NEAT KNITTING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 11 May 1935, Page 12

NEAT KNITTING

Advice to Enthusiasts

. Now that the winter is approaching many folk are considering warmer clothes, cardigans, jumpers, scarves and so on, and the knitting needles are becoming busy again. Thig seems to be the time for a little helpful advice and ideas for the knitting enthusiasts wlyi are filled with despair because their work looks “amateurish” when attention to details could make it perfect. Choice of needles is just as important as choice of wool, but there is no need to get a new pair for each garment you make. A needle gauge costs very little, and will save you from discarding needles because you do not know the size. Broken needles may be sharpened with a penknife, smoothed with a file and polished by the application of a little grease till they are as good as new. Then knobs can be replaced by a blob of sealing wax or a small cork. The best jumper can be ruined by a (hopped stitch. To prevent this, secure the stitch with a safety pin till you arc ready to pick it up. Then do so with a email crochet hook.

The shoulder seams of jumpers ami cardigans look much neater if they are grafted and not eetvn together. Instead of casting off place the two needles together and thread the end of wool that is attached to the knitting through a wool needle. Insert the wool needle as for knitting, into the first stitch of the work on the needle nearer you, draw the wool through the stitch and slip it off the needle. * Insert the wool needle, as for purling, into the second stitch in the needle nearer you, draw the wool through the stitch to remain on the needle. Now take the wool under the first needle (nearer you) and invert the wool needle as if for purling into the first stitch of the other needle (farther from you). Draw the wool through the stitch and slip off the needle. Then insert the wool needle, as if for knitting, into the second etitch on the needle farther from you, and draw the wool through the stitch, but allow the stitch to remain on tho needlo. Now bring the wool forward (towards you) under the needle that is nearer to you, and repeat from * until all the stitches have been grafted together. When you do have to cast off, at the top of the sleeves, for instance, do so very loosely. In a purl row cast off plain and vice versa. This will make the seam almost invisible.

Slipping the first stitch in every row will make the edge firmer and more even, and i* a great help when it conies to sewing the garment up, and makes the seams stronger.

To join wool, first remove half the strands each end, then place them together and roll in the palm of the hand.

Always press the finished work with a damp cloth and a hot iron. If the garment has proved to be too small, stretch it ae you press it. If it is too large, pull it together with a thread, wet it thoroughly and leave it to dry slowly.