I'm always learning new things about this craft, just by paying attention to what its telling me. This morning I was tying off the end of a rug start I decided to convert to a trivet (you'll see it in the original untied form in a post later today or tomorrow) so when I pulled the stitch tight then created a hanging loop, I decided to just continue knotting the rest of the strip above the knot which formed the far side of the hanging loop, using your basic half hitch knot (which is also commonly though somewhat inaccurately called a slip knot.)
When I looked at the finished product, I realized this would form a terrific rug start, and is much easier than braiding or chain stitching as well as providing a good sturdy start which would hold up no matter how much tension you put on your stitches.
Below is a picture of the result.
Playing with the concept more, I discovered another and possibly easier method-
the overhand knot. This may well be the easiest most fool proof method of starting a rug yet! Take a LONG piece of your center color strip and just tie a series of overhand knots by folding it at the center and continuing to tie knot after knot until you have a start long enough for your needs (6" or shorter for a round rug, 6"+ for a an oval rug). When you're almost out of strip, either create one chain stitch or double the strip back through the end slit to create a thumb loop, and proceed with the start as with a chain stitch or braid.
