To Renew the Heel and Sole of Stockings Knitted by Hand
Illustrations 15 to 18 show the manner of doing this. To renew the heel of a stocking, first remove the damaged heel by cutting along the sides of the heel, at the end of the cap and at the beginning of the heel. Make even the stitches belonging to the parts from which the heel has just been cut. Take up these stitches on 5 needles, as illustrated in cut No. 15. Take up on 2 needles the stitches belonging to the heel. Then take up the side stitches (each side) on 1 needle. The remaining stitches belong to the fifth needle, that is, those which will serve for the joining of the cap of the heel. Then, with the stitches belonging to the heel, begin to knit the heel in rows, to and fro. But, at the end of every plain row, always knit the last stitch of the row together (plain) with the next stitch on the side needle. The same must be done at the end of every purled row, only the last stitch with the next stitch on the side needle have to be purled together, instead of knitted plain. When the heel has reached the required length, then begin to knit the cap of the heel in the usual way, until the number of stitches corresponds to the number of stitches of the fifth needle. Join these 2 rows of stitches together, as illustrated in cut No. 16. This is done by darning. Take an end of the cotton long enough for this purpose, and pass it, by means of a darning needle, downward through the last stitch of the stocking, and through the first one of the stitches on the fifth needle, or upper row. Then pass it through the next 2 corresponding stitches of the cap of the heel. See illustration No. 17, which shows the needle inserted in the 2 stitches through which the cotton is to be drawn. Pass the needle through the next 2 corresponding stitches of the upper row, in the same direction as is shown by the arrow in illustration No. 17. From there * pass it through the last stitch, already worked, of the lower row, and through next stitch; then through the next 2 corresponding stitches of the upper row. Slip every time the stitch from the knitting needle after having passed the cotton through them. Repeat from * until all the stitches of the 2 rows are joined to each other. When this is done, fasten the cotton on the wrong side of the stocking by drawing it through a few stitches.
Illustration No. 17 represents only a part of the joining, where the stitches are worked very loosely, in order that it might be copied more easily. Yet, while working, the stitches of the joining must be drawn to the same size as the knitted stitches of the stocking, and in such a manner that the joining cannot be detected from the knitting.
No. 18—How to Re-sole the Foot of a Stocking.—In order to do this, a new heel must first be knitted to the stocking in the usual way. When this is done, pick up the side stitches of the heel and begin to knit the sole in rows, to and fro, 1 row plain, the other purled. At the end of every plain row pick up the last stitch of the corresponding row of the old sole, and knit it together, plain, with the last stitch of row just knitted. The same thing must be done at the end of every purled row, only purl the 2 stitches together instead of knitting them plain together. Always slip, plain, the first stitch of every row.
The narrowing of the sole, on both sides, must be done just before knitting together the last stitch of the row and the last stitch of the corresponding row of the old sole.
After the new sole has been knitted, turn the stocking on the wrong side; cut off the old sole along both sides, yet leaving a strip of 4 stitches in width on each side. Lay each strip towards the front part of the foot. Unravel them. Smooth down the ends formed by the unraveling, and fasten them to the stocking by darning over them lightly, so that this darning might not be seen on the right side of the stocking. Should the stocking require a new toe to be knitted on, then unravel the old one, pick up the stitches and knit a new toe in rounds, in one of the ways already described in the book.