As I’m writing this message, I’m in the thick of late-December stress. In the past few weeks I’ve baked more than 100 cookies, planned a dozen fun family activities—luminaria walks, cocoa movie nights, etc.—and navigated two different dress-up spirit weeks for the children. When I look forward, I don’t look to the end of the “holiday” season for peace; I look to the solstice with the hope that as the days get longer, my load, too, will get lighter.
For her Hug in a Mug Rug, Jodi Ybarra made her project slightly larger to fit both a mug and a small treat.
By the time you read this, whether on the website or in an email, we’ll be past those darkest of days and on the path to spring (well, those of us in the northern hemisphere, at least) and a brand-new year. To celebrate all we’ve accomplished in 2025 and how grateful we at Little Looms are for our readers, we would like to give you one last gift: From now until January 5, we’ll be offering one of our most beloved eBooks, Mug Rugs to Make, as a free download.
Hazel Spencer’s Bright Morning Mug Rugs are perfect for practicing color-and-weave on the pin loom.
I absolutely love this eBook for a multitude of reasons, mostly related to the affinity I have for the subject matter. Whether you call them mug rugs, coasters, cocktail carpets, or something else entirely, I think we can all agree that these types of projects are great. Mug rugs know no season—they’re useful any time of year. Whether you’re using a rigid-heddle loom or a pin loom, they’re quick and easy to warp and weave. Need to use up some small put-ups of yarn or bits of handspun? Use them as weft—you don’t need much. Want to try a new technique or structure? Instead of doing a sample warp, try making mug rugs instead!
Yvonne Ellsworth’s Mid-Mod Coasters might look like they were woven on a multi-shaft loom, but their bold and beautiful patterning comes from krokbragd on the rigid-heddle loom.
Speaking of structures and techniques, the mug rugs in this eBook cover a wide variety including plain weave, color-and-weave, krokbragd, and rep weave—there’s even one project where the coasters are cut from fulled fabric. While the designer made those coasters circles, you could cut yours into any shape you’d like!
I don’t think I could pick a favorite project from the seven in this eBook—they’re all that good. So I encourage you to check it out and download your free copy while it’s available. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do.
Happy weaving!
Christina