287.--KNITTING, though considered to be an old-fashioned art, is by no
means so ancient as lacemaking. Knitting has never entirely quitted the
hands of English and German ladies; indeed, among all good housewives of
any civilised country, it is reckoned an indispensable accomplishment.
Knitting schools have been established of late years both in Ireland and
Scotland, and Her Majesty the Queen has herself set an example of this
industry, as well as largely patronised the industrial knitters of
Scotland. Of the rudiments of this useful art many ladies are at present
ignorant; it is in the hope of being useful to these that the following
instructions are offered.
To knit, two, three, four, or five needles, and either thread, cotton,
silk, or wool are required.
Knitting needles are made of steel, of ivory, or of wood; the size to be
used depends entirely upon the material employed, whether thread,
cotton, silk, single or double wool, for knitting. As the size of the
needles depends upon that of the cotton, a knitting gauge is used (see
No. 287). The gauge (page 290) is the exact size of Messrs. H. Walker
and Co.'s knitting gauge. Our readers will remark that English and
foreign gauges differ very essentially; the finest size of German
needles, for example, is No. 1, which is the size of the coarsest
English wooden or ivory needle. Straight knitting is usually done with
two needles only for round knitting for socks, stockings, &c., three,
four, and five needles are employed.
[Illustration: 287.--Knitting Gauge.]
* * * * *
288.--_Casting On_.
This term is used for placing the first row or round of knitting
stitches on the needles--"casting them on"--and is done in two ways--by
"knitting on" the stitches, or as follows:--
Hold the thread between the first and second finger of the left hand,
throw it over the thumb and first finger so as to form a loop, and pass
the needle in the loop; throw the thread lightly round the needle, pass
it through the loop, and draw up the thread; this forms the first stitch
(see No. 288).
[Illustration: 288.--Casting On.]
289.--_To Knit On_.
[Illustration: 289.--Knitting On.]
Take the needle on which the stitches are cast in the left hand, and
another needle in the right hand--observe the position of the hands (No.
289). Hold the left-hand needle between the thumb and third finger,
leaving the first finger free to move the points of the needles. (The
wonderful sense of touch in the first or index finger is so delicate,
that an experienced knitter can work without ever looking at her
fingers, by the help of this touch only--in fact, knitting becomes a
purely mechanical labour, and as such is most useful.) Insert the point
of the right-hand needle in the loop or stitch formed on the left-hand
needle, bring the thread once round, turning the point of the needle in
front under the stitch, bringing up the thread thrown over, which in
its turn becomes a stitch, and is placed on the left-hand needle.
290.--_Simple Knitting (plain)_.
[Illustration: 290.--Plain Knitting.]
Pass the right-hand needle into the 1st stitch of the left-hand needle,
at the back throw the thread forward, and with the first finger pass the
point of the needle under the stitch in forming a fresh stitch with the
thread already thrown over, as in "knitting on," only, instead of
placing the newly-formed stitch on the left-hand needle, leave it on the
right-hand needle, and let the stitch drop off the point of the
left-hand needle. Continue thus until all the stitches are taken from
the left to the right-hand needle, and the row is then complete.
291.--_To Purl, Pearl, or Seam_.
Seaming or purling a stitch is done by taking up the stitch _in front_
instead of at the back, throwing the thread over and knitting the stitch
as in plain knitting; but before beginning to purl, the thread must be
brought in front of the needle, and if a plain stitch follows, the
thread is passed back after the purl stitch is made (see No. 291).
[Illustration: 291.--Purling.]
292.--_To Increase_.
Increasing or making a stitch is done by throwing the thread once round
the needle and in the next row knitting it as an ordinary stitch.
[Illustration: 292.--Increasing.]
293.--_To Decrease_.
This is done in two ways: _firstly_, taking up two stitches and knitting
them together as one; _secondly_, by taking up a stitch without knitting
it, called slipping, then by knitting the following stitch in the usual
way, and then slipping the 1st (unknitted) over the 2nd (knitted) (see
No. 293). When it is necessary to decrease two stitches at once, proceed
thus:--Slip one, knit two stitches together, then slip the unknitted
stitch over the two knitted together.
[Illustration: 293.--Decreasing.]
294.--_Round Knitting_.
To knit a round four or five needles are used; it is thus that
stockings, socks, cuffs, mittens, &c., are made. To knit with four
needles, cast on, say, 32 stitches upon one needle, insert a second
needle in the last stitch of the first, and cast on 30 stitches; proceed
in a similar way with a third needle, but casting on 28 only; when this
is done, knit the two extra stitches on the first needle on to the last;
this makes 30 stitches upon each needle, and completes the round.
295.--_Casting Off_.
Knit two stitches, and with the left-hand needle slip the first stitch
over the second; continue this to the end of the row. _Note_.--The last
knitted row, before casting off, should be knitted loosely.
296.--_To Pick up a Stitch_.
This is done by taking up the thread between two stitches and forming a
stitch with it.
* * * * *
The following Designs of New Stitches can be used for a variety of
work:--
297.--_Peacock's Tail Pattern_.
Needles, wood or ivory; Messrs. Walter Evans and Co.'s knitting cotton.
[Illustration: 297.--Peacock's Tail Pattern.]
Cast on a number of stitches divisible by nine, as it takes nine
stitches for each pattern, and two for each border; the border, which
is in plain knitting, will not be mentioned after the first row.
1_st Row_.--2 plain for border; 2 plain *, make 1, 1 plain, repeat this
four times from *, make 1, 2 plain; repeat from the beginning--then 2
plain for border.
2_nd Row_.--2 purl, 11 plain, 2 purl; repeat.
[Illustration: 298.--Spiral Stitch.]
3_rd Row_.--Take 2 together, 11 plain, take 2 together; repeat.
4_th Row_.--Purl 2 together, purl 9, purl 2 together; repeat.
5_th Row_.--Take 2 together, 7 plain, take 2 together.
Begin from the 1st row.
Thirteen stitches are large enough for a stripe for a sofa-cover. These
stripes should be sewn together after all are finished.
* * * * *
298.--_Spiral Stitch_.
Materials: Needles, thick steel or bone; double wool.
This stitch is far more effective worked in thick wool than in cotton.
It is done in stripes alternately wide and narrow. For wide stripes cast
on twenty-one stitches, for narrow fifteen; this without counting the
first and last stitch, the first being slipped, the last always plainly
knitted.
1_st Row_.--Purl 3 together to end of row.
2_nd Row_.--Make 1, * 1 plain, make 2, repeat from * end by making the
last stitch before the plain knitted one at end of row.
* * * * *
[Illustration 299.--Knotted Stitch.]
299.--_Knotted Stitch_.
Materials: Needles, wood or ivory; double wool.
Cast on 11 stitches.
1_st Row_.--All plain, throwing the wool twice round the needle before
each stitch.
2_nd Row_.--Each stitch on the needle is now composed of 3 threads of
wool: knit the first plain, the second purl, the third plain; cast off
the second over the third, and the first over the second; this leaves
but one stitch; repeat from first row until a sufficient length is
obtained. This pattern makes very pretty borders.
* * * * *
300.--_Knitted Moss Borders_.
Materials: Steel needles; moss wool of several shades of green.
Cast on enough stitches for double the width required, say twenty, and
knit very tightly in plain knitting, row by row, until a sufficient
length has been obtained. Cut off and place the strip on a sieve over a
basin of boiling water, and cover it over. When it has absorbed the
steam, and while wet, iron it with a box-iron. Then cut the strip down
the centre, and unravel the wool on each side. The threads of wool all
curling, resemble moss. They are held firmly by the selvedge of the
knitting.
* * * * *