Questions on Knitting.
Reading edition
Q. What is the first thing you do in knitting a stocking?
A. I cast on the stitches.
Q. How do you cast on the stitches?
A. I take the worsted that is on the ball in the right hand, and twist it once round the little finger, pass it under the two next, and bring it over the fore-finger, and take the needle between the finger and thumb.
Q. What next?
A. I take the end of the worsted in the left hand, twist it round the little finger, bring it over the thumb and round the two fore-fingers, to form a loop.
Q. What do you do then?
A. I put the needle under the lower worsted of the loop, and bring it above that which goes over the fore-finger.
Q. What do you do with the worsted which is over the fore-finger of the right hand?
A. I pass it under the needle, bring the needle down through the loop, and draw the worsted in the left hand tight; which finishes the stitch.
Q. How many stitches do you cast on each needle for a stocking of seventy-three stitches to fit a child of five?
A. Twenty-four on two needles, and twenty-five on the third.[1]
Q. Is there any reason for there being an odd stitch on one needle?
A. Yes: there must always be an odd stitch on one needle, for the seam.
Q. What do you do when you have cast on the stitches?
A. I begin to knit.
Q. How do you make the knitting stitch?
A. I put the needle through the stitch, turn the worsted over the needle, take up the worsted I turned over, and let off the under loop.
Q. How many rounds do you knit plain?
A. One.
Q. How do you fasten in the end of the worsted?
A. I knit it in with the three first stitches.
Q. What next?
A. I knit six rounds ribbed.
Q. Why do you knit six rounds ribbed?
A. To prevent the top of the stocking from curling.
Q. How do you form the ribs?
A. By knitting three stitches plain, and turning three.
Q. How do you make a purl stitch?
A. I bring the worsted before the needle, and instead of putting the needle over the upper worsted I put it under.
Q. What is the next thing you do?
A. I begin the seam.
Q. How do you make the seam?
A. By purling the stitch every second round.
Q. Which is the seam stitch?
A. The first stitch on the first needle.
Q. How many rounds must you have before you begin narrowing?
A. Eighty.
Q. How do you fasten on a fresh piece of worsted?
A. By reversing the ends upon each other, and knitting six stitches with the worsted thus doubled.
Q. If a stitch be dropped, and you do not discover it till you have gone one round, how do you take it up?
A. I take the stitch that is dropped with the right needle, and put it on the left; then take up the loop at the back, put it over the left needle, and cast the stitch over it.
Q. If the stitch has been dropped for many rounds, how do you take it up?
A. I take it up on a spare needle, pass the needle under the lowest loop, and cast the stitch over the loop, then take up the next loop as before, till they are all taken up.