WOOLEY BALL TELLS SOME YARNS
MARY FRANCES opened the bag on the sewing table.
“Is this the whole family?” she asked as she lifted the Yarn Baby,
Wooley Ball and Crow Shay out.
[Illustration: Spoke up Crow Shay.]
“Oh, no, indeed!
Oh, no indeed!
Wait till the rest of us
You’ve see’d,”
spoke up Crow Shay.
Up flew the Yarn Baby’s hair.
[Illustration: “‘See’d,’ indeed!”]
“‘See’d,’ indeed! ‘See’d,’ indeed! Do be more polite, Crow Shay!” she
exclaimed. “Use correct grammar and give some one else a chance to
speak!”
[Illustration: “Do be more polite!”]
Then she explained to Mary Frances about the large family of Crocheting
and Knitting People who were so anxious to help her.
“Oh, I can’t wait to begin!” cried the delighted little girl. “What do
I do first?”
“First you will a slip knot make;
Then in your right hand me you’ll take—”
began Crow Shay.
“Now, now,” exclaimed the Yarn Baby. “There you go again!”
“Oh, he loves to crow—” said Wooley Ball, laughing.
[Illustration: “Oh, he loves to crow—”]
“You mean that I love to crochet, Wooley Ball!” Crow Shay turned toward
Wooley Ball.
“Well, I think that Wooley Ball means that you love to crochet so much
that when you get a chance, you love to crow about it!” said the Yarn
Baby. “You do not wait to give anyone else a chance to talk. Now, the
very first person to explain lessons in crocheting and knitting is
Wooley Ball.”
“Because she can tell so many yarns!” giggled Crow Shay.
[Illustration: Giggled Crow Shay.]
Wooley Ball looked up at Mary Frances with a broad smile.
[Illustration: Wooley Ball looked up.]
“Do not mind him,” she said. “If you are quite ready, we will have a
little talk about—
DIFFERENT YARNS
There are many different weights and sizes of woolen
yarns. We shall need to know about only a few of these.
All yarns are made of twisted strands of thread. The
weight depends upon the number and size of the strands
that are twisted together.
If two strands are twisted together, the yarn is
two-fold.
If three strands are twisted together, the yarn is
three-fold.
[Illustration]
If four strands are twisted together, the yarn is
four-fold.
If you are uncertain of the “fold” of the yarn you
have, untwist a little piece and count the strands.
NAMES OF YARNS
Germantown Zephyr or Germantown Wool. A soft woolly
yarn very much used where warmth is needed.
Germantown wool comes in four-fold and eight-fold
weights. Four-fold is the weight generally used. The
eight-fold is too thick and heavy for most purposes.
[Illustration: Hank of yarn.]
Knitting Worsted is somewhat like Germantown wool in
weight, but is rather harsh to the touch, because
the threads are made of long twisted fibers of wool.
Garments made of knitting worsted will stand hard wear
and usage.
Saxony Wool. A soft yarn made of light-weight strands.
Comes in two-fold, three-fold, and four-fold weights.
The four-fold and two-fold are the weights most used.
Saxony wool is much used for making garments for babies.
[Illustration: Wool in balls.]
Woolen Knitting Floss. A light-weight, loosely-twisted
yarn. Comes in single and double threads.
Teazle Yarn, or Teazle Wool, resembles knitting floss,
but is rougher and harsher in finish. It is more often
used for trimming than for making garments.
Angora Wool is a hairy yarn used for trimming. It is
made entirely of the soft silky hair of the Angora
goat, or of a mixture of wool and Angora hair. It is so
expensive that Teazle yarn is much used in its stead.
After the trimming is made, the Teazle yarn is usually
brushed until it is quite furry and fuzzy.
[Illustration: Needles.]
There are many different makers of yarns. Each firm
manufactures a variety of yarns under various fancy
names. All manufacturers, however, make Germantown
Wool, Knitting Worsteds, Saxony Wools, Woolen Flosses,
and Teazle Wool.
[Illustration: Mary Frances and the wools.]
[Illustration: She only smiled.]