The History Of The Oxford Punch Needle

The Oxford Punch Needle is a revolution in rug hooking!

The Oxford Punch Needle is a joy to use!  Punch needle rug hooking is easy to learn, allows limitless creativity, and works up so quickly that it’s been described as, “Instant gratification with wool!” Here’s why our punch needles are so highly valued by our customers:

• Make Quality Hooked Rugs With the Punch Needle Method of Rug Hooking
• Ergonomically Designed for Comfort and Speed
• Maple Handle
• Electro Polished Stainless Steel Needle
• Lifetime Money Back Guarantee
• Designed by Punch Needle Expert Amy Oxford
• Works Beautifully With Many Different Weights and Varieties of Yarn
• Excellent for Use With Yarn, Cut Strips of Wool and Other Fabrics
• Made in the USA

Tips & Tricks and more at Frequently Asked Questions

Oxford Punch Needle Sizes

To determine the Oxford Punch Needle size that’s right for you please choose two things:

1. What width needle do you want?
2. How tall do you want your loops to be?

First: choose the width needle you want. This will determine what materials you use in your punch. Choose from two widths: regular and fine:

• Regular The regular needle can be used with heavy 3-ply rug yarn and bulky weight knitting yarn. You can also double, triple, and quadruple finer yarns and thread them together through the punch needle at the same time. ¼” wide strip of fabric also work beautifully in the regular needle. (1/4” wide strips are the same as 8/32” strips thus, these are known as #8 cut in the rug hooking world).

• Fine
  The fine needle can be used with worsted weight, sock weight, baby weight,sport weight, tapestry, and needlepoint yarns. Narrow strips of fabric can also be used. We suggest 3/32” wide strips (known as #3 cut in the rug hooking world.)

Regular Needle (left) and Fine Needle (right)

Next: choose how tall you want your loops to be:

• For ½” tall loops – choose a #8 Oxford Punch Needle
• For 3/8” tall loops – choose a #9 Oxford Punch Needle
• For 1/4” tall loops – choose a #10 Oxford Punch Needle

Now pick your punch needle. Choose the needle width and loop height that you need. Here are the sizes we offer:

• #8 (1/2" loop) regular
• #8 (1/2" loop) fine
• #9 (3/8" loop) regular
• #9 (3/8" loop) fine
• #10 (1/4" loop) regular
• #10 (1/4" loop) fine
• "The Mini" #14 (1/8" loop) – available in fine only
• "The Mini With Heels" #13 (3/16" loop) - available in fine only

The "Mini" #14 Fine

About “The Mini” - #14 Fine

These are just a few of the many yarns that work in “The Mini” and “The Mini With Heels.” The fringe hanging directly below the rectangles shows what was used to punch the rectangles.

About The Mini With Heels” - #13 Fine

This is our newest needle and it creates loops that are 3/16” tall. Because it makes loops that are just a little bit taller than "The Mini," we call it "The Mini With Heels!" Use it in combination with “The Mini” in places where you want really crisp, clear definition such as lettering. Not only will it make your letters look sharp and easy to read, it’s a nice addition for outlines and borders as well.

This “Bee Mat” was punched using “The Mini” but the lettering and border were done with “The Mini With Heels.” Note how crisp and clear the lettering looks when it is slightly higher than the rest of the punching. 

Read About the Birth of a Punch Needle

Oxford Punch Needle Sizes

• Use several different needle sizes in the same rug to add depth and dimension to your work. For example, make a sheep that is higher than the background!
• Use regular and fine yarns in the same rug. For example, if you’re hooking a face using a #8 regular needle with bulky yarn, use a #8 fine needle with a thinner yarn for details such as eyelashes, and other fine facial features. This way, you can use thick and thin yarns together and the loops will all be the same height.

To get the look of traditional hooked rugs use a #10 regular with ¼” wide (8 cut) strips of wool fabric.

By using strips of wool fabric in the punch needle, you can get the look of traditional, primitive hooked rugs in a fraction of the time it would take using a rug hook. The Oxford Punch Needle may be used with any traditional hooked rug patterns that are on monk's cloth, linen, or rug warp. Burlap is not recommended. Keep in mind that the punch needle is used on the back side of the piece so any lettering on the pattern must be backwards (a mirror image).

Please note that #6 cut strips (6/32”) also work well in the #10 regular Oxford Punch Needle. Many punchers prefer working with the #6 cut strips because they make your rug look traditionally hooked but they feed more easily through the punch than #8 cut strips.

If I was only going to buy one punch needle, what size should I get?

First, you need to determine what look you want, and what materials you want to use:

• If you like the look of primitive traditional hooked rugs, get the #10 regular and use ¼” wide strips of wool fabric.
• If you want to make rugs using yarn, we suggest the #9 regular.
• If you would like to combine ¼” wide strips of fabric and yarn in the same rug, use the #10 regular.
• Want to do all three of the things mentioned above? Get the #10 regular.
• Want to do finer, more delicate work? Try “The Mini” #14 fine Oxford Punch Needle.

Read About the Birth of a Punch Needle