The Ladies' Knitting and Netting Book

THE LADIES’ KNITTING AND NETTING BOOK.
SECOND SERIES

Gentlemen’s Knitted Gloves

Four needles No. 15, and fine German lambs’-wool

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 knitting¹ 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; continue this until you have stitches enough for the thumb (about 29); take all the stitches except those for the thumb, on two other needles; divide the stitches for the thumb on 3 of your 4 needles and knit round, decreasing gradually at the join towards the end; take the remaining stitches, about 9, on a worsted needle and sew it up. Divide the stitches for the hand again on your needles, taking up 5 stitches at the bottom of the thumb for the gusset; knit two rounds; in the next three rounds decrease 3 stitches of the gusset: knit plain until the glove is long enough to begin the fingers; begin with the first finger, which will require 27 stitches, decrease as you may think fit at the end of the finger. This will leave 25, 23, and 21 stitches for the 3 succeeding fingers. When you have finished the first finger, you must take up 4 stitches at the bottom for a gusset, these may be decreased or not according to the size required.

Netted Gloves

The mesh to net these gloves should be No. 14, and the netting silk fine.

Begin on a round foundation of 50 stitches; net 6 rounds, net 1 round, putting the silk twice round the mesh, this is to make a place to run the ribbon in; net 6 rounds, then begin to increase for the thumb by netting twice in one stitch, net one stitch, net twice in the next stitch: continue to increase in the same manner every other round, before and after where you increased last, until you have 19 (or 21 for rather a large size) stitches for the thumb; net one round, then net the stitches for the thumb round, when you have done 1 round decrease once in every round at the join for 4 or 5 rounds; net until the thumb is long enough and in the last round take 2 stitches in 1 and sew up the end: (the fingers are finished in the same way.) Fasten on your silk at the bottom of the thumb, and net 4 extra stitches for a gusset; net 5 rounds, in the 6th decrease 2 stitches of the 4; net 10 or 12 rounds according to the size required. Now begin the first finger, for which 16 stitches are required, net round and finish like the thumb; the other fingers are done in the same way, except that you must make a gusset of two stitches, which are not to be decreased, at the bottom of the finished finger, this allows 15 stitches, including the two of the gusset, for the second finger, 14 for the third, and 12 for the fourth. Run a pattern on the back with flox silk.

Feather Gloves

Four needles No. 19, and very fine cotton are required

Cast 64 stitches on 1 needle, and 38 on each of the other two: knit round, knitting and ribbing 5 stitches alternately until you have half an inch. Then knit a round, putting the cotton round the needle, and knitting 2 stitches taken together, this is to make a runner for the ribbon. Knit 3 rounds plain. Knit the stitches of the first needle plain and begin the feather pattern for the back with the second needle, bring the cotton forward knit a stitch, repeat this twice, decrease by knitting 2 stitches taken together 3 times, knit 1 stitch, which is the centre stitch of the pattern, decrease 3 times, increase 3 times, and repeat these 19 stitches until you come to the needle with 64 stitches, which is always plain knitting. Knit 3 rounds. Repeat these 4 rounds until the glove is long enough to begin to increase for the thumb: after the 3 plain rounds, knit 1 stitch, increase 1 by taking up a stitch between 2 stitches, knit 1, increase 1: continue to increase in the same manner before and after the last increase, every other round, continuing the pattern on the 2 needles as before. When you have 9 stitches for the thumb, and have knitted the round without increasing, knit a stitch, bring the cotton forward, knit a stitch, knit 2 stitches taken together, knit a stitch (this is to be the centre stitch of the thumb), knit 2 taken together, bring the cotton forward, knit a stitch, knit 1 stitch, increase as before.

When you have knitted the 3 rounds, increasing as usual, on the 1st needle, knit 1 stitch, increase 1, bring the cotton forward, knit a stitch, repeat this, decrease twice, knit the centre stitch, decrease twice, increase twice, increase the stitch for the thumb. In the next round of the holes of the pattern you will have 17 stitches for the thumb: increase as usual, knit 2 stitches, increase twice, decrease twice; knit the centre stitch, decrease twice, increase twice, knit 2, increase 1. In future you will have stitches enough to make the pattern down the thumb like the pattern at the back, which is to be done with the 19 middle stitches of the thumb, the rest on either side are to be knitted plain: when you have increased 45 stitches and knitted 1 round, take all the other stitches on 2 other needles, and knit the thumb round, gradually decreasing a few stitches at the join. When the thumb is finished take the stitches for the hand on your needles as before, take up 5 stitches for the gusset at the bottom of the thumb, and continue knitting as before, (on the third needle you will have an odd stitch, which belongs to the 1st needle, it will prevent any mistake if you pass it on to the 1st needle); after doing a few rounds, decrease the gusset stitches until you have 64 stitches on the 1st needle: continue the pattern as before, and when the glove is long enough, begin the 1st finger with the first plain 20 stitches and the opposite 19; knit round, continuing the pattern down the outside of the finger: when you have done this finger, take up 4 stitches for the gusset at the bottom of the 1st finger,² 16 plain stitches, and 19 of the pattern. The other 2 fingers are done in the same manner: 14 plain stitches, 19 of the pattern, for the third finger, and 12 plain stitches and 19 of the pattern for the 4th finger, these numbers do not include the gusset stitches.

When finished, sew a piece of lace round the top, and run a narrow ribbon in the holes.

Plain open Mittens

Begin on a round foundation of 30 or 34 stitches, with a mesh No. 14, and moderately fine silk.

Net 6 rounds, net 1 round with the silk twice round the mesh, (for the ribbon to run in,) and 6 rounds with it once round the mesh; in the next round, net 14 stitches, increase 1 stitch in both the following stitches, complete the round, and net 2 rounds without increase. Increase again in the next round before and after the stitches in which you increased before; net 2 rounds. Continue to increase 2 stitches every 3rd round until you have increased 7 times on each side, (to make the thumb fit nicely, the increase stitches should be made over each other for the last 3 times.) Net 1 round and the 14 thumb stitches. Net the thumb round for a round or two, and decrease by netting 2 together, if necessary, until the thumb fits tight; when it is nearly long enough net 1 round, 2 stitches in every stitch twice round the mesh; 1 round, taking the 2 stitches together, on a finer mesh, and 2 rounds on the fine mesh to finish. Cut off the silk, and fasten it on at one side of the thumb, make 2 stitches on each side and continue to net until the mitten is long enough. Finish the hand in the same way in which the thumb was finished. If it be thought an improvement, the 4 last rows can be repeated at the wrist, or a lace sewn on to finish it.

Another plain Mitten

On a smaller mesh than the preceding

Begin with a foundation of 39 stitches, net 3 rows with the silk once round the mesh, 1 row with it twice round the mesh, and 3 more rows with it once. Now begin to net rounds instead of rows, by netting the last stitch of the row to the first. Net 9 rounds. Net 6 stitches, increase 1 in the 7th, finish the round. In the next round increase a stitch on each side of the stitch added last round, finish the round and net another round without increase. Increase outside the last additional stitches every other round until you have 7 additional stitches. Net a plain round. Next round, increase within the additional stitches; a plain round. Increase a second time within the last increase; net 3 plain rounds; continue to net until you come to the stitch over the last added stitch, net this to the corresponding stitch on the other side of the thumb, net round the thumb (decreasing to make it fit properly) until it is nearly long enough: finish it by netting 1 round with double silk twice, and 3 rounds with single silk once, round the mesh. To finish the hand, fasten on the silk at the side of the thumb, make 2 additional stitches on each side, (if after 2 rows you decrease these 4 stitches to 2 the thumb will set better), and net until the mitten is nearly long enough, then repeat twice the 4 rounds with which the thumb is finished; the last round should be done on rather a finer mesh.

Annet Mittens

Begin with 60 stitches. Net 4 rows; then net 1 row with the silk twice round the mesh, 2 rows with it once round the mesh, and begin to net rounds instead of rows. In the 1st round, every stitch has the silk passed twice round the mesh. 2nd round, pull the 1st stitch through the 2nd (from the back), net it, pull the 2nd stitch through the middle of the 1st, net it (taking care not to twist it), pull the 3rd through the 4th, net it, pull the 4th through the middle of the 3rd, net it, repeat these stitches until the round is completed. Net 1 round passing the silk twice round the mesh. In the next round, which is like the second, care must be taken that the thick part comes over the open part in the last pattern. In the round which follows, net 11 stitches twice round the mesh, increase 2 stitches in the 12th, net 5, and increase 2 stitches in the 6th. (All the stitches in this round have the silk passed twice round the mesh.) The next round is like the 2nd. Net 1 round twice round the mesh; then 1 like the 2nd. Repeat both these rounds. Net a round passing the silk twice round the mesh, increasing 2 stitches on each side; these additional stitches should be 4 further back than the last were, so as to leave a row of open stitches slanting from the 1st to the 2nd. Net 4 rounds as before. Increase again. Net 4 rounds more, and increase 2 stitches on each side over the last additional stitches. Net 3 rounds, and proceed to make the thumb as directed in the last pattern. When the thumb is nearly long enough, net 1 round twice round the mesh, 2 stitches in each stitch. In the next round net the 2 stitches as 1, and finish with 5 plain rounds, for the last of which use a very small mesh. To complete the hand fasten on the silk at the side of the thumb, make 2 stitches on each side, net the alternate rounds, and finish the hand like the thumb.

Honey-comb Mittens

Mesh No. 17, foundation 46 or 48 stitches

Net 3 rows. Net 1 row, putting the silk twice round the mesh; 2 rows once round the mesh; then begin netting in rounds. 1st round, for every stitch put the silk twice round the mesh. 2nd round, (each stitch once round the mesh,) net the 2nd stitch first half turning it; then net the 1st stitch plain. Net the 4th stitch half turning it, then net the 3rd plain, and finish the round in the same manner. Every alternate repetition of the pattern you must plain net 1 stitch before beginning the pattern, so as to bring the thick stitch over the open one. Net a plain round, and begin again with the 1st. The same pattern is continued throughout the mitten, but for brevity the number of rounds only is given. When 6 rounds are done, net 10 stitches increase 2 in the 11th, net 3, and increase 2 more in the 4th. Net 2 rounds, and increase again 2 stitches in the stitch which would have been over the 1st stitch in which you increased, (had you not increased,) net 7 and increase 2 more. Net 2 rounds, and in the next round increase again 2 stitches on each side of the thumb. Net 2 rounds, and increase a 4th time; net 2 rounds, and then net the first and last stitches of the thumb together. Decrease if necessary, and when the thumb is nearly long enough, finish with double silk, 1 round twice round the mesh, 1 round once round, 1 round twice round, and 2 once round the mesh. Fasten on the silk at the bottom of the thumb, add 1 stitch on each side, and net the alternate rounds of the pattern until the mitten is long enough to be finished like the thumb.