Knitting Fabric Rugs

August 1, 2015

Tiede started knitting rugs from discarded clothing for a practical purpose--she needed a rug for her bathroom, and this was an inexpensive way to make one. What started as a project turned into a passion as Tiede challenged herself to make 100 rugs from discarded fabric. This book teaches knitters new to working with rag yarn all of the basics, including sourcing and preparing fabrics, what fabrics to use and what to avoid, and appropriate techniques for strain-free knitting. The author explores a mixture of designs, from vertical and diagonal stripes to quilt-inspired tessellations and log cabins to spiral patterns. Each of the designs include directions, color suggestions, and a schematic that explains how all of the pieces fit together. A lot of thought goes into these seemingly simple rugs, which are both functional and attractive. VERDICT Tiede tries to take a "knitting curmudgeon" approach a la Elizabeth Zimmerman, but unlike Zimmerman, Tiede's tone can be off-puttingly grumpy, especially when she complains about her dislike of particular colors or the physical pain that cutting and knitting with recycled fabric causes her. Still, green crafts are popular, and Tiede's techniques are tried and true, so ecoconscious knitters may be drawn in.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.