RAFFIA 



4914 



RAIKES 



together, thus making a loop at the center. 

 Hold the stick horizontally in the left hand; 

 then bring the loop over the top of th- 

 from the ! - the two ends up 



through the loop, pulling them down until the 

 loop is held tightly agaiiis-t the .-tick l Fig. D. 

 In the same way loop the other seventeen 

 strands on the stick N Brands 



notted together. Brninning at the 

 left, leave one strand ha: Knot the 



second and third strands. Hold the two strands 

 togeth- :p and around to the 



hack, k of the two strands and 



through the loop to the front; thru pull the 

 iown into place. The knot should he 

 about one-half inch from the pencil. Continue 

 in the y with the fourth and fifth 



FIG. 2 

 Letters are explained in the text. 



strands, the sixth and seventh, etc. One strand 

 will thus be left hanging free on the right side, 

 corresponding to the one on the left. 



In knotting the second row, leave two strands 

 free on each side. For each row of knots leave 

 another strand free at each side until the knots 

 form a V-shaped net. Now slip out the stick 

 from the loops, and in its place pull through 

 several >t rands of raffia braided together. Next 

 knot together the first loose strand at the right 

 with the first loose strand at the left; then the 

 second pair, and so on until the loose strands 

 are all knotted (6). Nothing remains now but 

 to close up the bottom of the holder by tying 

 it with a strand of raffia. Then cut the ends 

 of the strands to a uniform length. The result 

 -rful and ornamental article (c). Similar 

 bags may be made by knotting for example, 

 a workbag. 



Exercise 2. To make a simple mat, first 

 select ten to fifteen strands of raffia to form the 

 rope or filling. Fig. 2 shows the processes. 

 Coil the large end of the strands as illustrated 

 (a), beginning about an inch from the end with 

 a strand of raffia already threaded through a 

 needle. Then turn the coil on itself, and put 

 the needle directly through the coil and sew 

 through the rope, as shown in (b). Then wind 

 the rope with the threaded strand for about 



one-third or one-fourth of an inch; sow again 

 through the rope. The stitches must be kept 

 pointing toward the center, as in (c). The 

 closer the stitches and the more tightly wound 

 the coil, the wronger will he the mat. As 

 the strands of the rope grow smaller, a few 

 threads may he added at a lime and wound 

 carefully to conceal the ends. To finish the 

 mat, let the coil of strands gradually thin out, 

 so the end may be as inconspicuous as possible. 



Such a mat may be used as the bottom of a 

 basket. It may he varied by using colored 

 strands in simple patterns. As the children 

 grow older and more expert, more complicated 

 patterns may be introduced, but even the 

 youngest children in a school can use some 

 pattern. w.F.z. 



Books devoted entirely to raffia weaving may 

 be procured from any school supply house, at 

 prices rariKintf from ten cents to fifty cents. 



RAG 'WEED, a garden weed which grows 

 along roads, in fields, and in other waste 

 places. It is from one to three feet high, with 

 a coarse, fibrous stem; flat, many-sectioned 

 leaves, and small, greenish, insignificant flow- 

 ers. It is common throughout North America. 

 Roman wormwood or hogwccd is often called 

 ragweed. The latter is found on river banks 

 and grows to a considerable height, sometimes 

 found as high as twelve feet, with three-lobed 

 leaves. The pollen of the true ragweed is sup- 

 posed to cause hay fever. English ragwort is 

 also sometimes called ragweed. See HAY 

 FEVER. 



RAHWAY, raw' way, N. J., an attractive 

 residential city of beautiful parks, handsome 

 homes and clean streets, which many people en- 

 gaged in business in the larger cities in the 

 vicinity have made their home. It is in Union 

 County, on the Rahway River, four miles from 

 its mouth, and nineteen miles southwest of 

 New York City by way of the Pennsylvania 

 Railroad. Interurban lines communicate with 

 cities and towns north and south. Rahway has 

 a large trade in fruits and vegetables and in 

 the products of its various manufacturing 

 plants, which include steel works, carriage and 

 automobile factories, steel and chemical works, 

 and factories for making shirts, lace curtains 

 and felt. The city has a good public school 

 system and a library with about 20,000 vol- 

 umes. In 1910 the population was 9,337; it had 

 increased to 10,219 (Federal estimate) in 1916. 

 The area exceeds four square miles. 



RAIKES, rayks, ROBERT (1735-1811), the 

 founder of one of the most influential religious 



