November Mug Rug
November is a busy time for crafters! With that in mind, this month we have an easy weave for you. The structure is a basic plain weave that shows how simply playing with color can create a beautiful pattern.
You will need:
- A rigid heddle loom at least 8″ wide
(such as the Kromski Harp Forte or Presto) - Worsted-weight cotton yarn in Teal, Orange, and Red
(or use any two contrasting colors) - 8-dent heddle
- Two stick shuttles
- Tapestry needle for hemming
Warp Requirements
1.5 yards long
50 ends
This pattern is written for the direct warping method.
Warp Color Sequence
Repeat the following sequence 16 times:
2 teal, 1 orange
Then finish by adding 2 teal.
Normally, when warping a single strand of a color, we would cut the yarn and tie it onto the peg. However, because this pattern uses many single ends, all those ties would become overwhelming.
To avoid excess cutting and knotting when using the direct warp, follow the method below.
Using the warping peg, begin with 1 loop of teal.
Do not cut the yarn until all of the warp is added.
Next, make 1 loop of orange followed by 2 loops of teal, and repeat this sequence 16 times.
There are no cuts and no ties during this process—other than the first and last tie for each color.
When finished, you should have a total of 50 warp ends.
Wind the warp onto the back beam to prepare for threading the heddle.
As you work across the heddle, you will need to rearrange the threads so they fall into the correct slots and holes, ensuring the planned color sequence is preserved.
The 1st loop of teal is done in the usual fashion.
Beginning on the left, leave one teal in the slot and move the other to the hole to the right of the slot.
Shown here in the middle of the warp by the red arrow.
In the following slot there will be 2 orange threads.
Leave one in the slot and pull out the second one and lay it across the top of the heddle for now.
Indicated by the 2 blue arrows.
In the next slot there will be a loop (2 strands) of teal.
Pull out one of the teal threads (leaving one in the slot) and bring it to the left to fill the hole next to the orange thread.
The purple arrow points this out.
Now bring the orange thread from the top of the heddle back down and place it through the hole to the right of the tealthat was left in the previous slot.
(The orange arrow in the photo illustrates this step.)
Continue working in this manner until you have threaded across the entire heddle.
Tie the warp onto the front beam as usual.
Wrap two stick shuttles—one with teal and one with red.
The weft sequence is as follows:
Begin by weaving 3 passes of teal (remember to include your hem allowance).
Do not cut the yarn.
For the body of the mug rug, weave 2 picks of red, followed by 1 pick of teal, and repeat this sequence 16 times.
Do not cut the teal yarn at any point.
After completing all 16 repeats, you may cut the red yarn only.
Finish by weaving 3 final passes of teal.
This is a fun pattern that can change dramatically simply by switching the weft color.
For example, here is how the design appears when orange is used in place of red in the weft.
What colors will you choose?
