MARY FRANCES REALLY KNITS
MARY FRANCES had so much trouble getting the knack of this lesson that
her fingers seemed like “all thumbs,” try as she would.
[Illustration: “You are nervous.”]
“You are a little nervous, my dear,” said Fairly Flew. “Do not get
discouraged. Some day you will laugh at yourself for having trouble in
doing this, because knitting will be as easy—what is very easy?” she
asked.
[Illustration: “Knitting will be easy.”]
“Billy says, ‘as easy as rolling out of bed,’” laughed Mary Frances.
“Well, ‘as easy as rolling out of bed,’” finished the fairy.
How Mary Frances wished that that time had come, or that the fairy
would offer her her magic needles.
[Illustration: Magic needles.]
“I cannot offer you my magic needles you know,” went on Fairly Flew;
“but I can help you learn the lesson. Just watch me closely.”
She pulled two tiny gold knitting needles from her pocket. The heads of
the needles sparkled so that Mary Frances thought they must be diamonds.
Then the fairy drew some fine yarn from her pocket and began to do the
lesson just as she had given the directions to Mary Frances.
“Now, watch me closely,” she said, “and take your needles and do
exactly as I do.”
Before Mary Frances realized it, she had fifteen nice rows of knitting
done.
[Illustration: “Isn’t that splendid!”]
“Isn’t that splendid!” exclaimed Fairly Flew. “Now you are ready to
learn—
HOW TO BIND OFF
(How to Finish Knitted Work)
NOTE.—When first learning how to bind off work it is
easier to use a crochet hook in the right hand in place
of the knitting needle, as shown in the picture on page
167.
In doing this work make very loose stitches.
1. Knit the first 2 stitches of the last row of work on
to a No. 4 crochet hook.
2. Slip the left needle into the first loop on the
crochet hook and pull this stitch over the top of the
hook, and over the stitch nearest the hook.
[Illustration: HOW TO BIND OFF]
3. Knit another stitch, still using the crochet hook in
place of the right-hand knitting needle.
4. With the left-hand needle lift the first loop on the
crochet needle over the stitch just made and over the
hook of the crochet needle.
[Illustration: “I helped!”]
5. Continue doing this until there is but one stitch
on the crochet needle. Break off the yarn about 1 inch
from the work, and pull it all the way through this
last stitch.
[Illustration: “Look at proud Crow Shay.”]
Of course, Mary Frances did not find it difficult to follow these
directions, because she watched Fairly Flew do the work and made each
stitch just as the fairy made it.
“That is splendidly done,” said the fairy as Mary Frances broke off the
yarn and fastened the last stitch. “For the next lesson you will make
something for Mary Marie.”
“Oh, I do not see how I can wait until to-morrow to start!” exclaimed
Mary Frances.
“But you’d better not work any more now—besides, my time is up for
to-day,” said Fairly Flew. “It will not seem long until to-morrow,
because you’ll be asleep for all night, you know.”
So Mary Frances put away her work.
“Good-bye, dear friends,” she said as she went away.
[Illustration: “Good bye.”]
“Good-bye. We’ll all be ready and waiting to-morrow,” everybody
promised at once.
[Illustration: “Good bye.”]
[Illustration: OUR FRIENDS, TEDDY BEAR AND AIRMAN
FOR DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING KNITTED ARTICLES SHOWN IN THIS ILLUSTRATION
SEE
TEDDY BEAR SUIT—129 DOLL’S BEAN BAG—180 AVIATOR DOLL’S OUTFIT—196-197]