Soft balls can be made of ravelings of mittens or stockings, or even
of cotton wool wrapped lightly around a small pill-box or tin box, in
which a few shot have been placed, to make a sharp rattle in which all
babies take delight. Bind the outside of the ball with some brightly
colored yarns or worsteds, and then crochet a cover in long stitch. A
braided string, with a tassel at the end, can be sewed on at one side of
the ball, by which to swing it in the air, and if these soft zephyr balls
are attached to a cord in the same way, they are soft and nice even if
baby hits himself in the face with it.
A hard ball can be made by cutting an old rubber shoe into small
strips and winding tightly one over the other. Then ravel out an old
stocking and wind it over the rubber. Take bright scarlet, gold and
blue worsteds and knit in stripes a piece three inches wide and five
inches in length. Sew the ends together, put in the ball and gather up
the edges with strong silk. Or the cover can be knitted the shape of
the ball.
QUAKERESS PINCUSHION.
The little Quakeress pincushion is made by taking a circular piece of
pasteboard about two inches in diameter, also a piece of black silk, but a
little larger (enough to allow for seam all around) ; take another piece
of black silk, about three inches deep and wide enough to go all around
the circular piece ; sew the two together to form the skirt ; next turn the
seams all on the inside, put the pasteboard on the bottom, fill with bran
or sawdust, get a small, wooden doll, such as are sold in the toy stores
at a cent or two apiece, stand up in the center of the bran, gather the top
of the skirt around the waist, and put on a shawl, of soft gray woolen
or silk; make a little Quaker bonnet of pasteboard covered with gray
silk, something the shape of the old-fashioned shaker bonnet minus the
curtain. Make an umbrella of half a hairpin and a piece of black silk,
crook one end so that it can hang on the arm, also a small black velvet
bag to hang on the other arm, bend the hands inward and your Quak-
eress is completed. If you prefer a grandma, put on a white apron,
white neckerchief and white frilled cap.
REINS AND WHIP.
For children's reins, cast on twenty stitches of four-thread wool, and
knit, in plain knitting, a strip of ten inches in length, always slipping
the first stitch of every row ; cast off. To each end of this stripe is
PICTURE SCRAP-BOOKS. 31
attached a circle for the arms,, which is made thus : Take a piece of
cord, the kind used for hanging pictures, and make a circle the size of
a child's arm at the shoulder; sew the ends firmly together, splicing the
one a little past the other. Then cover the cord with cotton, wool or
flannel to make it soft ; then cover lastly with a strip of knitting, cast-
ing on eight stitches and knitting the length required, plain every row ;
sew it on over-cast, on the inner side. Before attaching the stripe to
the arm-holes there should be sewn upon it, with some contrasting
color, a name, such as Beauty, Fairy, etc., and to the under edge should
be attached three or four little bells. If the knitting be of green or
crimson, make the letters in yellow, with gilt bells.
Page 29
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
Soft balls can be made of ravelings of mittens or stockings, or even of cotton wool wrapped lightly around a small pill-box or tin box, in which a few shot have been placed, to make a sharp rattle in which all babies take delight. Bind the outside of the ball with some brightly colored yarns or worsteds, and then crochet a cover in long stitch. A braided string, with a tassel at the end, can be sewed on at one side of the ball, by which to swing it in the air, and if these soft zephyr balls are attached to a cord in the same way, they are soft and nice even if baby hits himself in the face with it.
A hard ball can be made by cutting an old rubber shoe into small strips and winding tightly one over the other. Then ravel out an old stocking and wind it over the rubber. Take bright scarlet, gold and blue worsteds and knit in stripes a piece three inches wide and five inches in length. Sew the ends together, put in the ball and gather up the edges with strong silk. Or the cover can be knitted the shape of the ball.
QUAKERESS PINCUSHION.
The little Quakeress pincushion is made by taking a circular piece of pasteboard about two inches in diameter, also a piece of black silk, but a little larger (enough to allow for seam all around) ; take another piece of black silk, about three inches deep and wide enough to go all around the circular piece ; sew the two together to form the skirt ; next turn the seams all on the inside, put the pasteboard on the bottom, fill with bran or sawdust, get a small, wooden doll, such as are sold in the toy stores at a cent or two apiece, stand up in the center of the bran, gather the top of the skirt around the waist, and put on a shawl, of soft gray woolen or silk; make a little Quaker bonnet of pasteboard covered with gray silk, something the shape of the old-fashioned shaker bonnet minus the curtain. Make an umbrella of half a hairpin and a piece of black silk, crook one end so that it can hang on the arm, also a small black velvet bag to hang on the other arm, bend the hands inward and your Quakeress is completed. If you prefer a grandma, put on a white apron, white neckerchief and white frilled cap.
REINS AND WHIP.
For children's reins, cast on twenty stitches of four-thread wool, and knit, in plain knitting, a strip of ten inches in length, always slipping the first stitch of every row ; cast off. To each end of this stripe is
PICTURE SCRAP-BOOKS. 31
attached a circle for the arms, which is made thus : Take a piece of cord, the kind used for hanging pictures, and make a circle the size of a child's arm at the shoulder; sew the ends firmly together, splicing the one a little past the other. Then cover the cord with cotton, wool or flannel to make it soft ; then cover lastly with a strip of knitting, casting on eight stitches and knitting the length required, plain every row ; sew it on over-cast, on the inner side. Before attaching the stripe to the arm-holes there should be sewn upon it, with some contrasting color, a name, such as Beauty, Fairy, etc., and to the under edge should be attached three or four little bells. If the knitting be of green or crimson, make the letters in yellow, with gilt bells.