Back Home Page   This style rug is commonly called a “toothbrush” rug because it's constructed with a needle originally made by cutting the head off a toothbrush and filing the end down to a point.  Toothbrushes weren’t widely used until 1938 but these rugs were made long before that by using a needle (shuttle) whittled down from a piece of wood or bone.                         The scandinavians made hats, mittens, outerwear and these rugs before immigrating to America, they're sometimes called a “Scandinavian Loop” rug.   Even though they don’t claim to have originated this technique, the rugs are by some, referred to as “Amish Knotted” rugs.  Even the “Bohemian” rug is essentially the same.  You may see them called “Beggar’s Braid” or “Depression” rugs but the thing they have in common is that they were born of necessity by people who lived with a “make do” attitude.  Worn out clothing and scraps were used because they wasted nothing, the craft handed down from one generation to the next provided both comfort in their home and an outlet for their creativity.   As a child, I spent my summers in Switzerland County (Vevay) Indiana,  learning to quilt and make rugs while watching my Grandma Ford.  I'm not sure if she lacked patience in teaching how to start the rugs or I lacked patience listening because she always had to start the rugs and I would continue with the weaving.  A few years ago, I became acquainted with a woman who showed me how to start them and  for the past six years I've been teaching others. The difficulty comes, for everyone, with starting.  I decided to put an instructional book together when I woke up one morning and realized that the starting process could be done quite a few different ways.  Some students were (more easily) able to visualize one process over the others. "The Prairie Rug Primer" covers the toothbrush technique and everything you need to know, beginning to end, includes one way to start the rug as well as directions for two different shapes, round and oval.  Order from page 5. "There's More Than One Way to Start This Rug" contains four different ways to start the first (foundation) row.  "The Prairie Rug Companion" contains instructions to help you make round, half moon, heart, rectangle and square rugs as well as baskets, hot pads, chair pads, coasters, place mats and water bottle socks.   Pink needles are available (page 5) for purchase as well as rug "starts" for learning the stitching technique.  The needles are pink to remind everyone the importance of self examination and early detection. This site will have frequent changes so check in often or contact me at "SaraJane@prairiehomerugs.com" or PrairieHomeRugs@aol.com   Now accepting credit cards! Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express!