If you don't want to bind the edges, you can fold the edge over so the holes match the top part of the canvas. When you hook the edge holes of the canvas, you go through both sections to bind the canvas with the rug yarn.

Optional Supplies

• Latch hooking is done sitting in a chair or you can use a latch hook rug frame. The frame holds the canvas flat and in one place so you can hook faster without having to shift the canvas around the hook. Another latch hooking supply is the latex rug backing. This is liquid latex that is spread on the back of the finished canvas. The latex prevents the rug from sliding on a floor.