Chapter 4: General Instructions

=1. How to Change from Single or Double Stitch to Triple Stitch.=

Wind across the rake and back, crossing the yarn. There are now three threads on the nails. Lift the lowest thread over the upper two threads and off the nails.

=2. How to Change from Triple Stitch to Single or Double Stitch.=

Lift the lower two threads together over the upper thread and off the nails.

=3. How to Cast Off Stitches in Shaping Garments.=

Lift the stitch from one nail onto the next in the other row.

Lift the stitch already on this nail over the new one, and off the nail.

=4. How to Add Stitches in Shaping Garments.=

Wind one or more of the empty nails according to directions, when the end of the row of stitches is reached. Wind back across the rake and knit these new stitches in the same way as the others.

=5. How to Cast Off Knitting from the Rake.=

There are two ways to do this.

1. Leave a length of yarn, when cutting off the ball, long enough to knit once across the rake.

Beginning at the opposite end of the rake, with a large knitting needle lift a stitch first from one row of nails and then from the other until all the stitches are on the needle.

Then cast off as in ordinary knitting. (See directions in any book on knitting.)

2. Another way is to take off the stitch from the first nail with a crochet hook, then the stitch from the first nail in the other row, and draw this one through the stitch already on the hook. Then take off the next and draw it through the stitch on the hook, and so on until all the stitches have been crocheted from the rake.[3]

It will be found that sometimes, with certain yarns, this makes a very tight edge. In this case it is better to use the length of yarn left hanging, and having lifted off two stitches, instead of drawing the second through the first, draw a loop of the yarn through both, leaving this loop on the hook. (This is called a slip stitch.) Take off the next stitch and repeat. Continue until all the stitches have been crocheted from the rake.

[3] Be sure always to take a stitch first from one row of nails and then from the other.

=6. How to Take Up the Loose Stitches at the Beginning of the Knitting.=

Examine a piece of knitting that has just been cast off the rake.

It will be observed that the last row is much tighter than the first.

To take up these loose stitches at the beginning, crochet once across, using the slip stitch described in paragraph 2 of section 5 of this chapter.

=7. How to Sew Garments Together.=

Use one strand of yarn and a short darning or tapestry needle. Match the stitches, take up one thread on each side, and do not draw the yarn too tightly.

=8. How to Make Buttonholes.=

Cast stitches off two to six nails, depending on the size of the buttonhole to be made, beginning at the sixth nail from the edge. Add these nails again in the very next row of knitting.

Crochet around the buttonholes with a single stitch or finish with a buttonhole stitch, using one strand of yarn.

Loops may be made instead of buttonholes by crocheting along the edge to be fastened, leaving loops of chain-stitch long enough to go over the button.

=9. How to Determine the Quantity of Yarn Required for Any Pattern.=

Some yarns work up more quickly than others, and some stretch more.

This difference in yarns makes it impossible to give exact quantities required for any pattern which would apply to all brands of yarn, or to give the exact number of nails that must be used to knit a given width.

Therefore the size of the finished garment is indicated instead. Where a quantity is given, it is only approximately estimated from the kinds of yarn I have used.

Select a good brand of yarn, and find out by experiment how far one ounce will go. Choose the rake you are going to use. Knit a piece 6 or 12 inches wide. Make a note of the number of nails it takes. With this as a guide it will not be difficult to estimate the amount of yarn needed for any of the patterns in this pamphlet. It is always better to get a little too much than not to have enough. It is often difficult to match a yarn, particularly at local stores.

=10. How to Adapt the Patterns for Smaller or Larger Garments.=

The measurements are given on each pattern. It will readily be seen that these can be changed to make the garment smaller or larger.

Having made the experiment suggested in section 9, and having found out how many nails it takes to knit a piece 6 or 12 inches wide, with a given kind of yarn, it will not be difficult to find out how many nails to use in knitting the size garment desired.

=11. How to Make Other Patterns.=

Almost any simple, straight-line garment can be knitted on a rake.

Make an outline drawing of the garment as it will look before the seams are sewed together.

Decide upon the measurements, length, width, etc.

Having made the experiment suggested in section 9, it will not be difficult to work out the new pattern.