Border: with Tufts and Scalloped Edge from The Young Ladies' Journal Complete Guide to the Worktable

The instructions for Pattern #45 on page 134 of The Young Ladies' Journal Complete Guide to the Worktable, Border: with Tufts and Scalloped Edge, took some thought to understand a process that may have been so commonly used that there was not need to explain. Eventually I thought of one way to have the directions make sense. Here is the way I achieved this:


draw the next loop very tightly:

1. Bring the thread across the front of the mesh stick and the fingers of the left hand.
2. Wrap the thread around the fingers but not behind the mesh stick. Instead, bring the thread in front of the mesh stick (resting on the mesh stick).
3. Put the thread under the thumb and throw it back over the foundation loop.
4. Making sure to keep ALL threads on top of the mesh stick, place the netting needle through the loop around the fingers, across the front of the mesh stick, and through the next loop.
5. Bring this "next" loop close to the loops with 3 loops, tighten the knot.  NOTE: as the knot is tightened, check to be sure that all threads are above the mesh stick and moving any that are around the mesh stick off the mesh stick.
6. There will be no new loop formed, perhaps just a small straight thread between the "next" loop and the loop to the left which has 3 loops in it.  The close these two are, the better.

This pattern needs a multiple of 4 loops if the netting is circular or add 1 loop to that number if you plan to go back and forth in rows. If the netting is circular, just use the instructions from * to *.

Here are the instructions for the sample:

Begin:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 13 knots into the foundation loop.

Row 1:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 1 knot in each loop.

Row 2:  1/4" flat mesh stick
     Without a mesh stick, net 1 knot in the first loop, now using the mesh stick, *net 3 knots in the same loop, draw the next loop very tightly as explained above*; repeat from * to * across the row.

Row 3:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 3 loops together across the row.

Row 4:  1/4" flat mesh stick
     Without a mesh stick, net 1 knot in the first loop, now using the mesh stick, *net 3 knots in the same loop, draw the next loop tightly as explained above*; repeat from * to * across the row.

Row 5:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 3 loops together across the row.

Row 6:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 1 knot in each loop.

Row 7:  1/4" flat mesh stick
     Net 8 knots in the first loop, *wrap the thread once around the mesh stick, skip 3 loops, net 9 knots in the next loop*; repeat from * to *.

Row 8:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 1 knot in each loop for 8 loops, *place the long loop up through the middle of the skipped loops, net 1 knot in the long loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 8 loops*; repeat from * to to*.

Row 9:  #3 knitting needle
     Net 1 knot in each loop.