Encyclopedia of Needlework Part 52

Following this row with the extra st.i.tch, make a row without either increase or intake and begin the intakes in the next row, joining the two last loops of each row together by a knot. Finish the two last loops over the thumb.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 625. SQUARE OF NETTING BEGUN FROM THE MIDDLE.

BEGUN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 626. SQUARE OF NETTING BEGUN FROM THE MIDDLE.

COMPLETED.]

SQUARE OF NETTING BEGUN FROM THE MIDDLE (figs. 625 and 626).--Instead of beginning a square from the corner, in the manner just described, it may be begun from the middle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 627. STRIPE OF STRAIGHT NETTING EDGED WITH EMPTY LOOPS.]

Cast on the required number of loops, make an intake in each row, by omitting to take up the last loop of a row. In coming back, your first knot will thus be made over the last loop but one of the previous row, fig. 625. To complete the square, fasten the thread on again, to the end of the thread of the last row, then make a similar to it, and repeat the same rows you made at the beginning (see fig. 626).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 628. STRIPE OF STRAIGHT NETTING.]

STRIPES OF STRAIGHT NETTING (figs. 627 and 628).--These can be begun and finished in two ways. The simplest way, more especially when they are to be embroidered afterwards, is to cast on the necessary number of loops, to decrease on one side by dropping a loop, fig. 627, or by joining two loops together with a knot, fig. 628, and to increase on the other side, by making two knots over one loop.

Great care must be taken not to change the order of the intakes and increases, as any mistake of the kind would break the lines of squares, and interfere with the subsequent embroidery, unless there happened to be more loops in the stripe than st.i.tches in the pattern, in which case the superfluous loops might be cut away when the embroidery is finished.

STRAIGHT NETTING WITH A SCALLOPED EDGE (fig. 629).--The second way of making stripes of straight netting is to begin by a square. After making two loops on the foundation loop, make rows with increases, until you have the required number of loops. Then make an increase in every row to the left and leave the last loop empty in every row to the right.

Continuing the increases on the left, you net 4 rows, without increasing or decreasing on the right, whilst in the next 4, you again leave the outside loop empty.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 629. STRAIGHT NETTING WITH A SCALLOPED EDGE.]

SQUARE FRAME OF NETTING (fig. 630).--Handkerchief, counterpane and chair-back borders can be netted in one piece, leaving an empty square in the centre. After casting on the loops as for an ordinary square of netting, letter _a_, increase them to double the number required for the border. Thus, for example, if the border is to consist of 3 squares, you make 6 loops, then leave 3 loops empty on the left and continue to work to the right and decrease to the left, up to the dotted line from _c_ to _c_. After this you begin to decrease on the right and increase on the left, up to the dotted line from _e_ to _e_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 630. SQUARE FRAME OF NETTING.]

Leaving the right side of the net, you now fasten on the thread at _c_, where the 3 empty loops are, and here you make your increases on the right side and your intakes on the left, till you come to the corner, from whence you decrease on the right and increase on the left, up to letter _g_. Stop on the left side and then work from left to right, pa.s.sing over the row that is marked _e_. The fourth corner, letter _b_, is worked like any other piece of straight netting, with an intake in each row, until there are only two loops left.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 631. DIAGONAL NETTING WITH CROSSED LOOPS. ORIGINAL SIZE. MATERIALS--For the netting: Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 10 to 30, or Fil a dentelle D.M.C Nos. 25 to 40.[A] For the darning st.i.tches: Coton a tricoter D.M.C Nos. 12 to 20, or Coton a repriser D.M.C Nos. 12 to 50.[A]]

DIAGONAL NETTING WITH CROSSED LOOPS (figs. 631 and 632). To work this simple and effective pattern, begin by making a stripe of plain netting, 14 loops in width, for the middle. When it is long enough for your purpose, take up all the loops on one side on a strong thread; fasten the work to the cushion again and work 3 rows, along the other edge in the following manner.

1st row--long loops, to be made by the thread being pa.s.sed thrice over the mesh.

2nd row--here, 3 loops are so made as to cross each other, that is, you begin by putting your netting-needle at first into the 3rd loop, counting from left to right, then into the 1st, and lastly into the middle one of the three, so that the right loop leans to the left and the left one to the right.

3rd row--one plain loop in each of the loops of the previous row. You now, draw out the thread, run in on the other side, and run it in through the loops last made, in order to make 3 rows again, as above described, on the bottom side.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 632. WORKING DETAIL OF FIG. 631.]

When this is done, you begin the scallops, composed of 12 knots or 11 loops, or 14 loops and 15 knots = net 5 rows, leaving the outside loops empty, fig. 632, stop on the left and proceed with: 6 knots or 5 plain loops, 2 or 3 long loops with 3 overs, 3 plain loops = turn the work = 3 plain loops, 3 knots = turn the work = 2 loops with 3 overs, 3 knots = turn the work = 2 plain loops, 2 knots = turn the work = cross 2 or 3 loops, according to the number you crossed in the middle, then carry the working thread to the middle of the long loops, and connect them by 2 knots = pa.s.s the needle under the knot of the last long loop, then, on the right side net: 3 plain loops = turn the work = 3 plain loops, 3 knots = turn the work = 2 plain loops, 2 knots = turn the work and continue the rows of plain netting until you have only 2 loops left.

To reach the next scallop, pa.s.s the netting-needle through each hole of the net and round each thread.

Finish off the scallops with a row of plain netting, made with a coa.r.s.er thread than the foundation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 633. NETTED FRINGE.

MATERIALS--For the netting: Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 10 to 30 or Fil a pointer D.M.C No. 30.[A]

For the fringes: Soutache D.M.C No. 3 or Lacets superfins D.M.C No.

4.[A]]

These netted edgings are generally made in unbleached cotton, because the patterns afterwards embroidered upon them in coa.r.s.e, white knitting or darning cotton, show best upon it. The thread for this purpose should be used double, and the pattern worked in darning st.i.tches, made over 8 squares of the netting; the 8th knot is then encircled by a loop and the thread carried down over 8 squares and a loop again made round the 8th knot. After making 4 rows of st.i.tches on the netting, cut 3 bars between the rows of white st.i.tches.

The row of openwork produced in this way has a very good effect and greatly improves the look of the lace.

NETTED FRINGE (fig. 633).--Plain netting, pretty as it is, looks rather poor, unless ornamented with embroidery of some kind. The double netting, ill.u.s.trated in fig. 633, will prove a welcome novelty. The footing is worked in crochet, with braid, secured on both sides by chain st.i.tches.

Into every fourth of these chain st.i.tches, net one loop, missing the 3 between. At the end of the row, turn the work and make the knot in the middle of the 3 chain st.i.tches, so that the 2 loops of netting cross each other.

In the second, or rather the third row, the knots are again made first into the front loops, into those of the first row that is; in the fourth row, into those of the second row.

When the stripe is sufficiently wide, finish it off with ta.s.sels, made of Soutache D.M.C No. 3. Instead of tying up the lengths of braid with a thread, twisted round them and fastened off with a st.i.tch, make 2 looped knots round them with an end of the braid, where the neck of the ta.s.sel should come.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 634. WIRE FRAME FOR EMBROIDERED NETTING.]

EMBROIDERED NETTING.--Embroidered netting, also known as Filet Guipure, Cluny Guipure, and Richelieu Guipure, is a netted ground, with patterns of one kind or another, worked upon it in a variety of st.i.tches.

IMPLEMENTS REQUIRED FOR EMBROIDERED NETTING.--Besides scissors, needles and thread, a light steel frame is the only thing required, and this renders embroidered netting very popular.

The needles should be long, and blunt; those called saddlers needles are the best.

WIRE FRAME FOR EMBROIDERED NETTING (fig. 634).--The frame on which the net is stretched should be made of strong iron wire, that will not bend in the using. In shape, it may be square or oblong, according to whether squares or edgings are to be made upon it, but the sides must be straight, so that the net can be evenly stretched.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 635. MOUNTING THE NETTING ON THE FRAME.]

This wire frame must be covered, first with wadding or tow, as shown in fig. 634, and then with silk ribbon, which must be wound tightly round it, and more particularly at the corners, very closely, so that it may be quite firm and not twist about when the netting is sewn in. The ends of the ribbon should be secured by two or three st.i.tches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 636. MOUNTING THE NETTING ON THE FRAME WITH AN AUXILIARY TAPE.]

MOUNTING THE NETTING ON THE FRAME (fig. 635).--When the netting is exactly the size of the inside of the frame, it need only be secured to it with overcasting st.i.tches, set very closely at the corners.

MOUNTING THE NETTING ON THE FRAME WITH AN AUXILIARY TAPE (fig.

636).--When the netting, is smaller, the s.p.a.ce between it and the frame, must be filled up with strong very evenly woven, linen tape, sewn on all round the netting.

The tape must be very tightly held in the sewing, so that it even forms little gathers all round; this will help you to stretch the netting in mounting it without injuring it, and is especially necessary when the netting is not quite evenly made. Fig. 636 shows how the tape is sewn on, the fold that has to be made at the corners, and the way to fix the netting into the frame.

Long stripes or large pieces of work, can be mounted on waxcloth, but we cannot recommend shortening the preparatory work in this manner, as the squares of netting are never so regular as when they are made in a frame.

MATERIALS FOR EMBROIDERED NETTING.--Thick threads with a strong twist are the best for darned, or embroidered netting, such as Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C[A] (crochet cotton), or Fil a dentelle D.M.C[A] (lace thread).

There are however certain old kinds of embroidered netting made in soft loose silk, for imitating which it is best to use, Coton a repriser D.M.C[A] that being quite the best subst.i.tute for the original material.

THE St.i.tCHES USED FOR EMBROIDERED NETTING.--These are so multifarious and admit of so many different combinations, that not a few of them seeing that be quite new to our readers, willsome we have never yet come across in any book on the subject that has come under our notice.

ORDINARY DARNING St.i.tCH (fig. 637).--The simplest st.i.tch of all for covering a netted ground is the ordinary darning st.i.tch; drawing the thread, that is to say, in and out of the number of squares, prescribed by the pattern, and backwards and forwards as many times as is necessary to fill them up.