HOW TO MAKE… A HULA HOOP RUG

MATERIALS

QQQHiKoo Tee Cakes T-shirt yarn (or another brand) in the following colours: Cream, 450g or 137m (150yds), Grey, 225g or 68m (75yds), Orange, 225g or 68m (75yds) Yellow, 225g or 68m (75yds), Pink, 225g or 68m (75yds) Hula hoop, 91cm (36") Scissors Consider the sad, forgotten hula hoop, relegated to the garage, gathering dust and cobwebs. Well it's time to dig that beauty out and try this genius idea that'll have you weaving webs of a far prettier kind. It's such an easy way to see if you'll catch the weaving bug before splashing out on looms or any fancy equipment.

As well as basic in-and-out weaving you can try a slightly more advanced wrapping technique called soumak to add texture variation – just follow the step-by-step instructions.

Create the warp for your hoop loom by cutting ten 160cm (64") strands of cream T-shirt yarn. Knot each strand in a loop with a sliding knot. To complete the sliding knot, overlap two ends, tie an overhand knot with one end onto the other strand. Repeat knot with the other end on the other strand. Tighten knots and pull strands apart until knots slide and sit against one another.

Stretch two warp loops across the hula hoop, dividing it into quarters. The loops should be snug but not super tight. Continue adding the strips in a spoke pattern, splitting each section in half until you’ve used all ten loops. Space them evenly.

Create an odd number of spokes in your loom by bringing two adjacent warp loop ends together to make one. The odd number of spokes (19) that you now have allows an over/under pattern continuously as you weave around the circle. Even out the spacing on the rest of the spokes. You could always add a colourful strand of yarn around your doubled-up warp loop to help you remember which one it is.

Make varying sized balls of your weft colours to make the weaving manageable. Begin by leaving a 20cm (8") tail of cream yarn hanging in the back of the loom. Start weaving, bringing the yarn alternatively over and under the warp spokes. Every time you get back to the double spoke, just check you haven't missed any warp loops on that round. With each round, do the opposite (over or under) of what you did on the last round. Pull the first two rounds tightly to create an even centre for your rug.

As you continue working, the weft should be taut against the previous row but not tight. Keep good tension by completing a round slightly away from the centre of the work and then pushing the row down with your fingers to sit comfortably against the previous row you made.