302.--NETTING is one of the prettiest and one of the easiest
accomplishments of a lady. The materials are simple, while the effects
produced by good netting are most elegant and of great durability. One
great advantage of netting is that each stitch is finished and
independent of the next, so that if an accident happens to one stitch it
does not, as in crochet or knitting, spoil the whole work.
Netting, so easy to do, is most difficult to describe. The materials
required are--a netting-needle and mesh (see illustration No. 302).
These are made of bone, of wood, of ivory, and most commonly of steel.
The wood, bone, and ivory are only used for netting wool, the steel for
silk, cotton, &c.
The needle is filled by passing the end of the thread through the little
hole at the left-hand point, and tying it; then the thread is wound on
the needle as on a tatting shuttle. The needles are numbered from 12 to
24; these last are extremely fine. The meshes correspond to the sizes of
the needles, and are made of the same materials. The larger the size of
the stitch required the thicker the mesh must be selected; indeed, large
hat meshes are often used for some patterns. A stirrup to slip over the
foot to which the foundation is attached is required by those who do
not use a netting cushion, placed before them on the table and heavily
weighted; to this the foundation is fastened.
The stirrup is made of a loop of ribbon, to which the foundation is
tied. Some ladies work a pretty stirrup of the exact shape of a
horseman's stirrup; a loop of ribbon is passed through this, and the
foundation fixed as before.
[Illustration 302.--Needle and Mesh.]
303.--_To Net_.
Place the mesh under the thread, between the thumb and finger of the
left hand; it must rest on the middle of the finger and be held only by
the thumb (see illustration No. 303). Take the needle in the right hand,
pass the thread over the middle and ring finger and over the mesh, pass
the needle upwards and behind the mesh in the large loop which forms the
thread round the fingers, and at the same time through the first stitch
or loop of the foundation. Draw the needle out, retaining the loops on
the fingers and dropping them off, the little finger being the last to
release the thread. As the thread tightens and the knot is firm, the
loop on the little finger should be drawn up quickly and smartly. The
next stitches are precisely similar, and row upon row is formed in the
same manner. Having learnt the stitch, the next task is to make a
foundation. Tie a large loop of strong thread on the stirrup ribbon, and
net fifty stitches into this loop, then net four or five rows, and the
foundation is ready.
[Illustration: 303.--Netting.]
Simple netting as above explained forms diamonds or lozenges. When a
piece of netting is finished it is cut off the foundation, and the
little ends of thread that held the stitches are drawn out.
304.--_Square Netting_.
Is done precisely in the same manner as plain netting, only begin from
one stitch, then net two stitches into this first, and increase by
making two in the last loop of every row. As soon as the right number of
stitches is complete diminish exactly in the same way by netting two
stitches as one at the end of each row until one stitch alone remains.
These squares are used for guipure d'art and for darning on.