Knitter

“ Make a cord and tassels and fasten under the collar. A very good cord can be knitted on four nails of the rake, two in each row, using single stitch, or a “spool knitter” can be made from a large empty spool with four 1-inch No. 16 wire brads driven in around the opening at one end. The winding of a spool knitter is similar to the winding of the round cap rake, Fig. 3. (See Chapter 3.)
To Knit Collar No. 2. (Fig. 37.)
1. Cast stitches on 40 nails, twenty in each row.
2. Knit double stitch for 7 inches.
3. Cast stitches off 24 nails at one end of knitting to produce M N, Fig. 37. ”

“ For 250 years or more after the invention of the knitting machine, knitted fabrics were in a general way supposed to be fit only for hosiery. Then some enterprising knitter woke up to the fact that knitted fabric was the ideal fabric for underclothing to be worn next to the body, and there was developed a great industry in knitted underwear. ”

“ The Cotton Knitting Frame, invented in 1864, is still the basis of the modern flat-bed knitter. The product is a flat web which can be widened or narrowed by transferring the loops from the edge needles to a separate instrument, and then replacing them. In knitting stockings, the shaped legs are made on one machine, then transferred to a heeler, and then to a third machine which knits the feet. The stockings then must be seamed up the back. The largest machines are capable of knitting twenty-four garments at one time. ”

“ In following the directions here given, the young knitter is advised not to be alarmed at the appearance of the stocking when first cast on, imagining that it is too wide; for as the knitting advances, the work becomes tighter of itself, till the top-band is finished. Besides, it is necessary to have a good many stitches on at first, which are gradually to be taken in during the process of shaping the leg, as the stocking is much narrower at the ankle than at the top. ”

“ Builders of weavers’ looms have at times endeavored to secure this elastic effect by certain manipulations of the mechanism of the loom, but as yet nothing approaching the product of the knitter has been made. The elastic feature of a knitted texture renders it peculiarly adapted for all classes and kinds of undergarments, for it not only fits the body snugly, but expands more readily than any other fabric of similar weight.
Knitting Machines. There are various machines for knitting. ”

“ Knitting was performed on all occasions and it proved a great comfort to many who had relatives in dangerous situations. Knitting acts as a soothing tonic, and there is the added satisfaction of producing something of direct usefulness whilst the skilful hand knitter may impart touches of elegance and distinction not possible by machine. If hand knitting is to be skilfully performed it is necessary to give attention to the size of the knitting pins and that of the yarn in relation. ”

“ By way of contrast the outfit of the worker often includes wooden needles and occasionally utensils made of wood, but covered with evidences of love and tender regard for those who were destined to use them. The knitter seems to have been peculiarly fortunate, for knitting sticks and sheaths afforded the amateur carver ample opportunities of showing his skill ”

“ They are not attached to the needles, but simply clamp the plate with tension enough to hold them up or down, as the case may be, and the bottom end of the needles rests on them. This construction leaves the knitter in a position to pull d own out of working position as many needles as he may wish, therefore he may make his fabric any desired width by pulling needles down out of the working line or pushing them up into the working line, thereby adding to or taking away stitches. ”

“ These are made of coarse knitting cotton on four-post knitters. Knit a piece three yards long for the reins. The children measure each other for the breast-piece, which will be from ten to twelve inches long. This is fastened to the reins nine inches below the center of the neck on each side, to allow the head to pass through easily.
Two colors may be used in knitting the reins, working around first with one color, then with the other.
Fourteen yards of knitting cotton will make one yard of web on the four-post knitter. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Note.—In knitting the plain part of the foot, leave off working the seam-stitch, and if the work should appear loose at the beginning or ends of the needles, change the stitches by knitting off a few on to the neighbouring needle; but care should be taken to replace them in the same position as they were in at the finishing of the gusset, as the intakes must correspond exactly with the back intakes of the toe. ”

“ Toy knitters are made of a cylindrical piece of wood two and one-half or three inches long and at least one inch in diameter. This size enables the child to grasp it easily and work without cramping the fingers. A hole one-fourth or one-half inch in diameter is bored lengthwise through the center to admit the work. Spools are used to advantage where knitters cannot be obtained. ”

“ Slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slipped over, wool forward, knit 3, wool forward.
Always cast on 2 or 4 stitches over, so as to have 1 or 2 stitches plain at the beginning of each row.
19
Notice that an open-work pattern of a sock is broader than plain knitting: it is as well to have a few less stitches for open-work knitting than for plain knitting. ”

“ Belt. With colored Germantown cast on 22 stitches and knit straight for 31 inches; on next rib make 2 buttonholes of 4 stitches each, 3 stitches from each end; knit 4 ribs even and bind off on wrong side.
CHAPTER XXXIX
RED CROSS KNITTING [T] EQUIPMENT
This circular is prepared primarily for the use of hand knitters. Knitting machines may be used if desired, provided the articles can be as well made and made of the same yarn.
The color of the yarn has been carefully considered with the authorities of the War Department and with the American Red Cross Commissioner for Europe, in Paris. ”

“ In most knitting, the edge-stitch is slipped.
It is easiest to learn to knit, by holding the wool over the fingers of the left hand; the position of the hands is more graceful when thus held.
It is always advisable to cast off loosely.
[108] When it is requisite to cast off, and continue the row on a separate needle, it is sometimes better to run a coarse silk through the cast off stitches; they are easily taken up, when required, and the inconvenience of the idle needle is avoided.
In knitting, when a pattern is spoken of, it means as many rows as form the pattern. ”

“ Commence again, as at first round; but, in order to keep the pattern in a slanting direction, the stitch that the slip-stitch was passed over in the previous row, must be made the first knit stitch, bringing the last of the former knitted stitches in the open part.
When a sufficient number of patterns have been knitted, to form a bolster of the desired length, it is to be drawn up at the ends, and soft tassels added. As the pattern is open, a bright coloured silk lining looks best;—cerise or blue, for instance, with the knitting in white. The bolster should be stuffed with down, or soft wool. ”

“ When a pattern, in one or more colours, is to be introduced, break off the ground colour, and fasten on the colour next to be used, in the following manner.—Having made a slip knot in the end of the wool, pass it on the needle in the left hand: twist the end of the coloured wool and that of the ground, together,—knit, [80] in plain knitting, the stitches required for the pattern, then fasten off, by making a loop, and commence again with the ground colour,—fastening on again as above. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The principle of knitting is quite distinct from that of weaving. In the weaving of cloth the yarns of one system cross those of another system at right angles, thus producing a solid, firm texture. The great elasticity of any kind of texture produced by knitting is the chief feature that distinguishes hosiery from woven stuffs. The nature of the loop formed by the knitting needle [Pg 154] favors elongation and contraction without marring in the least the general structure of the goods. ”

“ Measure an inch of each coloured knitting alternately: it is better to measure than to count the rows, as silk is apt to be unequal. The ankle ought to be 100 stitches. Knit a flap 3 inches long for the heel, turn it, pick up the side-stitches, and decrease at the instep to 98. After the first joining of the black and blue, pass the colour you are not using at the back; always change the colour at the seam-stitch: in that way you need not break off the silk when you have finished a stripe, but keep on with both balls, so as to join the silk only once. ”

“ Any one who has knitted a stocking by them will see at once how easy it is to enlarge or diminish the size.
How to join Wool
Never make a knot, but knit a few stitches with both wools. The extra thickness never shows, and the ends may be cut off close with impunity.
Raising
It is helpful and saves much counting, if, when you raise or decrease, you knit along with the wool, on that stitch only, a piece of fine [Pg 6] white wool or thread. It is easily withdrawn afterwards, but it enables you to see at a glance which is your back needle, and the last time you raised or decreased. ”

“ This pattern may be worked in pink, and white, nine-thread fleecy.—Needles No. 2.—Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by three.
First row—with white,—bring the wool forward, slip one; knit two, pass the slip-stitch over them.—Repeat.
Second row—with pink,—pearl knitting.
Third row—the same as the first, with pink.
It is not necessary to break off the wool, as it may be passed from row to row. The colour is always to be changed in the pearled row. ”

“ The stocking cap, Fig. 56, can be made to hang longer on the side of the head by adding a few more rows of knitting to sections A and C, Fig. 55.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] As the knitting proceeds it will be found that a nail at one end or the other is left with only one thread each time the yarn passes over and back. This corresponds to the first “slipped stitch” in knitting with needles.
[2] Care must be taken to do this after each row of stitches has been lifted over the nails. As the knitting grows it can also be gently pulled through from the other side of the rake. ”

“ Cast on enough stitches for double the width required, say twenty, and knit very tightly in plain knitting, row by row, until a sufficient length has been obtained. Cut off and place the strip on a sieve over a basin of boiling water, and cover it over. When it has absorbed the steam, and while wet, iron it with a box-iron. Then cut the strip down the centre, and unravel the wool on each side. The threads of wool all curling, resemble moss. They are held firmly by the selvedge of the knitting. ”

“ Many ladies in working a pattern, copy on cards each row separately; this prevents confusing one row with another.
The stitches between the mark, thus (knit 2 together 3 times) are worked, knit 2 together, knit 2 together, knit 2 together; this prevents useless repetition.
The pins and meshes are all gauged by the standard or wire-drawer’s gauge.
To raise stitches—Put the pin in the selvedge or side of the knitting, put the wool round the pin as in knitting, and bring it through, so as to form a stitch. ”

“ In the ladies’ high class fashioned underwear and tights the bust and hips are shaped. Much of this class of work, with the exception of hosiery, is made on the hand machines and involves much more labor, time and skill, than where the work is knit in a straight piece and made the proper shape by other means after being taken off the machine.
There are three advantages in fashioning the garments in the knitting operation. First, there is a saving in material as there is no material cut off in order to get the shape. ”

“ If larger needles and coarser wool be employed, the knitting will be still more elastic, and a fewer number of stitches will be required. The same directions, with a change of material, are equally adapted for a large loose night, or bath, sock. ”

“ Elderly people, or those at all inclined to rheumatic twinges, appreciate the knee-cap, and a pair of them will make a most acceptable gift to grandpa or grandma. No. 12 steel needles and Germantown yarn were used for the model, which may be made more or less heavy, as desired, by choosing coarser or finer yarn.
Cast 35 stitches upon each of three needles and knit around 30 times in single rib—that is, knit 1, purl 1, alternately. You are now ready to begin the gore, which may be done in single rib, like the rest, or in basket-stitch (or other fancy pattern) as in the model. ”