[Illustration: NO. 15. POSITION OF NEEDLES TO RENEW A STOCKING HEEL.]
[Illustration: NO. 16. THE FASTENING OF THE NEW HEEL.]
Illustrations 15 to 18 show the manner of doing this. To renew the
heel of a stocking, first remove the damaged heel by cutting along
the sides of the heel, at the end of the cap and at the beginning of
the heel. Make even the stitches belonging to the parts from which
the heel has just been cut. Take up these stitches on 5 needles,
as illustrated in cut No. 15. Take up on 2 needles the stitches
belonging to the heel. Then take up the side stitches (each side) on
1 needle. The remaining stitches belong to the fifth needle, that is,
those which will serve for the joining of the cap of the heel. Then,
with the stitches belonging to the heel, begin to knit the heel in
rows, to and fro. But, at the end of every plain row, always knit the
last stitch of the row together (plain) with the next stitch on the
side needle. The same must be done at the end of every purled row,
only the last stitch with the next stitch on the side needle have to
be _purled_ together, instead of knitted plain. When the heel has
reached the required length, then begin to knit the cap of the heel
in the usual way, until the number of stitches corresponds to the
number of stitches of the fifth needle. Join these 2 rows of stitches
together, as illustrated in cut No. 16. This is done by darning. Take
an end of the cotton long enough for this purpose, and pass it, by
means of a darning needle, downward through the last stitch of the
stocking, and through the first one of the stitches on the fifth
needle, or upper row. Then pass it through the next 2 corresponding
stitches of the cap of the heel. See illustration No. 17, which shows
the needle inserted in the 2 stitches through which the cotton is to
be drawn. Pass the needle through the next 2 corresponding stitches
of the upper row, in the same direction as is shown by the arrow in
illustration No. 17. From there * pass it through the last stitch,
already worked, of the lower row, and through next stitch; then
through the next 2 corresponding stitches of the upper row. Slip
every time the stitch from the knitting needle after having passed
the cotton through them. Repeat from * until all the stitches of
the 2 rows are joined to each other. When this is done, fasten the
cotton on the wrong side of the stocking by drawing it through a few
stitches.
[Illustration: NO. 17. STITCH FOR THE FASTENING OF A NEW HEEL.]
Illustration No. 17 represents only a part of the joining, where the
stitches are worked very loosely, in order that it might be copied
more easily. Yet, while working, the stitches of the joining must
be drawn to the same size as the knitted stitches of the stocking,
and in such a manner that the joining cannot be detected from the
knitting.
[Illustration: NO. 18. RE-SOLING THE FOOT OF A STOCKING.]
No. 18—_How to Re-sole the Foot of a Stocking_.—In order to do
this, a new heel must first be knitted to the stocking in the usual
way. When this is done, pick up the side stitches of the heel and
begin to knit the sole in _rows_, to and fro, 1 row plain, the other
purled. At the end of every plain row pick up the last stitch of the
_corresponding_ row of the old sole, and knit it together, plain,
with the last stitch of row just knitted. The same thing must be done
at the end of every purled row, only purl the 2 stitches together
instead of knitting them plain together. Always slip, plain, the
first stitch of every row.
The narrowing of the sole, on both sides, must be done just before
knitting together the last stitch of the row and the last stitch of
the corresponding row of the old sole.
After the new sole has been knitted, turn the stocking on the wrong
side; cut off the old sole along both sides, yet leaving a strip of
4 stitches in width on each side. Lay each strip towards the front
part of the foot. Unravel them. Smooth down the ends formed by the
unraveling, and fasten them to the stocking by darning over them
lightly, so that this darning might not be seen on the right side of
the stocking. Should the stocking require a new toe to be knitted on,
then unravel the old one, pick up the stitches and knit a new toe in
rounds, in one of the ways already described in the book.