What is Latch Hooking and Locker Hooking?

Discover these two embroidery techniques that can create a multitude of decorative objects

Latch hooking and locker hooking are two modern textile techniques that appeared at the beginning of the 20th century that allow the creation of a wide variety of things, from tapestries to pillows and mats. Colors and textures are brought together by weaving wool and other materials into a mesh.

Mariana Baertl (@marianabaertl) is a Peruvian textile artist who specializes in the creation of woven and embroidered pieces for interior decoration who is an expert in these two techniques. Her main source of inspiration is the natural and organic world. All her pieces are made by hand with fibers from across the world.

Latch hooking

This technique gets its name from the type of needle used, the latch hook, that was patented around 1900, when making homemade carpets became popular –few were able to afford them–. In the 70s, the technique was no longer necessary. The arrival of pop culture in the 80s pushed this craft aside. Until today, as latch hooking is becoming recognized once again as a freeing technique that encompasses a whole range of styles.

Materials

You will need: a canvas mesh; a latch hook needle; a lacto hook needle; locker hook needles (similar to a traditional crochet needle but with an eye at the end); needles to baste with in order to finish the threads and add finishing touches to your work; a metal measuring tape; a wooden or metal stick to hang your piece on; sharp scissors; a brush or comb to brush or comb the fabric; a rope for finishing your piece at the back; and masking tape to cover the corners.

The latch hooking process

Choose the pattern you like best and transfer it to the fabric: cut a piece of your mesh and protect its ends with some masking tape. This process consists of tying the wool with the help of the needle onto a grid, plastic net or large hole canvas. Place a towel or some padded cloth under your mesh so you can hook the threads without any problem.

Place a towel or some quilted cloth under your mesh so you can hook up the strings without any problem. Repeat this process, combining colors, sizes and textures as you wish, until you reach the end of the row or according to the design or pattern you are following. Depending on the texture you want to give to your design, you can leave some squares free or fill them in. Finally, cut or comb the wools according to the effect you want to give to your tapestry.

The locker hook

The locker hook is another type of hook and is made with a different needle: on one side it has an eye and on the other side, a crochet type point. To use this technique you will need the same materials, except your embroidering material will have to be more resistant, like cotton, and the material you hook on the mesh, for example, a rope also made of cotton. The technique consists of playing with these two fabrics on the grid. The final effect is very different from that of latch hooking, as it creates more organic lines.

Learn how to perform these two techniques and create your own decorative pieces with Mariana Baert's online course Introduction to Latch Hooking and Locker Hooking, where she'll teach you everything you need to get started in embroidery.

You may also be interested in:

- Creative Embroidery: The Stitch Revolution, a course by Trini Guzmán.
- Introduction to Blackwork Embroidery, a course by Gimena Romero.
- Miniature Embroidery Techniques, a course by Silvia Peligro.