Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet Part 4

[Ill.u.s.tration: Babies' Long Bootees]

Two colors of Saxony, blue and white or pink and white, and two steel knitting-needles, No. 14, are required for these bootees.

With color, cast on 57 st.i.tches.

1. Knit plain.

2. With white, knit 4, over, knit 3, * slip, narrow and bind, knit 3, over, knit 1, over, knit 3; repeat from * to end of row.

3. Purl.

Repeat last 2 rows three times; with color knit 2 rows; with white repeat 2d and 3d rows twice, and again knit 2 rows plain with color and 2 rows plain with white.

With white knit 14 rows of single rib (knit 1, purl 1).

With color knit 2 rows plain; then with white knit 8 rows in single rib; repeat the last 10 rows, and again knit 2 rows plain, with color.

With white knit 1 row, purl 1 row, alternately, for 4 rows; this gives the appearance of plain knitting on the right side.

Make a row of s.p.a.ces in which to run ribbon, thus: Knit 2, * over 3 times, narrow, knit 1; repeat from * to end of row. Purl back, dropping 2 of the "overs."

Again knit forward and purl back for 5 rows; then knit 15 rows in single rib, completing the leg.

For the instep: Slip 1st 18 st.i.tches on to the needle, join in the color, knit 21 st.i.tches, turn and knit back. With white knit 1 row and purl 1 row, alternately, for 6 rows. Repeat last 8 rows three times, which will give four white stripes and the same of narrow ones, in color; again knit forward and back with color.

For the slipper or foot, using color, knit off 18 st.i.tches on right-hand needle, pick up and knit 17 st.i.tches along the side of instep, knit 21 across instep, pick up 17 on other side and knit the 18 st.i.tches on left needle. Knit back and forth plain for 20 rows and bind off. Sew up the foot and back of leg, and draw ribbon through the s.p.a.ces.

These bootees come up well to the knee, and are warm as well as pretty.

The ribbed portions cause them to fit snugly, so they are not likely to slip down and off the little feet.

Child's Knitted Mittens

[Ill.u.s.tration: Child's Knitted Mittens]

Use Saxony yarn with needles of suitable size, as you knit tight or loose. No. 17 is a good average size. Cast 18 st.i.tches on each of three needles.

Knit 2, purl 1; repeat, until the wrist is of length desired, say two inches.

For the pattern, knit as follows:

1. Purl.

2, 3, 4. Knit 2, purl 1.

These 4 rows are repeated throughout.

Begin to widen for the thumb in the 2d row above the wrist; to widen pick up a st.i.tch between needles and knit it, knit 1, widen, and continue in pattern. Knit 2 rows, in pattern, and again widen, knit 3, widen, across base of thumb. Continue in this way, adding 2 st.i.tches between the widenings every 3d row, and keeping as closely as possible to the pattern, until you have 21 st.i.tches across the thumb. Knit around twice in pattern and take the thumb-st.i.tches off on a strong thread.

Knit around in pattern, and when you come to the thumb cast on 7 st.i.tches, or one third the number widened for the thumb. Continue knitting the hand to the tip of the little finger, then commence narrowing. The manner in which this is done depends on the shape of the hand to be fitted. For an ordinary mitten, narrow every 5th st.i.tch, and knit 5 times around; then narrow every 4th st.i.tch and knit 4 times around; every 3d st.i.tch and knit 3 times around; every 2d st.i.tch and knit twice around; then narrow, knit 1, repeat around, knit once around, narrow every st.i.tch, draw yarn through, and darn the end neatly and securely. It is an excellent plan to "run" the tip of a mitten on the wrong side, as you do the heel of a stocking, since it makes it wear longer, especially if intended for rough usage. The narrowing of a child's mitten may begin with every 4th st.i.tch. Also, if the hand is long and slender, an additional row may be knitted between the widenings for the thumb.

Take the st.i.tches off the thread on 2 needles, and with the 3d pick up and knit the st.i.tches across the hand, which were cast on. When knitting around the first time, narrow once each end of the picked-up st.i.tches.

Even the st.i.tches on the needles, and knit around in pattern until you reach the base of the nail, then narrow off, beginning with once in 3 st.i.tches. Draw through the last st.i.tches at tip and darn down.

Knee-Cap

[Ill.u.s.tration: Knee-Cap]

Elderly people, or those at all inclined to rheumatic twinges, appreciate the knee-cap, and a pair of them will make a most acceptable gift to grandpa or grandma. No. 12 steel needles and Germantown yarn were used for the model, which may be made more or less heavy, as desired, by choosing coa.r.s.er or finer yarn.

Cast 35 st.i.tches upon each of three needles and knit around 30 times in single rib--that is, knit 1, purl 1, alternately. You are now ready to begin the gore, which may be done in single rib, like the rest, or in basket-st.i.tch (or other fancy pattern) as in the model.

Take 26 st.i.tches on one needle, leaving all other st.i.tches idle; take a st.i.tch from each side every time across until but 42 st.i.tches are left on both idle needles. Narrow at the end of the busy needle each time until but 26 st.i.tches are left on the busy needle. Take up 23 st.i.tches on the selvage at each side, divide the st.i.tches evenly on the three needles, and you should have the original number of 35 st.i.tches on each of the needles. Again knit 30 rows in single rib, bind off loosely, and finish with a simple crocheted border of chain-loops or sh.e.l.ls caught down in every other st.i.tch.

To knit the gore in basket-st.i.tch, * purl 6, knit 2; repeat for 3 rows, then knit 1 row plain; repeat 1st 3 rows, placing the 2 plain st.i.tches exactly in the center of the 6 purled st.i.tches of previous rows. This change, made after each plain row, gives the woven- or basket-effect, and the pattern is a very pretty one for sweaters.

Wristers or Pulse-Warmers

[Ill.u.s.tration: Wristers or Pulse-Warmers]

Wristers or pulse-warmers, are very comfortable on a cold day, and those described particularly so, as they fill the sleeve and completely exclude the wind. Using knitting-worsted, or yarn of any desired size or quality with needles to correspond, such as would be employed for a man's knitted sock, cast 18 to 22 st.i.tches on each of 3 needles, and knit 2, purl 2, alternately, for 35 rows or more, according to length required. Bind off loosely.

With bone crochet-hook work in straight rows from top to bottom, putting a treble in every other st.i.tch and 2 chain-st.i.tches between trebles; after the last treble at the edge chain 2, miss a row and return on the next.

Having completed the rows of s.p.a.ces, make 2 trebles in 1st s.p.a.ce, 3 in next, and repeat, working back and forth until all the s.p.a.ces are filled. A very attractive finish is to work a row of doubles in color, making a double in each treble. With fine wool, crochet-silk may be prettily used for this finish.

A fringed wrister may be made on the foundation described by holding a pencil on lengthwise with the left hand, and with the right sewing over and over it; make the rows quite close together, cut the wound yarn open with a pair of sharp scissors, and brush lightly across it, back and forth, until the cut ends become "mossy" or fluffed up.

Motor-Scarf

[Ill.u.s.tration: Motor-Scarf]