562 



NET-MAKING. 



other (marked 1 and 2 in the illustration). 

 In the bight of No. 2 make No. 3, and in 

 that of No. 1 make No. 4. This last is the 

 first corner mesh. Next make No. 5 (also in 

 the bight of No. 1), the two knots lying 

 on top of one another, and Nos. 6, 7, etc., as 

 shown. The widening process is repeated at 

 the end of each row, until the net has reached 

 any desired width. This done, it becomes 

 necessary to " narrow " at one side, and this 

 is effected by taking the last stitch of the row 

 through two meshes, instead of taking two 

 stitches through one mesh, as is done in widen- 

 ing. Fig. 8 a shows the course of the needle in 



narrowing, and I shows the completed cor- 

 ner. In order to prevent mistakes, it is well 

 to tie a bit of colored cord or other mark at 

 the edge where the widening stitch is to be 

 taken. The rows are now made uniformly 

 back and forth, until the desired length is 

 reached, when " narrowing " takes place at 

 both edges, until the fourth and last corner is 

 reached. It will be noted that there is an ap- 

 parent contradiction of terms in the foregoing 

 directions. The diagonal rows are made paral- 

 lel with the edge of the net, while the square 

 rows are made diagonally. The result, how- 

 ever, is as shown (Figs. 9 and 10). 



There is a more rapid way of making the 

 hand-stitch than that here described, but it is 

 not uracticable to illustrate it, though it is 



easily learned by example. The stitch as de- 

 scribed, however, is believed to produce firmer 

 and more uniform work than the other. 



A scoop, circular, or bag net, is begun in the 

 same way as the square -meshed net described 

 above. When a square of sufficient size has 

 been made, say, six or eight inches, the netting 

 becomes continuous, going round and round 

 the square until any desired size is reached. 

 Widening or narrowing may be effected wher- 

 ever necessary, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. 

 This is the regulation fisherman's scoop; but 

 it is possible to make a similar net by fasten- 

 ing a number of meshes together at the out- 

 set, and then netting round and round upon 

 them, widening as the net grows. All nets of 

 this kind are made by hand, no machinery 

 having been invented for doing the work. 



The nets thus far described are made with 

 twine, whose length is limited only by the 

 amount that the needle will hold. The new 

 needleful is attached by a knot, as in Fig. 2. 



In the case of a hammock, when the strain 

 is uniformly in one direction, the ordinary 

 stitch may be taken with the end of the new 

 thread, on top of the knot last made. The loose 

 ends should not be cut off close until their 

 firmness is proved. In case of a mistake, or a 

 break in the body of the net, the faulty meshes 

 may be cut out and new ones made in their 

 place, in a manner that will suggest itself to 

 any one who has learned the regular stitch. 



In a netted hammock the long cords or 

 *' guys " that support the ends are merely en- 

 larged meshes. They are best made of a uni- 

 form size and length by winding the twine 

 round and round the mesh-stick a sufficient 

 number of times to insure the required length 

 before taking the usual stitch. When making 

 the rows, a number of meshes may be carried 

 on the stick at once. In other words, it is not 

 necessary to slip each mesh off from the stick 

 as soon as it is made. 



In pulling the knots tight, the fingers are 

 soon cut or chafed by the thread, unless a glove 

 is worn. This maybe omitted, however, if the 

 pull is delivered with the hand grasping the 

 needle and thread, and the needle pointing di- 

 rectly at the knot last made. 



Machine-made nets differ from hand-made 

 in that one thread or set of threads, carried on 

 bobbins, forms the warp, while another set 

 forms the woof. A net-making machine was 

 patented in England as early as 1778, but not 





FIG. 9. DIAGONAL MESH FOR SEINES, HAMMOCKS, ETC. FIG. 10. SQUARE MESH, TOR TENNIS-NETS, ETO. 



