What is a rug hooking?
A craftsperson creates a hooked rug by pulling lengths of cloth, usually wool, through a woven fabric, usually burlap. Wool strips ranging in size from 3/32 to 10/32 of an inch (2 to 8 mm) in width are often used to create hooked rugs or wall hangings. These precision strips are usually cut using a mechanical cloth slitter, however, the strips can also be hand-cut or torn. When using the hand-torn technique the rugs are usually done in a primitive motif. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in a handle (usually wood) for leverage.

History of rug hooking:
Rug-hooking has been popular in North America for at least the past 200 years. It is believed that the earliest forebears of hooked rugs were the floor mats made in Yorkshire, England during the early part of the 19th century. Workers in weaving mills were allowed to collect thrums, pieces of yarn that ran 9 inches (23 cm) long. These by-products were useless to the mill, and the weavers took them home and pulled the thrums through a backing.

Modern rug hooking:
Rug hooking as we know it today developed in North America, specifically along the Eastern Seaboard in New England in the United States and the Canadian Maritimes.