Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 19

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 351. PLAIN St.i.tCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND.]

BACK, OR SEAM-St.i.tCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND (fig. 352).--Put the needle into the second part of the st.i.tch, upwards from below, and knit it as a back or seam-st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 352. BACK OR SEAM-St.i.tCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND.]

In plain st.i.tch, taken from behind, the two threads of the loop are crossed, instead of lying side by side, as they do in plain knitting.

Back-st.i.tch taken from behind, is only used for certain open-work patterns.

OVERS (fig. 353).--These form holes in plain knitting, and are used for open-work patterns and for increasing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 353. OVERS.]

To make an over, lay the thread over the needle, and in the next row, knit this loop like any other st.i.tch.

Each over adds one to the existing number of st.i.tches. In cases, therefore, where the number is to remain the same, you have to make as many intakes as overs. Overs can only be used in conjunction with other st.i.tches.

KNOT St.i.tCH (fig. 354).--This forms a raised spot in plain knitting and is executed as follows: knit 1, and leave it on the left-hand needle; put the st.i.tch you have made with the right needle back on the left, and knit it off. Make 4 or 5 similar st.i.tches, all issuing from the same st.i.tch on the left needle, so that you have 4 or 5 loops on the right needle; then drop the st.i.tch off the left needle, and pull the 4 first loops over the last one.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 354. KNOT St.i.tCH.]

CABLE OR CHAIN St.i.tCH.--Chain st.i.tches are used for strengthening and equalizing the edges of articles that are made in stripes. They can be made in two ways; either, you knit off all the st.i.tches on one needle, turn the work, put the needle into the first st.i.tch, as if you were going to knit it from the back, and take it off the left needle without knitting it, the thread to lie behind the needle; or, you knit off all the st.i.tches on one needle, turn the work, and knit off the first st.i.tch.

THE NAMES OF THE St.i.tCHES.--Out of the st.i.tches that have been already described, other st.i.tches are formed, which, as they are frequently alluded to in knitting directions, we shall here enumerate, explaining all the terms, usually employed in such directions.

OVER, OR INCREASE.--Explained in fig. 353. Throwing the thread once over the right needle.

DOUBLE OVER, OR TWO INCREASES.--Throwing the thread twice over the needle.

PLAIN INTAKE.--Knitting two st.i.tches together plain. This is done when the intake is to lie from left to right.

PURLED INTAKE.--Purling two st.i.tches together. This is done to make the st.i.tches, that are knitted together, visible; or in the case of a piece of work composed of stripes, on the wrong side, when the intake is to lean to the right, on the right side.

PLAIN DECREASE, TAKEN FROM BEHIND.--Knitting off two st.i.tches together, plain from behind. This is done when the intake is to lie to the left.

PURLED DECREASE, TAKEN FROM BEHIND.--Purling two st.i.tches together, from behind. This is done when, in articles composed of stripes, the decrease has to be made on the wrong side, and is to lie to the left on the right side.

PULLING OVER.--Slipping a st.i.tch from the left needle to the right without knitting it, knitting the next plain, and pulling the slipped st.i.tch over the knitted one. In this manner two or three st.i.tches can be pulled over the knitted one.

CASTING OFF.--To prevent the st.i.tches from unravelling they are finished off in the following manner. Knit off two plain, pull the first over the second and drop it, so that only one remains on the needle.

Knit the next st.i.tch, and pull the one behind over it, and so on. This chain of st.i.tches, must neither be too tight, nor too loose, but just as elastic as the rest of the work.

MATERIALS FOR STOCKINGS.--Stockings can be made of silk, wool or cotton, entirely according to fancy, but for coloured stockings, we cannot too highly recommend the D.M.C knitting cottons, as more durable, in all respects, than either silk or wool. They are manufactured in 360 different shades, whereas, wool and silk are only to be had in a very limited a.s.sortment of colours. For hand-knit stockings, Nos. 25, 30, 35[A] are the best, for machine-knit, Nos. 40 and 50.

STOCKING KNITTING.--A stocking consists of five parts: (1) the top, (2) the knee, (3) the leg, (4) the heel, (5) the foot.

(1). The top may be either ribbed, or knitted in an openwork st.i.tch of same kind or with a double-toothed edge, fig. 356.

(2) and (3). The knee, and the leg down to the heel, are generally plain knitted; it is only children's stockings that are fancy knitted.

(4). The heel, is worked as straight knitting backwards and forwards; by knitting first one row plain and then turning back and knitting it purl.

It is shaped to the foot by the intakes at the top.

(5). The foot is knitted plain, with intakes from the heel onwards, to get rid of the superfluous st.i.tches. Then knit a plain piece, without a seam-st.i.tch, till you begin to decrease for the toe, which can be worked in several different ways.

To ensure the right proportions between the several parts of a stocking, the following directions should be attended to. An ornamental top must never be taken into account, in measuring the length of the leg. When the top part is finished, you make the seam, at the beginning of the first needle of the round, of one, or two purled st.i.tches, or sometimes, a narrow pattern of purled st.i.tches. This marks the middle of the stocking. For ordinary-sized stockings, knit plain from the top-band, till the knitted piece, forms a square.

For stockings that are to cover the knee, knit half as much again, that is one and a half times the width of the stocking. This brings you to the calf of the leg. Pull the third st.i.tch after the seam, over the second, and knit together the two last but one before the seam. There should be 12 rounds between each of the first 3 or 4 intakes, and after that 8, until this part is one and a half times the width of the knee in length, and a quarter narrower.

For the ankle, knit a plain piece, half the width of the knee in length, without intakes.

For the heel, count the st.i.tches on the four needles, exclusive of the seam, and put two st.i.tches more than the quarter of the whole number on to the needles, to the right and left of the seam.

For a heel to fit well, it should be as long as it is wide. In order that they should wear better, the heel and the toe are often knitted with double thread. Coton a feutrer D.M.C[A] is made expressly for that purpose, and should be wound round the thread of which the whole stocking is made. For the instep, the part between the heel and toe, you must go on decreasing from the heel, until you have 2 st.i.tches less on each needle, than you had at the ankle. Then knit the plain part of the foot, which should be as wide as the ankle, after which proceed to decrease for the toe, which should be a quarter the length of the whole foot. In spite of this careful subdivision, it is always well to count the st.i.tches, to ensure perfect regularity. The number of st.i.tches cast on, at the outset, for the same-sized stockings, must depend upon the size of the wool or cotton; we can only give the numbers approximately.

Our calculation is based on the use of 5 needles; the given number has therefore to be cast on four times.

______________________________________________________________________________ Coton a tricoter D.M.C Number of st.i.tches to Number of st.i.tches to be cast on one needle for be cast on one needle Numbers to be used stocking ordinary-sized for stockings that are to reach above the knee ______________________________________________________________________________ 25 32 36 30 34 38 35 36 42 40 40 46 50 42 50 ______________________________________________________________________________

SCALLOPED EDGE (figs. 355 and 356).--This is the simplest and strongest edge you can have for a stocking, and is called the cat's-teeth edge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 355. SCALLOPED STOCKING EDGE. EDGE OPEN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 356. SCALLOPED STOCKING EDGE. EDGE FOLDED TOGETHER.]

Having cast on the st.i.tches, knit 6 to 10 rounds plain, according to the size of the cotton, then one round of alternate intakes and overs. Knit as many plain rounds as before, and with a sixth needle take up as many of the cast on st.i.tches, as you have st.i.tches on one of the upper needles. Turn this needle inwards, and place it against the outside needle and knit off both needles together. See that you knit the corresponding st.i.tches off together, otherwise the scallops that form the edge will be crooked.

COMMON HEEL (fig. 357).--This is the simplest form of heel, and can be knitted either with or without an outside seam. Divide the st.i.tches into four, and put two more on each of the heel needles than on the others, then make, according to the size of the cotton, from 15 to 20 seams; knit off all the st.i.tches on the right needle and a third of those on the left. Supposing that you have 24 st.i.tches, knit off 8, then slip 1, knit 1, and pull the slipped st.i.tch over, knit 2 plain, turn the work, slip the first, and purl the next 8 st.i.tches of the second needle; purl the 9th and 10th together, purl 2, turn the work to the right side, and slip the first st.i.tch on to the right needle. By means of these successive intakes after the 8 st.i.tches, the knitting forms a plait on both sides of the heel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 357. COMMON HEEL.]

In all heels that are made after this pattern, the intakes must begin on the right side and the last one must be made on the wrong, so that once the heel is finished and the work turned, you can go on knitting plain.

When you have finished the st.i.tches of the two heel needles up to the outside seams, take up the st.i.tches on the sides of the heel with a spare needle and knit them on to the left heel needle, then knit the st.i.tches reserved for the instep, take up the st.i.tches on the right side of the heel again and knit them on to the fourth needle.

In the next round, knit all the st.i.tches of the first needle plain, excepting the 4 last; knit the first and second of these together and the two last plain. Knit the two first st.i.tches of the fourth needle plain, slip the third, knit the fourth and pull the slipped st.i.tch over.

HEEL IN STEPS (fig. 358).--After dividing the st.i.tches, make from 12 to 14 seams. Then knit as many st.i.tches of the first needle as you have seams at the side; turn the work, and begin the needle with the seam you made first. Knit off as many st.i.tches from the second needle as from the first. Make the same number of seams, as for the first part of the heel. When the seams are finished, take up the chain st.i.tches, on both sides, make a decrease by knitting the last st.i.tch of the small part and the first of the large, together; knit two; turn the work; slip the first st.i.tch, knit to the second side, and decrease as in the first part.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 358. HEEL IN STEPS.]

When you have decreased all the st.i.tches up to the last, take up the slipped st.i.tches of the first part, and begin the intakes for the instep in the ordinary way.

There is not more work in this pattern of heel than in any other; it fits closely and consequently wears well.

PLAIN HEEL (figs. 359 and 360).--Those who are not fond of purling will appreciate this and the following pattern for a plain heel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 359. PLAIN HEEL.]