XXX Knitting, Plain and Purling, Wash Rags, and Fancy Stitches for Shawls
There are certain terms used in knitting that are peculiar to the work. Until these terms are studied and practised, the instructions are as bad as trying to read a foreign language that you know nothing about.
Knitting is usually done on two needles though there are times when more needles are used, for instance, in knitting stockings.
Thread, silk or worsted can be used for the work. The latter is best for practising the first stitches or pieces.
The first term we learn in knitting is “to cast on stitches” (Figure 256). Select a pair of medium-sized wooden needles. Your worsted should be wound into a ball. “Casting on” is the foundation for the work. Take a knitting needle in each hand between the thumb and first finger. Make a loop of the worsted over the left-hand needle near the end. Put your right-hand needle through this loop under the left needle. Holding the needles in this position, throw the worsted around the point of the right-hand needle and draw the right-hand needle through the first loop. There is now a loop on each needle. Slip the last loop made over the left needle. * Both needles are in the one loop, the left on top of the right. Again throw the worsted over the point of the right-hand needle and draw the needle through with the loop on it. Slip this loop over the left-hand needle and repeat from *, till the number of stitches desired are cast on.
The * indicates from which point the directions are to be repeated.
The German method of knitting is to hold the work in the left hand and the worsted over the first finger, under the second and third and then over the little finger.
To knit, the right-hand needle is in the first loop from the point of the other needle. * Throw the worsted over point of the right-hand needle and draw it through the loop. Slip the first stitch off the left needle and insert the right needle into the next stitch and repeat from *, till all the stitches have been transferred to the right-hand needle (Figure 257).
Remember to hold the work in the left hand when starting to knit each needle or row.
To purl (Figure 258). The work is held in the left hand. The worsted is brought in front of the work. The right-hand needle is inserted through the stitch from right to left in front of the left needle. Pass the point of the right needle over the worsted and draw the loop through. Slip off the stitch on the left needle as in knitting. Repeat in this manner until all the stitches are transferred.
Sometimes it is necessary to get rid of some of the stitches. In that case the needle is slipped through two stitches instead of one and the new stitch formed in the usual way. There are two abbreviations for purling two together. They are p. 2 tog. or p-n. The latter means purl narrow.
When knitting, two stitches can also be taken together. The abbreviation for this is n. K. 3 tog. means knit three stitches (sts) together as one stitch.
To slip-stitch means to take a stitch from the left-hand to the right-hand needle without knitting it, and its abbreviation is sl.
To bind or cast off means to slip the stitches from the needle so that you have a chain edge. Slip the first stitch and knit the second. You now have two loops on the right-hand needle. * Put the point of the left needle (from left to right) through the first stitch on the other needle. Hold the worsted tight. Slip the right-hand needle through the loop formed as described above and then slip the loop from the left needle. There is only one loop on the right-hand needle. Knit the next stitch and repeat from *.
Casting off must be done loosely or the work will have a puckered appearance.
It may be that you desire to widen the row of stitches. Both widening and decreasing is done at the end of needle or row. Knit as usual till there remains but one loop on the left-hand needle. Insert the left-hand needle through the loop at the base of the last stitch. Bring worsted around the point and make a stitch as usual. The last stitch is knitted in the usual way.
After you have practised the stitches with wool, it is well to buy a ball of coarse knitting cotton and a pair of steel needles. The cotton makes excellent wash cloths. Cast on 50 stitches then knit or purl the same amount of rows as stitches. To make a fancy cloth knit three rows then purl three rows until you have the fifty rows.
The long straight shawls are the most popular at present.
A little one for yourself that would be quite pretty is made in pop corn stitch (Figure 260). It requires five skeins of worsted and a pair of wooden needles.
Cast on 59 stitches on your needle.
1st row—K 1st, then knit two stitches together (2 K tog) the rest of the way. You now have 30 stitches on your needle (Figure 260).
2nd row—K first stitch, then knit the loop which is formed between the double stitches of the first row. Continue in this manner till you have again on the needle the same number you cast on—59.
3rd row—K plain all the way across.
4th row—P plain all the way across.
5th row—K 2 together all the way across to the last stitch, then k that by itself.
6th row—Same as second row.
7th row—K plain.
8th row—P plain.
Continue in this manner till you make a scarf about one yard long.
The popcorn pattern affords good practice for the different stitches explained before.
If a longer shawl is desired continue in the same manner. To make it broader it will be necessary to cast on more stitches at the beginning.
A shawl may be finished in many ways. Sometimes a little crochet edge is worked around it, or a chain stitch fringe can be made. The plain fringe is the one most used however. This is made by cutting the wool about ten inches long. Take four lengths and slip them through and knot them into the border edge at each end of the shawl. This makes a fringe about five inches deep.
The basket stitch makes a thick shawl (Figure 261.)
To make a wide shawl in this stitch 10 skeins of Germantown wool will be required.
Cast on 120 stitches.
1st row—Knit plain.
2nd row—* K 3, p 7, k 3, p 7, repeat from * to end of needle.
3rd row—* K 7, p 3, k 7, p 3, repeat from * to end of needle.
4th row—* K 3, p 7, k 3, p 7 repeat from * to end of needle.
5th row—P the entire row.
6th row—* P 7, k 3, p 7, k 3, repeat from * to end of needle.
7th row—* P 3, k 7, p 3, k 7 repeat from * to end of needle.
8th row—Like 6th row.
9th row—P entire row.
Nine rows form the pattern, repeat from second row until you have a shawl two yards long.