GERTIE'S DISH-CLOTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 18 (Supplement)

GERTIE'S DISH-CLOTH.

“ What dear little dish-cloths! ” said Grannie, as she came into the kitchen, where Gertie’s mother was washing the tea things. It was Gertie’s birthday, and Grannie had come to tea. “Yes, aren’t they nice?” replied Mother. “ Gertie knits them for me. The large, thick ones are so clumsy for dainty tea things, and these little ones with the wide, open mesh are exactly right.” “So I see,” said Grannie, “ and I really must make some like them for my little handmaid to use for me.” “ I’ll knit some for you, Grannie dear,” said Gertie eagerly. “ I’m so glad you like them. I composed the pattern mvserf.” “Indeed!” laughed Grannie. “Well, suppose you come and show me your pattern. I love knitting, too, you know.” So Gertie and Grannie went off to the Ingle-nook together, with needles and knitting cotton, and, as I happened to be sitting there, too, by the little , log fire, I overheard the directions. Take a pair of thick bone needles and a ball of nice, stout knitting cot- ! ton. Cast on fourteen stitches. Gertie’s knitting cotton w£s very large, and if yours should be finer you must on more stitches. Now comes the first part of the secret. In casting on and off many children get the edge so light that it pulls the sides of the square all askew. This was what Gertie had done at first until she composed this clever plan. Cast on a stitch in the usual way, then make another ust as you would a stitch in a crochet chain; cast on a second stitch upon the needle, then make another chain one; repeat these so that when you have fourteen stitches on the needle there are fourteen more in between them. I think you will understand what I mean. Then proceed to knit the dish-cloth; the first row in plain knitting, the second row in drop-stitch. Drop-stitch, as, of course, you know, is just plain knitting with the wool put twice over the needle instead of once. Then as you knit back the plain row you take up one of the loops in the double stitch and drop the other. This makes a very large mesh in every other row. When you have done sufficient of these rows to make the cloth square, cast off in the same way as you cast on, by doing one chain stitch between every one cast off. Thus: Slip a stitch, knit a stitch, turn the slip-stitch over the knitted one. That is casting off, as you all know. But before you do that again make a chain stitch between, just as you did at the casting on, using your needle to make it just as you would a crochet hood. This keeps your cast-off edge wide and springy, and not a light little string which pulls the square out of shape. There! Now I have told you of Gertie’s dish-cloth knitting, and I hope all the little girls who read this will set about doing some for a present for mothers or aunts or grandmothers, or someone who will be sure to receive them with pleasure.

SUMMER. By Evelyn Motteram. Into my garden gay Summer has come, And never a word I guessed, Until, when I woke this morning, I saw The lilacs were all newly dressed. I'm sure yester morning the pink flames of flowers Were screwed into little bright balls; I’m sure yester morning my brown bird was fled. And now—l can hear his flutecalls ! I’m sure yesterday the anemones gold, The pink ones, the tawny ones, each Had their faces all buttoned 'Up, tight as can be, In the border beside the old peach. Why yesterday morning the sky wasn’t blue— Not the blue that it is to-day! I think that someone has climbed carefully up And raked all the clouds away. I’m sure yesterday that the may wasn’t out, The hedges weren’t singing with bees; I’m sure yesterday the air wasn’t warm Under the dim pepper trees! Yes, into my garden gay summer has come. She came while we all quietly slept; I guess she was tired of being away, So into my garden she stepped! 1 ‘ ■— ■

THREE GEMS. The glory of life is to love, not to bi loved; to give, not to get; to serve not to be served. A blessed thing it is to have a friend one human soul in whom one can trus always, who knows the best and th< worst of us and who loves us in spit< of all our faults. (Kingsley.) Let’s oftener talk of noble deeds, And rarely of the bad ones; And sing about our happy days, And not about our sad ones! Sent by Edith Goode.