Insertion – Plain stitches and overs

Basic Knitting Techniques

Knitting is one of the earliest forms of needlework, and one, which has been carried to the highest perfection. It would be difficult to invent new stitches or patterns and, we shall therefore confine ourselves to describing the stitches in general use, and reproducing those of the old patterns we consider the most useful, that our readers may make their own selection.

In former days, knitting served mainly for the manufacture of stockings, and even now, in spite of machines, handknit stockings, and numberless other useful and ornamental articles, such as shawls, counterpanes, cradle–coverings, gloves, laces etc. are in great request.

Besides its practical use, knitting is an easy and pleasant pastime that can be taken up at odd minutes and even carried on, whilst talking, or reading.

Knitting consists of loops, or stitches, as they are generally called, formed by means of a thread and two needles.

In round knitting, four, or five needles are necessary for the better handling of the work.

Through the loops formed in knitting, being connected together in unbroken continuity, a very elastic fabric is produced, which is specially suitable for making warm, and closely–fitting wearing–apparel.

MATERIALS

Threads with a slight twist, such as Coton à tricoter D.M.C, are the best. With regard to the thickness of the needles, whether they be of steel, wood, or bone, your choice must be determined by the quality of the thread used.

The accompanying table is intended to help inexperienced knitters to match their needles and thread, we advisedly say, help, as it is impossible exactly to determine the numbers that will correspond, because every hand knits differently, and a loose knitter has to use finer needles than a tight knitter.

Other materials are enumerated here, besides, what is properly speaking, called knitting–cotton, as for caps, lace edgings, insertions and so forth, finer kinds of thread and threads with a stronger twist which show up the pattern better, should be used.

POSITION OF THE HANDS IN KNITTING

Lay the thread over the fifth finger of the right hand, and twist it round it, then carry it over the forefinger, which should be kept close to the work, the work being held between the third finger and the thumb. The left hand remains more or less inactive, having merely, by a slight movement of the forefinger to pass the loops, in succession, on to the needle in the right hand, which forms the stitches. This position of the hands, which is the one usually adopted in England and France, is the one represented in our illustration. The Germans on the contrary, lay the thread over the left hand, and can move the hands much more quickly, in consequence. There are some ways of casting on, which can only be done in the German fashion.

To prevent the irregularity in stitches, the needles should never be allowed to protrude more than 1 or 1½ c0m, from the work. All exaggerated movement of the arms, which renders knitting a very tiring occupation, should be avoided.

[FIG. 341. POSITION OF THE HANDS IN KNITTING]

CASTING ON

Casting, or, setting on, as it is sometimes called, is the formation of the first row of stitches which are to constitute the foundation of the work.

There are four methods of casting on:

crossed casting on, done in four different ways;
knitting on;
slipping on, also done in two ways;
casting on with picots.

CROSSED CASTING ON WITH A SINGLE THREAD

Lay the thread over your fingers as though you were beginning a chain of plain stitches, fig. 403, leaving a long end, sufficient to make the number of stitches required, lying within the palm of the hand. Put the needle in from below, into the loop on the thumb, and pass it from right to left under that part of the thread which lies between the forefinger and the thumb. Then bring the thread through the loop on the thumb, draw the thumb out, and lay the loop on the needle. In making the next stitches, lay the thread over the thumb, so that the end lies outside. Put in the needle under the front thread and complete the stitch as before. This method of casting on is generally done over two needles, one of them being drawn out before the knitting–off is begun, to ensure a loose edge.

[FIG. 342. CROSSED CASTING ON WITH A SINGLE THREAD]

CROSSED CASTING ON WITH A THREEFOLD THREAD

This method is similar to the last, only that the thread is taken threefold and is drawn by the needle through the loop, which is formed at the bend of the thread. Then you pass the single thread over the left hand, and the triple one over the thumb, as shown in fig. 342, and make the same stitches, as above. The threefold thread makes a broad chain at the bottom of the loops.

DOUBLE CROSSED CASTING ON

This can be done either with a single or a threefold thread. In our drawing it is done with the latter. The first stitch is made as we have already described, only that you have to keep the loop on your thumb, put the needle into it a second time, lay hold of the thread behind, cast on a second stitch, and then only, withdraw your thumb. In this manner two loops are made at once, close together.

[FIG. 343. DOUBLE CROSSED CASTING ON]

CROSSED CASTING ON, FORMING A CHAIN

Begin by making one such stitch, as we have described in fig. 341; for the second and following stitches, bring the end of the thread to the inside of the palm of the hand, so that it lies between the thumb and the forefinger.

[FIG. 344. CROSSED CASTING ON, FORMING A CHAIN]

(2) KNITTING ON STITCHES

Begin with a plain crossed stitch; then take the thread and the needle in the left hand, a second needle in the right, and catch it into the stitch on the left needle, lay the thread under the right needle and draw it through in a loop, through the loop on the left needle. Then transfer it as a fresh stitch to the left needle; catch the needle into this second stitch, and draw the thread through it, to form the third, and so on.

This method of casting on is used for articles, that are to have a double edge, (see figs, 355, 356), because stitches, made in this way, are easier to pick up than the tighter ones; but it should not be used, where it will form the actual edge, as the loops are always too open.

[FIG. 345. KNITTING ON STITCHES]

(3) CASTING ON WITH SLIP LOOPS

Begin by casting on one loop in the ordinary way, next, lay the thread, as in German knitting, over the left hand, twisting it once only round the forefinger, then put the needle in, upwards from below, under the thread that lies on the outside of the forefinger; draw out the finger from the loop, put the loop on the needle to the right, take the thread on the forefinger again, and so on.

[FIG. 346. CASTING ON WITH SLIP LOOPS]

CASTING ON WITH DOUBLE SLIP LOOPS

Begin by casting on a stitch in the ordinary way, then lay the thread over the forefinger, the reverse way, so that it crosses between, not outside the hand and the body of the knitter. Pass the needle upwards from below, under the inside thread, and slip this thread as a loop on to the needle. Continue to cast on, inserting the needle under the front and back threads alternately. This method is specially suitable for open patterns, where you have to increase several times, in succession.

[FIG. 347. CASTING ON WITH DOUBLE SLIP LOOPS]

(4) CASTING ON WITH PICOTS

Cast on two stitches in the ordinary way and turn the work. Lay the thread over the needle, put the needle into the first stitch, from right to left, and slip it on to the right needle, knit off the second stitch plain, and draw the slipped one over it.

[FIG. 348. CASTING ON WITH PICOTS]

Cast on as many stitches as you want in this manner and then pick up the picots thus formed, with an auxiliary needle, and knit them off like ordinary stitches.

This method of casting on may be varied thus in the following manner: having cast on the stitches as in fig. 348, throw the thread over the needle and knit two stitches together.

PLAIN STITCH

This is the easiest stitch and the first which a knitter has to learn. It is executed as follows: Put the right–hand needle in, upwards from below, under the front part of the first stitch on the left–hand needle, lay the thread from right to left under the needle, draw it through the loop, and drop the loop off the left needle.

[FIG. 349. PLAIN STITCH]

Plain knitting is employed wherever a perfectly smooth, even surface is required. It looks quite differently on the wrong side from what it does on the right where it presents the appearance of vertical rows of plaiting.

BACK, OR SEAM–STITCH

You may intentionally knit the wrong side of plain knitting. This is called purling and is done, in the following way: lay the thread over the left needle, and put the right one, downwards from above, behind the thread, into the loop on the left needle, lay the thread upwards from below, over the right needle, draw it through the loop, and drop the loop off the left needle. This stitch is used in knitting patterns, and for marking horizontal lines in smooth surfaces, such as the seam of a stocking, for instance.

[FIG. 350. BACK OR SEAM–STITCH]

PLAIN STITCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND

Put the needle in from right to left, under the back part of the stitch; leave the thread behind the needle, then pass it from right to left over the needle and draw it through the stitch.

[FIG. 351. PLAIN STITCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND]

BACK, OR SEAM–STITCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND

Put the needle into the second part of the stitch, upwards from below, and knit it as a back or seam–stitch.

[FIG. 352. BACK OR SEAM–STITCH TAKEN FROM BEHIND]

In plain stitch, taken from behind, the two threads of the loop are crossed, instead of lying side by side, as they do in plain knitting.

Back–stitch taken from behind, is only used for certain open–work patterns.

OVERS

These form holes in plain knitting, and are used for open–work patterns and for increasing.

[FIG. 353. OVERS]

To make an over, lay the thread over the needle, and in the next row, knit this loop like any other stitch.

Each over adds one to the existing number of stitches. In cases, therefore, where the number is to remain the same, you have to make as many intakes as overs. Overs can only be used in conjunction with other stitches.

KNOT STITCH

This forms a raised spot in plain knitting and is executed as follows: knit 1, and leave it on the left–hand needle; put the stitch you have made with the right needle back on the left, and knit it off. Make 4 or 5 similar stitches, all issuing from the same stitch on the left needle, so that you have 4 or 5 loops on the right needle; then drop the stitch off the left needle, and pull the 4 first loops over the last one.

[FIG. 354. KNOT STITCH]

CABLE OR CHAIN STITCH

Chain stitches are used for strengthening and equalizing the edges of articles that are made in stripes. They can be made in two ways; either, you knit off all the stitches on one needle, turn the work, put the needle into the first stitch, as if you were going to knit it from the back, and take it off the left needle without knitting it, the thread to lie behind the needle; or, you knit off all the stitches on one needle, turn the work, and knit off the first stitch.

THE NAMES OF THE STITCHES

Out of the stitches that have been already described, other stitches are formed, which, as they are frequently alluded to in knitting directions, we shall here enumerate, explaining all the terms, usually employed in such directions.

OVER, OR INCREASE

Explained in fig. 353. Throwing the thread once over the right needle.

DOUBLE OVER, OR TWO INCREASES

Throwing the thread twice over the needle.

PLAIN INTAKE

Knitting two stitches together plain. This is done when the intake is to lie from left to right.

PURLED INTAKE

Purling two stitches together. This is done to make the stitches, that are knitted together, visible; or in the case of a piece of work composed of stripes, on the wrong side, when the intake is to lean to the right, on the right side.

PLAIN DECREASE, TAKEN FROM BEHIND

Knitting off two stitches together, plain from behind. This is done when the intake is to lie to the left.

PURLED DECREASE, TAKEN FROM BEHIND

Purling two stitches together, from behind. This is done when, in articles composed of stripes, the decrease has to be made on the wrong side, and is to lie to the left on the right side.

PULLING OVER

Slipping a stitch from the left needle to the right without knitting it, knitting the next plain, and pulling the slipped stitch over the knitted one. In this manner two or three stitches can be pulled over the knitted one.

CASTING OFF

To prevent the stitches from unravelling they are finished off in the following manner. Knit off two plain, pull the first over the second and drop it, so that only one remains on the needle. Knit the next stitch, and pull the one behind over it, and so on. This chain of stitches, must neither be too tight, nor too loose, but just as elastic as the rest of the work.

NEXT CHAPTER: KNITTING PATTERNS