Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 50

When all the red threads are knotted over the white ones, make crossed bars with the red threads by themselves, thus producing a point at the bottom of the leaf.

Then, over the first white thread coming from the right, knot all the white threads on the left of it and in the last place, the cord itself, over the 3 red threads.

Make the same series of threads on the left. This is succeeded by a second bar of white knots, the last thread of which is left unknotted.

Make 4 double knots with the 8 white threads and close the square by a double bar. Add a supplementary thread to the first bar, so that you may have 10 threads coming from each side of the second bar and over these you knot the red threads, which form a dark setting to the leaves.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 600. GRADUAL INCREASE OF THE THREADS. WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 599.]

When this is done on both sides, make 10 flat double knots with a supplementary knot, taking 4 single threads for each knot, and decreasing the number of knots successively to 2. At the point of the inside square, knot the white threads over the red ones and turn back the second white thread to serve as a cord to the first of the outside bars. Join the first thread on the left and the first on the right, to form a flat knot with them in the middle, the threads of which are then pa.s.sed over the red threads; the last white threads become the cords for the second outer bar. Make a group of bars with the red threads and cross them 3 times, then finish with a handsome ta.s.sel and join the white threads together all round the square with ta.s.sels. In the case of your wishing to use these squares for making a larger piece of work, through joining several of them together, you can knot the ends of the threads into short double chains, finishing off these again with ring knots, fig. 608, and loops; through these loops, when you come to join on the next square, the knotting thread is drawn, forming them thus into connecting picots, like those which you make in tatting.

FRINGE WITH CORNER (figs. 601, 602, 603).--Macrame fringes are not capable of being drawn up, as knitted, crochet, and netted fringes are, on the inside, so as to turn the corners. Consequently, according to the pattern, a greater or less number of supplementary threads have to be knotted in so as to form the corners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 601. FRINGE WITH CORNER. MATERIALS: Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 10 to 30 or Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 25 to 50.[A] COLOURS: White and Rouge-Cardinal 348.[A]]

The working detail, fig. 602, shows us how the 5 first supplementary threads, are looped on to the 4th row of knots. A group of crossed bars requires 16 threads, which answer to 4 groups of little squares, placed between the lozenges. The 6th supplementary thread is put into the double connecting knot at the corner, fig. 603, and on this, the bar of knots which runs right and left is subsequently made. (In order to make it clearer, the supplementary threads are represented in the engraving in a darker shade).

On the two middle threads, which are a continuation of the connecting knot, 7 supplementary threads have next to be knotted, thread 7 singly, threads 8 and 9 together, threads 10, 11, 12 and 13, all singly.

In this manner the supplementary threads 7, 10, 11, 12 and 13 connect the two cords, whilst threads 8 and 9 only, are mounted separately on both sides.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 602. ADDITION OF THE FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY THREADS.

WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 601.]

The bars, formed by the knots which are made with the supplementary threads, must be drawn tight, like any other double bar. The s.p.a.ce left between the cords in the engraving is intentional, to distinguish the supplementary threads from the others.

A long, coloured thread is looped on to the topmost thread, between the two bars, and with this, knots are made over all the 14 threads that come from the bars and run inwards.

In the middle of the square there must be 9 flat double knots; when these are made, you continue knotting the red thread from the right and left, down to the bottom point of the square, and complete the figure by a single bar of knots, made of the white thread.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 603. ADDITION OF THE SECOND SUPPLEMENTARY THREADS.

WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 601.]

Knotted ta.s.sels, hanging from the points of the scallops, and others ornamented with flat double knots made of 10 threads, suspended between the scallops, form the outside finish to this fringe.

FRINGE WITH POINTED SCALLOPS AND LARGE Ta.s.sELS (figs. 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610).--Entire length of the threads for No. 15 of Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C: 200 c/m.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 604. FRINGE WITH POINTED SCALLOPS AND LARGE Ta.s.sELS.

MATERIALS: Fil a pointer D.M.C Nos. 10 to 30, Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 10 to 50, or Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 25 to 50.[A]]

The present pattern, which concludes our chapter on macrame work, is one of the most difficult of all, requiring great accuracy in every particular, but more especially, extremely careful attention to the direction of the cords, that the groups of double knots and the bars may be drawn up very tightly together, so as to make the pattern very distinct and give each figure its proper value.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 605. ADDITION OF THE FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY THREADS.

WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 604.]

For each repet.i.tion of the subject 16 threads are wanted. You begin the half stars, on each side of the lozenges, with the 15th and 16th double thread of the first figure and make 3 double knots with 3 threads over a 4th thread, fig. 606.

Over 2 cords on the left and 2 on the right, consequently over 4 threads: 5 b.u.t.tonhole knots, with the 4 threads and the disengaged threads, 1 flat double knot over each of the 4 threads. This forms a sh.e.l.l knot, on either side of which, make 3 b.u.t.tonhole knots over 3 threads.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 606. ADDITION OF THE OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY THREADS.

WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 604.]

For the groups of bars on either side of the sh.e.l.l, take the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th double thread on the left, and the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th on the right. These groups are joined by b.u.t.tonhole knots.

Knot the 4 threads of the left group over the cord on the right; and over them again the 2 next threads on the right; knot the 4 threads on the left over the 4th thread on the right; make 2 b.u.t.tonhole knots with the 4th thread over the 3 threads at the bottom and on the side.

Over the 4 threads, that come from the left and right, make quadruple bars; cross the upper threads after the second row of bars, make 2 b.u.t.tonhole bars with the next thread over the 4th thread, then finish the 3rd and 4th bar of knots.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 607. CHINESE KNOT AND DOUBLE CHAIN FOR A RING KNOT.]

To make the olive-shaped group of knots on both sides, take the threads, that come out from the sh.e.l.ls, as cords. Fig. 605 shows the adding on of the first supplementary thread, fig. 606, that of 12 more which, knotted on to the first, form with it, the group of bars on the diagonal corner line. The knots, of which the next large sh.e.l.l is composed, are made with 2 more supplementary threads and one thread from the preceding figure. Add on 2 more supplementary threads to the disengaged threads, which 4 then serve as cords for the groups of bars, left and right.

The 4th group of bars which forms the corner of the fringe, is made on the 4 threads that come from the large sh.e.l.l, on to which the fourth set of 12 supplementary threads is knotted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 608. RING KNOT FORMED OF A SINGLE CHAIN.]

The pattern ends at the bottom with a half star, and a double bar; beneath these, large scallops are added, consisting of 2 half stars, 4 ovals, 1 whole star and 2 ovals.

All the threads that come from the groups are then collected at the top of the scallops and overcast with strong thread, so as to form a thick round cord along the edges of the scallops, widening towards the point, as more and more threads are taken in. At the point, these threads are knotted into a big ta.s.sel with another bunch of supplementary threads added to them. The other small ta.s.sels, represented in fig. 604, are made separately and then fastened on.

The fringe is further ornamented by large knotted ta.s.sels, introduced between the scallops, for which, a large knotted berry, fig. 590, over 21 cords, has first to be made.

Collect the 21 threads all together, to begin with; then make: 2 rows of knots over 12 threads, 1 over 15, 3 over 21, 1 over 15 and 2 over 12; then cut the ends of the 21 threads to the same length, and turn them inwards, to fill up the hollow s.p.a.ce inside the berry, stuffing it besides, if necessary, with wadding to make it perfectly firm and hard and sewing it together at the ends.

To this you attach 5 large and 6 small pendants; the smaller ones are begun with a Chinese knot, figs. 607 and 609, which terminates in a double chain, formed into a ring knot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 609. SMALL PENDANT OF THE Ta.s.sELS IN FIG. 604.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 610. LARGE PENDANT OF THE Ta.s.sELS IN FIG. 604.]

These ring knots take the place, in macrame, of bead drops, in gimp tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs; when they are made of a double chain, you cut away 3 threads, when of a single, 1 thread, conceal the ends carefully inside the knot, make a loop with the 4th or 2nd thread, fig. 608, and lastly, fasten off all the ends with two or three invisible st.i.tches.

Into the loop formed by the 4th thread, you hang 3 small ring knots, made of a single chain, with a loop, top and bottom, formed of the ends of the thread.

Fig. 609 represents the small pendant, of which six are required for a ta.s.sel; fig. 610, the large one, of which there should be five. The berry, or head of the ta.s.sel, is attached to a crochet, or knotted cord, of which a description will be found in the last chapter but one of this work.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] See at the end of the concluding chapter, the table of numbers and sizes and the list of colours of the D.M.C threads and cottons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: INSERTION IN EMBROIDERED NETTING.--ORNAMENT WITH VARIOUS St.i.tCHES.]