HAMMOCK.

The tools for making a hammock are—first, a “seine needle,” which may be obtained at any fishing-tackle store, and, second, what is called a mesh board. The needle is made of hard wood and of the shape represented in illustration. The mesh board is simply a piece of common wood about 6 inches long by 2 or 2½ inches wide, according to the size of the mesh desired, and bevelled on one side, being one-half the stretched measure of the mesh. Having provided yourself with the tools as above, proceed as follows:

Take a piece of twine a foot or so long and tie the ends together, making a loop on which to knit the first row of meshes, and hang it on a hook or nail; then fill your needle by tying the end of the twine to the pin in the middle of the needle, and carrying it around the notch and back to the pin until the needle is full, being careful to turn the needle over every time, so that both sides will be alike.

Tie the loose end of twine on the needle to the loop mentioned above, and place the mesh board underneath close to the loop; then carry the needle down under the board and up through the loop, drawing the twine tight; place the thumb (the mesh board being held in the left hand) so as to hold the twine in position on the edge of the mesh board, and throw the bight (or slack) of the twine loosely towards the left, and carry the needle under the right side of the loop and up on the left side through the bight, and pull it down snugly.

The same operation should be repeated, with the exception of putting the needle between the loop and the bight, as it must be carried through the loop and the bight at the same time. In order to make the knot more secure, it would be well to throw the bight again to the left, and bring the needle up through the loop a second time, thus making the knot double. This suggestion applies to the first row of meshes only.

Continue this until you have a sufficient number of meshes for the width of the hammock, 30 being the usual number; then slip the meshes off the mesh board and allow them to hang from the twine on the needle; then place the mesh board underneath, in the same manner as at first, and repeat the original operation, putting the needle through the first mesh instead of the loop, as in the first instance, and making the knot as before. (See illustration.) Follow the meshes along in the same way, until the hammock is the desired length. It is usual to make it about six feet long when stretched for a full-sized hammock, and then to put on each end strings about two feet long, reaching from each end mesh to an iron ring about an inch and a half in diameter, to which the ropes for swinging it are to be attached. These strings can be put on in the same manner as the meshes are knit by simply substituting a piece of board about 2 feet long and 3 or 4 inches wide for the mesh board and using it lengthwise.