tress. They should be taken at the time of husking and stripped quite
fine, dried in the sun and put in a ticking mattress. These can be
washed each year, and then one is always sure of a clean, sweet bed.
Those who do not live in the country, and cannot make these beds
themselves, can purchase the husks at any furniture dealers. Husks
are good filling for divan pillows, and also make a good cushion for the
couch itself.
KNITTING, CROCHET AND LACE.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BEGINNERS.
The first process is casting on. Hold the end of the cotton between
the first and the second fingers of the left hand, bring it over the thumb
and fore finger and bend the latter to twist the cotton into a loop, bend
the needle in the loop ; hold the cotton attached to the spool between the
third and little fingers of the right hand, and over the point of the fore-
finger; bring the thread round the needle by the slightest possible
motion ; bend the needle towards you, and tighten the loop on the left
hand finger, in letting it slip off to form the first stitch. Now take that
needle with the loop on it in the left hand and another in the right.
Observe the position of the hands. The left hand needle is held
between the thumb and 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
knitting 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.
Insert the point in the loop, bringing it behind the other needle, slip
the thread around it, bring the point in front and transfer the loop to
the left hand needle without withdrawing it from the right hand. Repeat
the process for any number of stitches required.
KNITTING STITCHES.
Plain Knitting : Slip the point of the right hand needle in a loop,
bring the thread round it, and with the forefinger push the point of the
needle of the loop, so that the thread just twisted round forms a new
one on the right hand.
Purling: The right hand needle is slipped in the loop in front of
the left hand one, and the thread, after passing between the two, is
brought round it ; it is then worked as before. The thread is always
208 KNITTING, CROCHET AND LACE.
brought forward before beginning a purled stitch, unless particular
directions to the contrary are given.
The Mode of Making Stitches : To make one, merely bring the
thread in front before knitting, when, as it passes over the needle, it
makes a loop ; to make two, three or more, pass the thread round the
needle in addition, once for two, twice for three, and so on.
To Decrease : Take one stitch off without knitting ; knit one, then
slip the point of the left hand needle in the unknitted stitch, and draw
it over the other. It is marked in directions D i. To decrease two or
more, slip one, knit two, three or more together as one, and pass the
slip stitch over.
Page 184
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
tress. They should be taken at the time of husking and stripped quite fine, dried in the sun and put in a ticking mattress. These can be washed each year, and then one is always sure of a clean, sweet bed. Those who do not live in the country, and cannot make these beds themselves, can purchase the husks at any furniture dealers. Husks are good filling for divan pillows, and also make a good cushion for the couch itself.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BEGINNERS.
The first process is casting on. Hold the end of the cotton between the first and the second fingers of the left hand, bring it over the thumb and fore finger and bend the latter to twist the cotton into a loop, bend the needle in the loop ; hold the cotton attached to the spool between the third and little fingers of the right hand, and over the point of the forefinger; bring the thread round the needle by the slightest possible motion ; bend the needle towards you, and tighten the loop on the left hand finger, in letting it slip off to form the first stitch. Now take that needle with the loop on it in the left hand and another in the right. Observe the position of the hands. The left hand needle is held between the thumb and 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 knitting 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.
Insert the point in the loop, bringing it behind the other needle, slip the thread around it, bring the point in front and transfer the loop to the left hand needle without withdrawing it from the right hand. Repeat the process for any number of stitches required.
KNITTING STITCHES.
Plain Knitting : Slip the point of the right hand needle in a loop, bring the thread round it, and with the forefinger push the point of the needle of the loop, so that the thread just twisted round forms a new one on the right hand.
Purling: The right hand needle is slipped in the loop in front of the left hand one, and the thread, after passing between the two, is brought round it ; it is then worked as before. The thread is always
brought forward before beginning a purled stitch, unless particular directions to the contrary are given.
The Mode of Making Stitches : To make one, merely bring the thread in front before knitting, when, as it passes over the needle, it makes a loop ; to make two, three or more, pass the thread round the needle in addition, once for two, twice for three, and so on.
To Decrease : Take one stitch off without knitting ; knit one, then slip the point of the left hand needle in the unknitted stitch, and draw it over the other. It is marked in directions D i. To decrease two or more, slip one, knit two, three or more together as one, and pass the slip stitch over.