Edges in Netting from The Home Book of Pleasure and Instruction

The edge pattern for today comes from The Home Book of Pleasure and Instruction, by Laura Valentine and Mrs Aylmer, (published in 1867).  This pattern was called Edges in Netting and is found on page 307.

One different thing about this edge is that it is net on six stitches for as long as desired and then turned so that the last row of the edge is net into the side loops of the previously-made netting.  This causes it to hang differently than if the final row had been net into the loops on the row just finished.

The first row made comprises the loops on the right side of the netting.

How similar would the look be if I made the final row, row 14, into the loops of row 13? So I tried it.

I think they look fairly similar. What do you think?

Net Edge on a Baby Sock

I found the instructions for this net edge in two different magazines:

1. Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 39-40), published in 1861
1. Baby's Knitted Shoe and Sock [with net trim] (page 77) 
2. Godey's Lady's Book (Vol. 78-79), published in 1869
1. Baby's Boot (knitting) [net edging on cuff] (page 255)

In the magazines the first row of netting was made into the last row of knitting.  I just made a couple rows of plain netting.

It's a simple edge and very easy, which is a change from the last two weeks. I'm beginning to like it more than I did at first.

Netted Escallop Borders - If at first you don't succeed . . .

I wanted to show you the finished Netted Escallop Borders on page 147, illustrated on page 148, of Peterson's Magazine (Vol. 41-42), published in 1862. It was designed by Mrs. Jane Weaver.

I encountered a few problems. The instructions were almost non-existent:

"The best way of attaching these is to add a preparatory row to the article, in which, having measured the distances which the escallop will occupy, a loop must be introduced with the thread twice round the mesh, to allow of the first long loops to be netted upon it. These rows which appear thick, and show a sort of pattern in the netting, are done by passing the thread three times round the fingers, netting the three as one loop."


With the help of the illustration I was able to figure out the pattern.

However, I could not figure out how the Netted Escallop was to be attached to the previous netting. It looks so easy in the illustration. Maybe during the week I will be more successful.  Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.

I started hemstitching the handkerchiefs for my daughters and granddaughters. It took me about 2 hours to do one side. With the time it took to pull the threads a few weeks ago, I'm guessing it will take me about 10 hours to prepare one handkerchief. I hope I get faster as I go along. If that was all I had to do, I could finish them in less than a month.

Today I finished re-making the doily I named Compass. It is 20 inches in diameter and used about 114 yards of size 30 crochet thread to tie 5,872 knots.

Netted Border from Godey's Lady's Book

This Netted Border was published in Godey's Lady's Book in 1863.  There is an illustration on page 25 and the instructions are on page 87. Similar instructions are given on page 55 of The Ladies’ Companion (second series) (Vol. 27), published in 1865.

There was one problem with the instructions.  The method used to fasten the feathers to the netting allowed the thread in the three loops to slip and slide out of the pattern.  Either I misunderstood the instructions, or they used a cord that would not slide as easily as the crochet thread I used.  I made about two and a half rows of the feather pattern before deciding that continuing in this way would drive me crazy.  So I undid those rows and tied three knots in the loops where they wanted the feathers made.  It looks close enough to the illustration for me and holds more securely.

When I finished making a sample of this lace, I thought it would be too big to put as an edge on a handkerchief.

6 inches long and 3 inches wide

As I continued looking at the sample, I realized that there were several options that could be used for narrower handkerchief edgings.

The section with the feathers could be used either as a three-row feather pattern as shown here or as a single-row feather pattern.

A single row of feathers could be combined with the bottom pattern.

The bottom pattern could be used by itself.

Do you see any other combinations that would look nice on a handkerchief?

A Net Edge From the Delineator

I decided to make another of the net edges I linked to recently. This Netted Handkerchief comes from The Delineator, published in The Art of Netting section - No. 62, page 473. The directions were clear and understandable.

There were a couple of problems, one of them of my own making: (1) I wanted to make a section of the edge done in rows (it was made to go around the handkerchief), and (2) the size of the mesh sticks or gauges was vague for two of the sizes. The instructions said, ". . . meshes of three sizes were used in making this design, the largest mesh being 1/4 inch and the other sizes very large; very small steel knitting needles were employed."






Here is the first sample I made of this edge. I started with 8 loops and used size 4 and size 0 knitting needles in addition to the 1/4" mesh stick.

By the end of making this sample I had learned two things: (1) if done in rows, it needed to start with an odd number of loops and (2) the size 4 knitting needle created a mesh that was too close to the same size as the 1/4" mesh stick to have a visible difference.
















I tried again. I started with 9 loops and used the 1/4" mesh stick along with size 2 and size 00 knitting needles. I think I like this edge.











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Last week while attending the Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival, I was able to finish re-making the doily I named Sunny, but I did not have enough time to starch it until Monday.

Now it is starched and has a diameter of 16.5 inches.

Net Edging from 1876 Peterson's Magazine

I was puzzled the first, second, and third times I tried to make this edge. I did fine until I read the instructions that said, "2nd. With the small mesh net a stitch on every stitch of 5. Miss the single one." I could not see how to "Miss the single one."

Here are the instructions I was trying to follow from page 449 of the 1876 Peterson's Magazine.

The Border, which must now be done, is very simple. With the same mesh as you have used for the square [a size 4 knitting needle], do two rounds. Then with the three-quarter inch mesh do one round thus — + 5 stitches in one, one stitch in the next, + all round.

2nd. With the small mesh net a stitch on every stitch of 5. Miss the single one.

3rd. Same mesh. 4 stitches over 5. Miss the intervening.

4th. Same mesh. 3 stitches over 4. Miss the loop between.

5th. Same mesh. 2 over 3. Miss the loop between.

I tried several things, but nothing looked right. Finally I decided to add one row of plain netting (netting 1 knot in each loop across the row) before making the one that was giving me such problems. That gave me a single loop to miss and all the other rows worked out!

This looks like the picture in the book.  

Can you figure out how to create this look without adding a row into the instructions? 

Here are the instructions I used.

Row 1:
     #4 knitting needle
Net 9 knots in the foundation loop.

Rows 2-3:
     #4 knitting needle
Net 1 knot in each loop.

Row 4:
     3/4" flat mesh stick
Net 5 knots in the first loop, *net 1 knot in the following loop, net 5 knots in the next loop*; repeat from * to *.

Row 5:
     #4 knitting needle  
Net 1 knot in each loop.
 
Row 6:
     #4 knitting needle  
Net 1 knot in each loop for 5 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 5 loops*; repeat from * to *.

Row 7:
     #4 knitting needle  
Net 1 knot in each loop for 4 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 4 loops*; repeat from * to *.

Row 8:
     #4 knitting needle  
Net 1 knot in each loop for 3 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 3 loops*; repeat from * to *.

Row 9:
     #4 knitting needle  
Without using the mesh stick, net 1 knot in the first loop, now with the mesh stick, net 1 knot in the next loop, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 2 loops*; repeat from * to *.



To edge a handkerchief, I made the following changes to convert the instructions from rounds to rows:

Round 1
     #0 knitting needle
Net 1 knot in each hemstitch space with 5 loops (6 knots in each corner)

Round 2-3:
     #0 knitting needle
Net 1 knot in each loop.

Round 4:
     3/4" flat mesh stick
Net 5 knots in the first loop, *net 1 knot in the following loop, net 5 knots in the next loop*; repeat from * to *.

Round 5:
     #0 knitting needle  
Net 1 knot in each loop.

Round 6:
     #0 knitting needle  
Skip 1 loop; net 1 knot in each loop for 5 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 5 loops*; repeat from * to *, ending with net 1 knot in each loop for 4 loops, tie the CK.

Round 7:
     #0 knitting needle  
Skip 1 loop; net 1 knot in each loop for 4 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 4 loops*; repeat from * to *, ending with net 1 knot in each loop for 3 loops, tie the CK.

Round 8:
     #0 knitting needle  
Skip 1 loop; net 1 knot in each loop for 3 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 3 loops*; repeat from * to *, ending with net 1 knot in each loop for 2 loops, tie the CK.

Round 9:
     #0 knitting needle  
Skip 1 loop; net 1 knot in each loop for 2 loops, *skip the next loop, net 1 knot in each loop for 2 loops*; repeat from * to *, ending with net 1 knot in the last loop, net 1 more knot in the loop formed by the CK, tie an overhand knot tightly against that knot. Cut the threads, leaving very short ends.

Net Edgings for Handkerchiefs

Last August I purchased some fine linen to make handkerchiefs for my family. One daughter had requested a net edge on a handkerchief for her daughter. I finally finished hemstitching the samples I started eight months ago.

6th one done with square corners

1st one done

5th one done - with mitered corners

If you look carefully you can see why it was a good thing that I did six samples. I have gotten better. Now I'm ready to start on the real handkerchiefs.

First try

Last try

I also need to make some of the edges so my granddaughter and others can choose which net edging they want on their white linen handkerchief.

I decided to make a sample of the edge found here:

International Old Lacer's, published in January 1978, A Practical Use of Netting, Netted Edging (page 70).

NETTED EDGING  
One-half and 1/4 inch mesh-sticks. With 1/4-inch stick, make 3 rows plain; 1/2 inch, 1 row plain; 1/4 inch, rose netting, draw 1st loop through 2nd loop and net it, draw 2nd loop through 1st loop and net it, repeat throughout the row; 3 rows plain; 2 rows rose netting; 2 rows rose; 1 row plain; 1/2 inch, 1 row making * 2 sts in one loop, skip 1 st (hold thread slanting on stick when skipping a st), repeat from * around: 1/4 inch, repeat last row.

First I made the larger sample using the mesh sticks it suggested.  Then I made the smaller sample by using mesh sticks half the size of the larger size.

If I were to use just one of these samples as an edge on a handkerchief, I think I would choose the one that used the smaller mesh sticks.  Which would you choose?