Jane Eayre Fryer

“ And you can have them if you wish, for Mary Frances says that the Knitting People told her that they are always just as ready to help any other girl who wants their help—if she will follow the lessons exactly as they are given in this book.
She says, too, that after a girl has learned to crochet and knit for dolls, it is “just as easy as a-b-c” to crochet and knit for real people; and that knitting articles for soldier boys and fathers and mothers makes a person feel of very much account. ”

“ Crow Shay turned toward Wooley Ball.
“Well, I think that Wooley Ball means that you love to crochet so much that when you get a chance, you love to crow about it!” said the Yarn Baby. “You do not wait to give anyone else a chance to talk. Now, the very first person to explain lessons in crocheting and knitting is Wooley Ball.” ”

“ Make the fringe exactly like fringe on ends of Doll’s Scarf, page 70.
Mary Frances found the old rose and gray flosses, and set about making the scarf. It was very little trouble, for the magic needle darted ahead just as in making the shawl, and very soon the little scarf was finished.
“Isn’t it pretty?” cried Mary Frances. “How happy I shall be to make the caps or hats. Do they come next?”
“No,” answered the Yarn Baby, “not yet.”
“I will tell you why,” said Fairly Flew. “It is because they would be too difficult for you to make now. You must learn to make the simplest things first. ”

“ THE minute Mary Frances saw her mother she knew that something was wrong, for she looked so white and worried. In her hand was a yellow envelope.
“A telegram!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Mother dear, is—is it—about father?”
“Oh, Mary Frances,” said her mother. “I am so thankful to see you and Aunt Maria! I was just looking for Billy to send word for you to come.”
“Do sit down, child,” said Aunt Maria, “and tell us all about it. Mary Frances, bring your mother a glass of water, and here—here is my bottle of smelling salts.”
[56]
Mary Frances flew to bring the water. ”

“ Fold sock from toe to heel with right sides in, and join the opening in the sole with slip stitch, catching back threads only of opposite stitches.
Break off wool and fasten end. Turn sock right side out.
5. To make finishing edge of sole—hold narrow part of sock toward you, toe pointing toward your left hand. Fasten pink yarn at joining place in back, and make 1 row of single crochet all around sole edge of sock (along the place where the double crochets were first made) , taking front thread of stitches of last rib made in vamp, or upper, of sock. ”

“ Knit the 5 stitches of your 1st needle onto your 3d needle. You have now 10 stitches on each of the two needles. Break wool (leaving 12-inch length) and thread it into worsted needle. Hold sock so that the worsted needle is at your right and, always keeping wool under knitting needles, weave front and back together as follows: (*) Pass worsted needle through 1st stitch of front knitting needle as if knitting and slip stitch off the knitting needle. ”

“ With the loop on the crochet needle, put the hook through the twenty-fourth single crochet stitch, on the opposite side, throw the yarn over the hook, and pull it through both stitches. Now you will work in a circle around the leg.
12. Make 24 single crochet stitches, and join the twenty-fourth to the first stitch in the leg part, with a slip stitch. Make 1 chain to turn. This is the nineteenth row of the garment. ”

“ Will you see that all the yarns are wound into very, very loose balls before your next lesson?”
“Yes,” promised Mary Frances, “I will wind them over my hand the way Aunt Maria does, so that the balls feel quite ‘spongey.’ I wish that all yarns came from the factories wound in balls, though!”
“You are not the first person to wish that,” said the Yarn Baby. “Hanks and skeins are much harder for a child to manage than balls. Now, if [40] you please, we will talk a few minutes about crochet hooks.”
Wind Yarns Over the Hand
Crow Shay rolled his eyes toward the Yarn Baby, but did not say a word. ”

“ To knit plain the straight thread on the second finger of the left hand is lifted with the point of the right needle. Cut 2.
A loop is drawn through; and the top loop on the left needle is drawn off the point of the left needle. Cut 3. Finish this row.
To purl, hold hand in same position as above. Slip the first stitch off the left needle. Put the point of the right needle under the thread which is fast to the ball, and lift it toward you over the left needle, holding the thread on the right needle with the right thumb. ”

“ Make 5 double crochets in the single crochet stitch between the scallops of wool.
7. Repeat No. 5 and 6 around top of sock. Fasten the silk.
To Make the Runner.—With the silk make about 35 chain stitches. Run these through the top of the sock at the bottom of the white scallops and fasten a small tassel on each end of the runner.
For trimming, thread a sewing needle with the pink silk and make 4 cross stitches on the center rib. Make 1 cross stitch on each side of the second cross stitch from the top cross stitch. ”

“ Cast on 80 stitches and knit 10 ribs even; keep front edge straight and decrease at other side one stitch every 6th rib 6 times, then decrease at same side every 10th rib 6 times. Work even until front is as long as back at underarm seam (68 stitches on row, which should measure 131⁄2 inches) . Bind off 10 stitches at sloped side for armhole, then decrease at same side one stitch every rib in each of the following 10 ribs. From now on keep edge straight at armhole and decrease one stitch at neck in each of the following 20 ribs. ”

“ Decrease by knitting 2d and 3d stitches together in beginning of every row (thus narrowing at both sides) until there are 10 stitches left; knit 8 ribs even, then decrease again at each side until only 1 stitch is left; fasten off. Using white yarn and a crochet hook, make a slip stitch in each stitch on edge of strap, as shown in illustration. Slip the tab through the strap opening and fasten point down with a button. ”

“ Mary Frances carried her into the sewing room, “to thank her kind friends who taught her mamma to make it,” which pleased them all very much.
When Mary Frances started to take the shawl off, Mary Marie cried, “’Oo tan’t hab my s’awl; I’ll be told,” so Mary Frances sat her on the table with the shawl around her, and gave her her doll to play with.
“Mary M’rie needs a nice ’ittle bonnet, to wear wif [176] ’iss s’awl,” said Mary Marie, looking up after a minute. “Mary M’rie’s ears are told.” ”

“ It is always necessary to use chain stitches in turning crochet work—to keep the edges even.
Put the hook through under both threads at the top of the next stitch (See “A” in the picture) and make a single crochet stitch. ”

“ I’m not much of a yarn spinner. Still, if our Fairly Flew wishes, I shall feel honored to tell how to make—
Doll’s Knitted Sleeveless Sweater
(See frontispiece—color plate)
Material: Turquoise blue double wool floss, and gray teazle yarn for trimming. 2 Bone knitting needles No. 3, crochet hook No. 3.
Directions:
To Knit the Back of the Sweater
1. Cast on 32 stitches and knit plain for 15 ribs. A rib is made by knitting a row across and a row back again. Two rows form a rib in knitting.
2. To form the waist line, knit 2 stitches and purl 2 stitches for 6 rows.
3. Knit 15 more ribs plain. ”

“ Make a little bag of soft cotton cloth and partly fill it with rice.
2. Lay the red and blue pieces together, backs facing each other and “ribs” running in the same direction.
3. With the white yarn, crochet the edges together with single crochet, leaving one end open. Slip the cloth bag inside the knitted bag and finish crocheting it together.
Mary Frances found that purling seemed quite awkward to do at first, but after she had done half a dozen rows, the stitches formed much more easily. When she finished the red square she stopped to admire the pretty even rows of ribs. ”

“ Germantown Zephyr or Germantown Wool. A soft woolly yarn very much used where warmth is needed.
Germantown wool comes in four-fold and eight-fold weights. Four-fold is the weight generally used. The eight-fold is too thick and heavy for most purposes.
Knitting Worsted is somewhat like Germantown wool in weight, but is rather harsh to the touch, because the threads are made of long twisted fibers of wool. Garments made of knitting worsted will stand hard wear and usage.
Saxony Wool. A soft yarn made of light-weight strands. ”

“ Then the Knitting twins had to laugh. They couldn’t help it.
“Oh, dear!” sighed Mary Frances, picking him [148] up. “Oh, dear! He is so anxious to help that he forgets his manners; but he will learn some day.”
“I’ll call the fairy,” thought the little girl, and she said her magic rhyme.
“Why, everybody is all ready for the next lessons,” said Fairly Flew, looking around after she had greeted Mary Frances. “We will start at once—
To Make a Slip Knot
Material: About 2 yards four-fold Germantown wool.
One pair bone knitting needles No. 6.
Cut 1
Hold yarn in hands as shown in this picture. ”

“ Make the same way as the pompons on the Doll’s Toque (page 95) , using circles 3 inches across with a 1-inch opening in the center. Wind until center is almost filled.
“Never throw away ends of yarn,” Wooley Ball added. “You can make them into a beautiful baby’s ball—no matter how many different colors there are; or you can make a ball for your mother to use as a—
Hair Pin Ball [D]
(See picture opposite page 40—color plate)
Make in same way as pompons on Doll’s Toque, using circles of cardboard 31⁄2 inches across, and a 1-inch opening in the center. ”

“ With a large crochet hook (about No. 8) make 45 chain stitches. Break off yarns and fasten ends.
Form the chain into 6 flat loops and sew on left side of turban, using gray yarn in a zephyr or darning needle.
As soon as it was finished, Mary Frances put the turban on Mary Marie. Then she put the scarf which matched it around the dolly’s neck.
“Doesn’t she look sweet!” she exclaimed. “I’ll let you all kiss her.”
“Oh, excuse—!” began Crow Shay, but he never finished the sentence, for there came a voice at the door. It was Katie’s voice.
[103]
“Miss Mary Frances! ”