First select four smooth steel needles of a size suitable for the
woollen or cotton yarn you intend to use. If you cannot tell yourself,
the person of whom you purchase your yarn can select suitable needles.
Your stitches should be cast on with double yarn. Knitting them on is
preferable; first form a loop on one needle, then by knitting that loop
with another needle, the required stitches can be formed. Some persons
prefer a little elastic roll at the top; this is formed by knitting
eight or ten rows round plain, then turn directly back and knit on the
wrong side a few times.
But the most common mode is purl every two stitches. This is done by
knitting two stitches and purling two. It is well to continue this for
a gentleman’s stocking or a boy’s all the way to the heel, as they
cling better to the leg, or purl two and knit two for a half a finger,
then knit a finger and a half plain, and end the leg part by purling
two and two again at the ankle for an inch. If the stocking is for a
lady, after knitting four or five inches from the top (the first inch
being purled every two stitches), the narrowing should be commenced.
In plain knitting, one needle is called the seam needle, for the centre
stitch should be purled, and one must be taken to purl that same stitch
the whole length of the leg. The narrowing of the leg should be done
on each side of the seam stitch. Then knit five or six rows before
narrowing again. The leg should be narrowed thus seven or eight times
to form a good shaped leg.
No rules for length, or the number of stitches to be cast on a needle,
can be given, as nearly every person differs in size. The only sure way
is to measure by some old stocking. The heel must contain just half the
stitches in the whole stocking. Take off the stitches, for the heel,
on to one needle. A long heel makes a better shaped stocking than a
short one. When nearly done, narrow five or six times on each side of
the purl; for, in taking off the stitches for the heel, the purl stitch
must be in the centre of the heel needle. The heel is knit backwards
and forwards like a garter, only it is purled all across on the wrong
side. The narrowing must all be done on the plain knitting side. Some
persons knit the heel with double yarn; others, on the purling side,
slip a stitch and knit a stitch all across, and the next time the
purling side is knit, slip the stitch you _knit_ before. This makes
a strong heel, almost equal to running a heel after it is knit. To
bind off the heel, you must place half the stitches on one needle and
half on another, then place them side by side, and knit two stitches
together with a third needle, slip the first stitch knit with the third
needle over the second stitch all across, never leaving but one stitch
on the needle. Some finish the heel differently; they take just half
the stitches of the heel in the middle of the needle, leaving a quarter
on one side and a quarter on the other, and only knit the middle, but
each time take up one stitch from the side, and narrow it with one on
the middle, until all the stitches on the side are gone.
The foot is formed by taking up the loops on each side of the heel
(these loops are formed in knitting the heel, by always slipping the
first stitch, as in a garter). In knitting round the first time, it
is necessary to widen on the heel every third stitch, by taking up an
additional loop. It should then be narrowed on the corner of the side
needles, by narrowing two together of the four last stitches on the
first needle, then on the other side needle knit two plain, slip a
stitch and knit a stitch, and put the slipped stitch over the knitted
stitch, until the foot is small enough. After the first few times
around, it shapes the instep better to narrow, then knit around without
slipping and binding. The next time knit past the narrowing side plain,
and slip and bind, therefore the size is only lessened one stitch
every row, forming a long gore. The toe is formed by narrowing at the
beginning and end of each needle; first knit two plain and narrow, then
leave four at the end of the needle, narrow the first two, and knit
the other two plain; before narrowing, see that the stitches on each
needle number the same. Knit around three times plain, then narrow as
directed. Knit three plain rounds between the narrowing three times.
Then knit twice around plain, three times between the narrowing; then
once, then narrow every time till there are only four stitches; break
off your yarn, leaving sufficient to draw through the four stitches,
and with a darning needle fasten it strong.
Another way to narrow a toe off, is to narrow every seven stitches
when you begin the toe; knit seven times around, and narrow every six
stitches; knit six rows and narrow every five stitches; knit five rows
and narrow every four stitches, so on to the end.