WORK COLUMN.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XVI, 22 April 1899, Page 543

WORK COLUMN.

The screen-settee is one of the greatest novelties in furnishing' at the present moment, and is remarkably effective, and a most comfortable temporary resting place. Screens are inevitable in some rooms, and where there is not a great deal of space they sometimes take up rather more than their share. I give a drawing of the screen in its most picturesque position, that is to say with a bend in the middle which forms three-cornered seats. The sides are very easily swung round w hen the screen becomes a comfortable settee instead of having two separate seats. In this way the waste space usually devoted to a

screen is entirely done away with, for it contrives a cosy corner at the same time as a draught excluder, and breaks up the monotony of a long, straight room. I am not prepared to say that any amateur would find it an easy matter to construct the foundation of such a screen-settee with necessary firmness, but having had the wooden part made by a professional the additional ornamentation might very well be managed at home. The seats consist of canvas with a slight amount of stuffing, and a covering of brocade fastened to the wood with ornamental nails, or tacked, and then covered with furniture braid in harmonising colours.

These pretty little socks are made in two colours of the best Saxony, pink and white are the colours used in the model ; pink for the slipper, and white for the instep and leg, with a seallop of pink around the top. Begin at the ankle : with the white make a chain of forty stitches, and join in a ring to the first stitch. Put the needle through the second stitch of chain, thread over, and draw it through, keep this stitch on the needle, and take up ten more stitches in the same way. There will now be twelve stitches on the needle, which are to be worked off, two at a time, by putting the thread over the needle and drawing it through two stitches, thread over, and draw through two more : repeat until all are worked off. Then insert the needle under the first little perpendicular bar made in the previous row, thread over the needle, draw’ it through, pick up the second little bar, thread over and draw it through as before ; so continue un-

til there are again twelve stitches on the needle, which work off two at a time, as lie fore. Make twelve rows of these little squares for the instep, break off the thread, and begin at the back with the coloured wool. Make a treble stitch in each stitch all around the ankle and instep, widening by putting in an extra treble at each corner of the toe. The next row is made like the last ; then make two rows of trebles without widening ; then three rows more, which are to be narrowed by missing a stitch at each corner of the toe, and in the middle of the back. Turn the slipper wrong side out and crochet the edges together along the bottom of the foot with double crochet. For the straps across the instep, with the coloured wool, make a chain of nine stitches, make a treble in the fourth stitch from the needle, a treble in each of the five remaining chain stitches ; then beginning on the righthand side, make a treble in the top of each treble around the ankle, leaving the white chain on the inside ; make another chain of nine stitehes on the other side of the slipper, and work back on it with trebles ; break off the thread and fasten the ends on the inside. Make a row of scallops of eight trebles each around the top of the slipper. Now fasten on the white wool, and make a treble in each of the little white loops of the foundation chain. Second round of Leg—Make a treble in each treble of previous row.

Third Round—Make a treble in top of each treble of previous row, taking up only the inside loop of the stitch. Fourth Round—Make a puff in top of every other treble. Puff stitch is made by putting the thread over the needle, insert the needle in the work, thread over, and draw it through—draw it out one-half inch ; repeat twice, when there will be seven long stitehes on the needle, thread over and draw it through all seven stitches at once; thread over; draw it through the one stitch.

Fifth Round—Make a treble in each stitch on top of row of puff stitches. Sixth Round—-Make a treble in top of each treble, taking up only the inside loop of the stitch. Seventh Round—Make a puff stitch in top of every other treble. Eigth Round—Make a treble in each stitch on top of the row of puff stitches.

Ninth Round—Make a treble in the top of each treble, taking up only the inside loop of the stitch. tenth Round—Make a puff stitch in the top of every other treble. With the coloured wool make a row of scallops of eight trebles each around the top of leg, and fasten off. Fasten the straps across the instep with a bow of narrow ribbon of a shade to match the slipper.