Q&A for How to Make a Crocheted Rag Rug

Generally, if your work starts to go too bowl-shaped, you need to do increases. If the work begins to ruffle a little when you try to lay it flat, you need to do decreases.

Two-inch-wide strips of plain, medium-weight cotton (such as quilt fabric) will crochet well with an N or P hook.

To increase, just add one more stitch in the last stitch you made. This is called increasing.

Crochet two stitches together every 10 stitches or so until it flattens out. Then, keep an eye on your work to ensure it doesn't happen again.

You're increasing too much. If it starts to look like a bowl, you're not increasing enough.

Yes. Simply follow the pattern replacing the yarn with plastic bags.

It may be possible to thread string elastic through the rug to pull bumpy areas flat. Wherever there is a 'bubble', use thread to tighten the bubble area by weaving back and forth to flatten the surface. It may be that there is uneven tension in making the rug. Use a crochet hook to loosen any spot that looks puckered, or pull loose threads along into tight area.

Some fabrics may shrink when washed afterwards, and sometimes ink may not be pre-rinsed and could bleed later when you wash it.

Yes, but it would require a smaller hook, and would make a very small rug.

You can do that, and it can get pricey. Many chunky yarns are manufactured for apparel wear. They may not last long as a rug and may be slippery on the floor. There are special rug-specific yarns, but they are not thick in diameter.

You can use yarn, but if you do you should use chunky yarn so it works up fast.

The simplest way is to find a pattern based on final shape. It requires calculating the stitch height based on the hook size; e.g. a 0.5"-wide hook would require 40 rows of sc to meet the 20" width of the oval rug. The starting ch will be the calculated from the extra inches that form the oval; e.g. with a 0.5" hook, a starting ch of the two semicircles extension equaling 15" would require 30 stitches.

The choice of fabrics is a matter of personal choice. Make sure there is no dye bleed from the different shade before assembling your rug. A saltwater soak can help fix the issue of dye bleed.

Yes. The rag rug is essentially any fabric material worked into it. The only issue would be in how the rug will wear with use. Different fabrics have different wear rates, so it's a good idea to mix it up.

Try to taper it off. After the last round, do a couple hdc stitches, and then do a couple sc stitches, and end of with one or 2 slip stitches. That should make the edge look a lot smoother.

Yes, 1 1/4 inch is good. The size of the hook doesn't really matter, as long as it's not too big, the rug will be loose if the hook is too big. Also, don't use a hook that is too thin because the rug will be very tight and it could be very difficult to control when crocheting the rug.

That depends on the type of yarn you are using and its durability. On most yarn labels it will say if it is machine washable and dry-able, so check the label.

You don't wash the fabric just to make it clean, you wash it because some fabrics may shrink or the ink may bleed later when washing the rug.