The following is information I found on a M.C.G. Textiles latch hook kit about the history of Latch hooking. This may be helpful, and interesting as well.

Heritage Rug Hooking

The craft of traditional hand hooking is ages old. Remnants of hooked work have been traced to both the Viking and Egyptian civilizations. During the days of cottage industry in England, Artisans worked wool yarns into an evenweave foundation. The practice is still called "thrumming" in the 21st century. When Colonists reached North America, their many skills included the constructing of hooked bed covers and floor rugs. They used worn clothing, torn into thin strips, to fill the backing material. The art of rug hooking thrives with an international guild of craftsmen and women. ATHA, the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists, is committed to preserving the rich heritage of this fine work by educating the public about the artistic and practical applications of hooking through workshops, rug camps and publications. Local chapters of the guild are found in all fifty states and many foreign countries. For more information about rug hooking, contact your local library or look on the Internet. This kit contains a refined palette of yarns to complete the pictured project. In the United States, pulling-up loops with yarn is called "Nantucket style" of hooking.