Elvina Mary Corbould

“ EXPLANATIONS.
‘To purl or pearl’ and ‘to seam’ mean the same thing; that is, to put the wool round the right-hand needle. Thus: the wool hangs straight down, it must be lifted and placed round the needle from right to left. You must then insert the right-hand needle into the stitch, exactly the opposite way as in ordinary knitting.
‘To decrease’ is simply to knit two stitches together. Another way is to slip a stitch, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over it. ”

“ Cast on 128 stitches in black, do 12 rounds of 2 plain, 2 pearl. Now make the first stitch the seam-stitch, and do plain knitting until 4 inches are done, making the stripes come quite evenly, one inch broad. When you have once joined the rose-coloured, let the black thread hang down inside the seam-stitch; do not break off every time you change colour, which must always take place at the seam-stitch. ”

“ With silk stockings the size of pins is important.
Heel of a Stocking or Sock.
To inexperienced knitters the heel seems to present mountains of difficulty, but in reality the mountain is but a mole-hill after all. The following pattern is one of the best.
Divide your stitches. We will say you have 50 altogether, on three needles: take 12 on each side of the seam-stitch, and knit these 25 backwards and forwards in rows, not rounds (making the seam-stitch all the same) ; you must pearl backwards, so as to keep the knitting even. ”

“ These petticoats are beautifully warm and last for a long time. Summer ones can be knitted with the same pins in Scotch wheeling-yarn or 2-thread fleecy, which are much cheaper but not so nice and soft. It makes a charming finish to put a border as on page 44. You need only make the petticoat 24 inches long in that case.
For a Common Quilt.
Cast on with cotton 2 stitches, use pins about No. 14, and increase every row. Do 6 rows of plain and 6 of pearl, so as to make lengthway ribs. When half a square is done decrease at the beginning of every row. ”

“ Fiftieth row—now you do the third division again of 2 plain, 2 pearl, according to the pattern; always decreasing at the beginning. In the last row of this division you knit every stitch. You ought to have 27 stitches, and the rest of the square is plain knitting. ”

“ The cost of these couvrettes is generally about the same.
2 or 3 skeins of 4-thread fleecy, of each colour, according to the length required. Pins, No. 10. Scarlet, gold, green, violet, dark crimson, and blue. 6 skeins black, and 6 white filoselle, at 3d. per skein, from Adams and Co., 5 New Street, Bishopsgate Street, E.
Cast on 22. Knit any length you like and cast off. Now select any simple wool-work pattern—a palm is best—or any Moorish pattern, and work it in cross-stitch on the knitting. Do 5 on one strip and 6 on the next, so that they do not come exactly in a line one with another. ”

“ White Berlin, and pins No. 13.
Cast on 30; and, if speed be a desirability, the entire sock may be done in plain knitting, but the following way is far prettier. Knit the 1st row; then do 24 rows for the leg, in any fancy stitch you like; the last row,* knit 2, wool over the needle, take 2 together. Repeat from *. This forms holes, into which ribbon must afterwards be run.
Twenty-fifth row.—From this time forward you must knit 1, pearl 1; reversed every third row, to make a kind of dice pattern. Cast on 11 extra stitches at the end of each of the next two rows, making 52 in all. ”

“ Take a wool-needle, and with black wool make 2 little lengthway stitches on the plain stitches of the ribbed part. Then make a yellow stitch between the black, to imitate ermine spots. Now double back the plain knitting and hem it in a neat fold. Any other colour may be substituted for scarlet. A bright blue is pretty.
Lady’s Muffatee. (QUICK PATTERN.)
Pins, No. 14. 1 oz. white Berlin, 1⁄2 oz. bright blue.
Cast on 20 on two needles, 24 on the 3rd. Plain 3, pearl 3. Knit 3 inches and cast off. With a bone crochet-needle make a very narrow crochet edging lengthways up and down each rib. ”

“ These cushions used to be very fashionable at one time, although they are seldom seen now. However, fashions change so quickly that they may, perhaps, be used again.
{62}
Knee-cap.
These are very comfortable for people who are at all rheumatic. ”

“ Twentieth row—knit plain.
Twenty-first row—slip the 1st, knit 2 together; knit 2 together again; continue plain knitting to within 5 of the heel, when you knit the 5th and 4th together; knit the 3rd and 2nd together, and the last stitch plain.
Twenty-second row—knit plain.
{23}
Twenty-third row—slip the 1st, knit 2 together; knit 2 together again; plain knitting till the 2nd and 3rd from the end, which you must knit together. ”