Cliff Dweller Rug (vintage American Thread): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Aunt Lydia's Heavy Rug Yarn (Coats & Clark) is still sold. It is a bulky (#5)-class rug yarn; substitute any bulky rug yarn that matches the gauge.
• Yardage: the original lists 20 skeins but does not print the skein size. Other American Thread books of the period list this yarn in 70 yd skeins, which would be about 1400 yd (1280 m) — check the current label before buying.
• Large rug: 8 skeins gray, 8 skeins red or dark red, 4 skeins cream. Small rug: 4 skeins gray, 3 skeins red or dark red, 2 skeins cream.
• Original hook: aluminum crochet hook size H.
• A piece of cardboard 3½ in (9 cm) wide for fringe.
• Hook: Start with 5 mm (US H-8) and change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

yo

yarn over

sk

skip

st

stitch

sts

stitches

rep

repeat

Notes before you start

• Source: "Cliff Dweller", Crocheted Rugs (Star Rug Book No. 106), The American Thread Company. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY "AUNT LYDIA'S" HEAVY RUG YARN, Article 235; LARGE RUG—26 x 50 inches without fringe.; 8 skeins Gray.; 8 skeins Red or Dk. Red.; 4 skeins Cream.; SMALL RUG—16 x 26 inches without fringe.; 4 skeins Gray.; 3 skeins Red or Dk. Red.; 2 skeins Cream.; Aluminum crochet hook size H.. Gauge: Not given.
• Modernisation note: The original is written in US terms; abbreviations were updated to modern style (s c → sc, d c → dc, s d c → hdc).
• Modernisation note: "Insert hook in same space" is written as "insert hook in same ch" (row 1) or "same st" (row 2); "work off all loops" is written as "draw through all loops".
• Modernisation note: The printed count "(35 patterns)" is kept.
• Modernisation note: Check: the colour chart is in the original illustrations and is reproduced as images, not redrawn. The original text says to follow "the chart" for both sizes.
• Modernisation note: "Cut yarn" and "break off" are written as "fasten off"; "attach" is written as "join".
• Modernisation note: "Weave in all ends" was added as a finishing step; it is not in the original.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions and the suggested gauge were added; they are not in the original.
• Modernisation note: Hook letters from this period were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern equivalent, and the gauge is what matters.

Small rug

1. Row 1: With gray, ch 72, insert hook in 4th ch from hook and pull up a loop, yo, insert hook in same ch and pull up a loop, yo and draw through all loops at one time, *sk 1 ch, insert hook in next ch and pull up a loop, yo, insert hook in same ch and pull up a loop, yo and draw through all loops at one time; rep from * across. Fasten off (35 patterns). Join cream (when changing colour, always complete the last half of the last st made with the next colour), turn.
2. Row 2: Ch 2, insert hook in same st and pull up a loop, yo, insert hook in same st and pull up a loop, yo and draw through all loops at one time, *insert hook in next st (also inserting it through the loose part of the st) and pull up a loop, yo, insert hook in same st and pull up a loop, yo and draw through all loops at one time (pattern); rep from * across. Fasten off, turn.
3. Row 3: With gray, ch 2 (always start every row with ch 2), work 1 pattern st in each of next 4 sts, drop gray; with dark red, working over the gray, work in pattern across next 7 sts, drop dark red, pick up gray and work in pattern across the rest of the row.
4. Continue working back and forth following the chart.