Knitting needle

“ The thread is passed loosely round the little finger, under the second and third, and over the tip of the first, which is quite close to the needle. The thumb should be quite quiet—the jerking motion, so observable 88in some knitters, being both inelegant and detrimental to the work.
Knitting needles should have no sharp points. ”

“ Bearded Needle Knitting The type of knitting instrument employed is responsible for a convenient division of the industry according as the machines are fitted with the latch or the bearded needle. The latch needle has already been described when it was observed to be independent in action. Each needle is free to prepare and complete its own loop, this being done in rapid succession as the cams traverse the heels or butts. In bearded needle knitting the process is quite different, and a number of separate parts require to co-operate with the needle for stitch formation. Fig. ”

“ The size of the holes depends on the size of the knitting-needle or mesh which you use. The pattern is worked with cotton No. 80, over a steel knitting-needle which measures two-fifths of an inch round. Begin the strip in one corner. Cast on 2 stitches, and work in rows backwards and forwards, increasing 1 stitch at the end of every row, till you have 1 stitch more than the stripe is to have holes in width, on our pattern 68 stitches ”

“ The needle is perhaps the most delicate part of the frame and constant attention has to be given to these if perfect knitting has to be produced. Large firms find it to their advantage to engage an operative for this special work alone, he inspects all frames and his trained eye can soon detect the slightest fault of needle alignment and he replaces faulty needles by casting new ones. The pliaring of needles, as it is called, is an important part of the work of a modern knitting factory, and care to these machine parts is at once reflected in the quality of the fabric produced on the frames. ”

“ The ground of insertion, Nos. 558 and 560, is worked with fine white cotton over a fine steel knitting-needle, in slanting netting, and darned with thread in the manner seen in illustrations. The ground of each strip is 11 rounds wide, and worked with button-hole stitch along the edges; the darned patterns can be worked from illustration.
For the rosette, No. 560, cast on 6 stitches over a fine knitting-needle, and join the stitches into a circle; in the 1st round [543] work 2 stitches in every stitch. ”

“ No. 5, matching the colour of the sock, is worked into the lines of knitted stitches, using a darning needle for the purpose.
Take up one side of each st on the needle, draw the thread through, working in perpendicular rows, come back on the other side of the stitches down to where the 1st row was commenced, and so on. In this way the cotton thread is all on the outside of the woollen knitting, and receives all the friction from the shoe, while it never comes next to the skin. The dark strip down the heel shows where the strengthening stitches have been worked in. ”

“ Knitting plain, increase once at the beginning of each row until 15 stitches are on the needle.
Knit 6 rows without shaping. Then decrease once at the beginning of each row until only 3 stitches remain. Cast off.
Raise the surface of each piece lightly with a Teazle brush until a fluffy effect is obtained. Cover the button mould with the small round of knitting and sew it on the right front. Sew dress-fasteners in place on each front.
If required the collar can be lined with silk or sateen. ”

“ Besides ordinary needles for hand sewing, many varieties are made for use in sewing machines, and in their production automatic machinery is largely utilized. Those used for sewing leather have points of various special forms (twist, chisel, wedge, diamond, &c.) instead of the round point of the ordinary needle, and sometimes have a hook in place of an eye. Knitting needles are long slender rods, usually of steel but sometimes of bone or other material, having neither hooks nor eyes. Crochet needles are provided with a hook. Hooked needles again are employed in knitting and stockinet machines ”

“ Cast on 88 stitches, 28 on each of 2 needles, and 32 on the 3rd, knit round, knitting and ribbing 4 stitches alternately; when you have done about one inch, continue with plain [2] knitting2-* until your glove is long enough to begin increasing for the thumb, which is done by knitting twice in one stitch (that is, when you have knitted the stitch, knit it again at the back before you slip it off the needle,) in the middle of a needle. Knit a plain round; then increase twice in every other round before and after the last increase ”

“ Plaited stitch (fig. 382) .—This kind of stitch is worked in stripes, which, for scarves, counterpanes, etc., are generally joined together with stripes of plain knitting. For counterpanes, the lower numbers of D.M.C cottons are most suitable, for smaller articles the higher numbers. Plaited stitch is formed by crossing the stitches, that is, by knitting the second stitch on the left needle to begin with, and then the first stitch. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A constant source of trouble in knitting is the beard or spring of the needle, and if these are not properly hardened or tempered their period of service is much shortened, because the beard soon develops faulty action and refuses to spring back into its former position after the removal of the presser. If the beard has lost its spring the new yarn cannot be pushed properly underneath, a common defect being for the stitch to be halved, one portion of the thread going under and the other half over the spring of the needle. ”

“ To make an "over" bring the thread before the needle as if to purl, then knit the next stitch plain as usual. This brings a loop over the needle, which in the next row is to be knitted as any stitch, thus increasing the number of stitches in the row. In case it is not desired to increase the stitches, one must narrow, by knitting two stitches together, once for every "over." If a larger hole is wanted, the thread is put twice over the needle, and in the following one of these loops is knitted, the other purled. ”

“ The left hand needle is held between the thumb and the second finger, leaving the forefinger free, to aid in moving the points of the needles. This mode of using the forefinger, instead of employing it merely to hold the needle, is the great secret of being able to knit without looking at the work, for so extremely delicate is the sense of touch in this finger, that it will, after a little practice, enable you to tell the sort of stitch coming next, in the finest material, so that knitting becomes merely mechanical. ”

“ To fasten on in knitting. It is a secure fastening to lay the two ends contrary-wise to each other, and knit a few stitches with them both.
To narrow or decrease is to make small, to lessen, as in shaping a stocking.
Ribbed stitch, purl stitch, turned, or seam stitch, are all terms having the same meaning. A [121] turned stitch is made by bringing the cotton before the needle, and instead of putting the needle over the upper cotton, it is put under.
To slip, take off, or pass a stitch, is to change it from one needle to another without knitting it. ”

“ "Armed to the teeth?"
"He had not even a knitting-needle." ”

“ In machine knitting of every kind there must be a needle for every loop, and therein lies the fundamental difference between machine and hand knitting. Latch needles, however, are constructed entirely different from the straight plain hand needles. Fig. 14 shows the construction of the latch needle. It will be noted by looking at the latches on the three needles that they swing freely on a pin or rivet lengthwise of the needle, but have no movement sidewise. ”

“ To knit, two, three, four, or five needles, and either thread, cotton, silk, or wool are required.
Knitting needles are made of steel, of ivory, or of wood; the size to be used depends entirely upon the material employed, whether thread, cotton, silk, single or double wool, for knitting. As the size of the needles depends upon that of the cotton, a knitting gauge is used (see No. 287) . ”