Crochet

“ Continue these stripes, until the back be sufficiently long to be sewn to the front on the other side. It is advisable, before commencing a slipper, to cut a paper pattern of the desired size and shape.
The above form chaussons to wear over the shoes, the sole being formed of coarse crochet in black; or they may be made up in the usual way for slippers, either for ladies or gentlemen. In crochet silk they are extremely warm and durable.—The ends of the wool or silk, are to be threaded with a needle, and run into the work on the inside. ”

“ Silk, cotton, and wool, are employed, and the work is so easy, that a moderate share of attention to details, will make an expert workman.
Stitches.—These are called plain single crochet, plain double crochet, plain stitch open crochet, and open crochet, with a variety of stitches. It is not easy to describe the manner of working crochet stitch, though it is easy of execution: perhaps the following will be found tolerably correct. Take a skein of wool, and having wound it, make a loop at one end, like the first link in a chain ”

“ The embroidered sheath and chased silver needle-case have disappeared even from the cherry-wood workstands of New England, and a thousand beautiful designs for chairs, cushions, toilets and wearing apparel, supply the 9place of the old-fashioned stocking basket with its well mended contents. In England and Ireland, where the ladies are always industrious, Crochet work has arisen to the dignity of an art. It is introduced into the national schools, and hundreds of poor are supported by the rich laces and pretty collars produced there. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This bag is worked in plain stitch double crochet, with crochet silk, and gold of the same size. A steel needle, with twenty-five yards of gold cord, and about twelve skeins of silk, [67] will be required. The colours of the silk are claret, three shades of green, and black.
Commence with a chain of nine stitches, in claret; unite the ends, and crochet one plain row,—increasing on every stitch. Join on the black silk, and work one stitch of black, and two of claret,—alternately,—increasing with the black stitch. There should now be twenty-seven stitches. ”

“ Having the working end of wool out at the top of hem, ready for the crochet hook (a coarse steel hook is best) , catch up a chain stitch with the hook and * bring the wool across the hook as for doing a stitch, insert the hook at the bottom of hem, catch wool on opposite side, the opposite way to lifting the thread as in crocheting, that is hooking the wool in a downward movement from right to left, draw loop through and up level with the top of line. ”

“ The beginner in crochet will have very little trouble in learning the work as the stitches used are comparatively few in number although the various combinations in which they may be used are almost unlimited. It is wise to become accustomed to the stitches and especially with the abbreviations, which are used so extensively throughout all crochet work. No doubt the beauty and variety of the patterns one can execute, also the durability of the work are the chief causes for its popularity at the present time. ”

“ Silk, wool, cotton, chenille, and gold, are all suitable materials for this description of work, but the purpose for which it is intended must necessarily determine their choice.
Crochet has the recommendation of being a less intricate method of working than knitting, and therefore claims a more extensive cultivation than perhaps it has hitherto met with. It is particularly adapted for making articles for charitable purposes; hence, the instruction of children in blind schools, in this easy and useful [11] art, is well worthy the attention of philanthropists. ”

“ Sew on the large gold flowers, passing the ends through the centre loop of the screens, and form a little rosette of X 6 chains, s.c. in the round, X repeated to close the middle.
TO MAKE UP THE SCREENS.—Cut out a hexagon, the exact size of the crochet, in paper, and bend the wire into the same form. Be very particular that the wire frame shall be true and even. Cover it on both sides with white silk, over one side of which sew the crochet. It will only require to be fastened round the edges. ”

“ When beads are introduced, the wrong side of the work becomes the right. It is possible to crochet with the beads on the right side, but they never lay so firmly, nor indeed is it the proper way of using them.
The average number of stitches for the length of a purse, in fine silk, is one hundred and sixty. In coarse silk,—one hundred and ten.
From ninety to one hundred stitches form the circle of a purse in fine silk.
One hundred and thirty stitches may be taken for the round of a bag, in crochet silk. ”

“ Having prepared the required number of flowers and leaves, baste your edging on the paper pattern, so that the whole of the leaves rest on the paper; then work a chain rather loose, to connect the two ends of the collar on the neck side; turn, and work along that chain a row of double crochet. Baste this narrow band carefully half an inch from the edge of the paper; then begin a row of double crochet inside the collar, throwing, at even distances, a slanting chain from the edging to the neckband, working back each time along that chain in long or double crochet ”

“ Make a row of single crochet along the other edge of the opening. Break off and fasten yarn.
For Buttonhole Loops:
Fasten pink wool at top edge of the opening, and working toward the sole, make 2 slip stitches.
Make 2 chain stitches. Skip 2 stitches on the edge and make 2 slip stitches. Make another loop in the same way and finish edge of opening with slip stitches. Break off and fasten yarn.
Fasten all ends securely. ”

“ A good-sized ivory or steel crochet needle, with six-thread fleecy, will be required. Instead of working the rows backwards and forwards, as before described, begin each row separately at the same end. When the last stitch of each row is finished, draw the wool through, and cut it off, leaving an end of two or three inches. It is impossible to determine the exact number of stitches,—that must depend on the article, and its required size ”

“ Then you will climb right up in the work.”
“She hasn’t made anything in double crochet stitch,” Crow Shay whispered to Wooley Ball.
“I know,” whispered Wooley Ball. “Wouldn’t it be nice if she could make her dolly a warm petticoat with double crochet stitch?” ”

“ 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. ”

“ In working a crochet pattern backwards and forwards, or in carrying the thread from one round to another, without joining, in a round crochet pattern, the neatest way is to make three chain, and then twist them, letting the loop drop off the needle for the purpose and resuming it; this looks quite sufficiently like a dc. stitch for all ordinary purposes.
NETTED SCARF. Materials.—6 oz. light blue filoselle, 1 oz. each of white and of claret ditto. When winding the skeins, split them in half and the threads will then be quite sufficiently thick. Begin with the border. Take a round mesh, No. ”

“ One sometimes has occasion to use other extra-long stitches, such as quadruple crochet (over four times before insertion of hook in work) , quintuple crochet (over five times) , and so on, which are worked off two at a time, exactly as in treble or double treble. ”

“ Positively that is all. O, yes! a crochet needle, large size; but that of course you have; or if not, I am almost certain that mamma, or better still grandma, will make you a present of one, because of the many useful things you can make with it; still, if you wish to be entirely independent, why, buy one, for five cents surely (a large price) , and you are ready.
Hold the end of candle wicking over your left forefinger and crochet the macremé cord over it with what is known as the long stitch ”

“ A very serviceable edging, not too minute, is made with a No. 4 steel crochet hook and linen “L.C.” crochet thread, No. 14.
PLATE XVI.
A CUSHION COVER.
Another Edging (Plate VII.) .—A very effective edging is worked into a row of needle button-hole stitch. Like the one above, it wears and washes well. First row: work one double crochet into one of the button-hole headings; make ten chain; pass six button-hole loops and work one double crochet into sixth loop; continue making ten chain and one double crochet until the row is complete. Break off the thread. ”

“ With Sport Yarn using No. 6 crochet hook hold the fork in left hand, loop yarn around fork and securely tie knot in center. (Keep working end of yarn always at rear of work.) Insert hook through loop on left prong, draw rear yarn through loop, making a single crochet stitch at the knot in the center, * withdraw hook, turn fork one-half turn to the left, replace hook, then insert through loop at the left side of the fork, pick up rear yarn and pull through loop completing an s c, repeat from * until there are 595 loops on each side, cut yarn. Work 2nd section having 513 loops, cut yarn. ”