Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/130

 manner till you have only 20 stitches. Twentysixth row: at the end of this row cast on for the heel nine extra stitches. The next row plain. Twenty-eighth row: wool before the needle, remainder plain. Repeat this row till there 34 stitches. Do three plain rows. Thirtyseventh row: knit backwards and forwards on these 18 stitches for eight rows to and from the toe. Fortythird row: knit the 18 and then cast on 17 more stitches, taking the left hand needle out, after you have run a needle and thread through and tied them so that the stitches cannot run down. The 17 stitches cast on ought to be opposite those which you have left off. Do three plain rows. Fortyseventh row: knit the last two together at the toe. Now reduce in every row till you have only 31. Cast off. Take up the 17 loose stitches and 22 more from the other part with steel pins, to form the leg, making 39 in all. First row of leg: knit seven, increase; knit five, knit seven, increase; knit five. Second row: You ought now to have 44 stitches, wool before needle, knit two together. Repeat. Third row: knit and purl alternately for 12 rows. Fifteenth row: purl two, knit two, for 18 rows. One plain row and then cast off.

A Cork Frame.—Make a foundation or frame work of four pieces of wood glued together, forming an Oxford pattern frame. Now stain it any colour liked, either with dye or stain. Now cut up a lot of cork in any shapes, all small but it can be in different sizes. Thread with a needle and strong thread in long lengths and wind round the frame, but do not carry the cork to the back, let the thread be bare there. Having arranged the corks in position brush the thread at the back with glue so as to keep it in place against the wood. When that is dry varnish the front of the frame wood work and corks. Many other little things can be decorated with cork in this way and varnished.

Tam o' Shanter. (Crochet.)—For this four ounces of good fingering and a bone crochet needle, No. 10. Begin with three chain, join round and work two double crochet into each stitch of the chain. Second round: two double crochet in every stitch, working into the top and back threads of the stitches of the previous round. Third round: two double crochet in the first stitch, one double crochet in the next stitch, and repeat. Fourth round the same. Fifth round: one double crochet in each of the first two stitches and two double in the third stitch and repeat. Sixth round: Two double crochet in the first stitch and one double crochet in each of the three next stitches and repeat. Seventh round: two double crochet in every fifth stitch. Eighth round: two double crochet in every seventh stitch. And now continue the double crochet, always working into the top and back threads of the stitches of the last round, and increasing at intervals as often as necessary to make the work lie flat, till you have a circle measuring ten inches in diameter. Then work four rounds of double crochet without increasing. In the next round, to bring the cap into shape for the head, decrease by missing every ninth stitch, and afterwards for about ten rounds, or until the cap is the size required for the head, decrease about six times in each round. For the band: work eight rounds of plain double crochet. A tuft of wool is to be added in the centre of the crown, to make which wind a good quantity of wool over a piece of card about three inches wide, tie it strongly together, sew it on the top and cut and pull it into shape. The cap should be lined with silk the same colour as the wool with which it is worked.

An Oriental Table Cloth.—Make a square the desired size of good white serge, or any material you may have by you so long that it is either white or cream colour, as these make the best background. Now cut out pieces of different colors and kinds of silk, the size of a penny, if round, though they can be any shape, three-cornered pieces are best I think. Tack them carefully upon the foundation letting each touch