Looking for info on needlepoint rugs...

[nintendophile]

Hey guys! I'm looking for some information on how to make a needlepoint rug. I've tried searching online, but can't find any real "how-to" videos or articles. Does anyone know where I can find some good, detailed information? Or maybe someone here has experience in this area? What I'd like to know is;

-What size needlepoint canvas would be the best to use.
-Are there different sizes of needlepoint yarn? Made from different substances? If so, which one would be the best to use.
-Is there a way to attach two pieces of canvas together to form a wider piece, before stitching? I want to make a piece 4 feet by 6 feet, and most canvas is only 40 inches wide.
-Would there be some kind of "carpet backing" I should attach once finished?

Going to this website ( http://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com ) I see that there's something called "Blank Needlepoint Canvas - Rug", listed HERE, but the count is 3.75 holes per inch, which is WAY too big for the detail I'd like to make. I was thinking more along the lines of 10 holes per inch, like THIS. Would 10 count canvas be usable to make a rug? Would the kind of yarn you'd use to stitch a rug even FIT into a 10 count mesh?

Sorry for all the questions, but I don't know where else to turn! Google has failed me! lol. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

[katdun]

I've never heard of anyone making a needlepoint rug before... You don't mean latch hook, do you? The 3.75 canvas is what I use for latch hooking, I wouldn't think it would be good for needlepoint because the holes are so big. I know for latch hooking you can overlap two pieces of canvas a few inches and work through both pieces at the same time to make it bigger, or you could probably stitch a seam between the pieces you want to join together. I assume you could do the same thing for needlepoint. As for the backing, you could paint on a non-skid paint like this. Sorry I can't help you with the actual technique, but I hope you find what you're looking for!

[nintendophile]

Thanks for the reply! Needlepoint rugs aren't as common as they used to be, I guess. But, they're definitely out there! Google the term, and you'll come up with lots of awesome pictures, but hardly anything about how to make them! It's awfully frustrating. lol. I'll keep looking around, though. Thanks for the help, I appreciate it! ^_^

[Eliste]

If I get what you're after, they're basically just a type of embroidery. If you learned standard embroidery techniques and applied it to them you'd probably be successful.

There are a lot of kits out there that I can find. I'd suggest getting one of those cause I guarantee they'll have instructions that you could alter to suit what you want to do. They'd also give you fabric you can then either use or figure out what it is to base your next project around.