I 860 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
369 
Elementary Instructions in Plain and 
Fancy Work—Simple Knitting.No. I. 
BY MARIAN M. PULLAN. 
[It is with pleasure that we introduce to the readers of 
the Agriculturist a lady whose writings on needlework 
have long been reckoned as standard. The thousands of 
ladies, particularly the younger ones, who read these 
pages, will be pleased to have the opportunity of profiting 
by the instructions of one who has had years of experi¬ 
ence in devising and describing every kind of plain and 
fancy work. Many articles now only procurable in cit¬ 
ies, and at high prices, can thus be made by their own 
hands, and pleasant, profitable employment be afforded for 
their leisure hours. We trust these articles will be found 
both pleasing and profitable.—E d.] 
We commence with, a description of plain 
knitting, by which those who have not been 
taught the art, can easily learn it. Many useful 
things besides stockings are made with this 
stitch, one of which is described in this article. 
The implements are knitting needles—with 
cotton, wool, silk, twine, or any other material 
in long lengths. Of course, for warm articles, 
winter socks, gloves, scarfs, hoods, and such 
things, wool must be supplied: the softer, thick¬ 
er, and less twisted, the better: but homespun 
will do for warmth as well as any other. 
The knitting needles are made of wood, ivory, 
bone, or steel. Wooden ones, which are as 
good as ivory, can be made by the boys, who 
will, no doubt, be pleased to aid their sisters. 
They should be of equal thickness throughout, 
smooth, and not liable to splinter. The size of 
Fig. 1—New Pattern for a Sontag—front view. 
an ordinary pen-holder is a very useful one: a 
pair of needles of that thickness, about 16 to 18 
inches long, smoothly pointed at one end, and 
with a knob at the other to keep the stitches 
from slipping off, would do nicely for almost any 
article made in Double Zephyr wool, or yam of 
equal thickness. 
Double Zephyr wool has eight threads in thick¬ 
ness: single Zephyr, half that number. This 
material is sometimes called single and double 
Berlin wool, because the best comes from Prus¬ 
sia, of which country Berlin is the capital city. 
If homespun wool, or worsted has to be used, 
it should either be as thick as double Berlin, or 
it must be wound and used double. 
For single wool, needles should be about 
half the thickness named above. Sometimes 
long ones are required: but as these are awk¬ 
ward for small articles, it is better to have a 
pair about 9 inches and another about 18 indi¬ 
es long, both with knobs at the ends. Also a 
set of four thin ones, pointed at each end, is 
useful for such things as are to be knitted round. 
Steel ones can be had of this thickness; but 
those of wood are so much lighter they are much 
pleasanter to work with. To try if the needles 
of a pair are the same size, pierce a hole with 
one, in a stout card, and run the others through 
it. The least difference in thickness will then 
be observed. Common steel knitting needles 
often have very sharp, sudden points, which 
hurt the fore-finger of the left hand in knitting. 
These should be ground down, and gradually 
tapered , which will make them much pleasanter 
1 to work with. 
The process of plain knitting.—To cast on .—This 
is done with two needles. Make a loop with 
your finger and thumb, near the end of the wool: 
slip it over the forefinger of the left hand, and 
holding a needle in the right hand, slip the point 
in the loop; pass the thread from the back, be¬ 
tween the finger and loop, and to the front, and 
bend the needle, so as to bring this thread in a 
loop over the needle. Tighten the loop that 
was roimd the finger, and the first stitch is made. 
Take the other needle in the right hand, and 
the one with the stitch on, in the left. The right 
hand needle is held lightly between the finger 
and thumb, resting over hand between them. 
The wool twisted lightly around the little finger, 
passing under the third and middle fingers, 
and slanting over the nail of the forefinger, 
which is held close to the point of the needle. 
This needle rests against the thumb, which 
should not move while the row is in progress. 
The left hand needle is held, on the contrary, 
under the hand, resting against all the fingers, 
and the outer edge. It is held between the mid¬ 
dle finger and the thumb, and the forefinger is 
kept near the point, to slip the stitches up. It 
is the delicate touch of this finger which enables 
us to distinguish without examination, between 
one sort of stitch and another; and to learn to 
knit in the dark, or, at least, without trying the 
eyes. Do not push the needles too far through, 
in knitting. It is better to have the stitches as 
near the points as they safely can be, for the 
motion is then less, and the work proceeds 
more rapidly. 
To continue the casting on .—The loop formed 
on the right hand needle, is slipped on the left 
hand also, that needle being brought forward 
(toward you) and inserted in it. It is then on 
both. Again bring the thread round the right 
hand needle, and make another. Let the left 
hand needle be put in that also, which makes 
three: and continue as before, until you have as 
many as you want. When the number of 
stitches are cast on, take the right hand needle, 
and insert it in every stitch successively, from 
the front, so that the point is behind that of the 
left hand, pass the wool round it, and bend it 
forward through the loop, making a new one of 
the thread just passed round. At the end of 
the row, when all the stitches have been”trans¬ 
ferred to the right hand needle, exchange the 
places of the two, and repeat. 
To increase at the end of a row .—The last stitch 
being knitted, and the left hand needle with¬ 
drawn, insert it again, from the back, in the 
loop just knitted, and knit it over again, so that 
actually two stitches are knitted on one loop. 
To take up the stitches at the edge .—Merely take 
up the loose loop at each line, between the ridges, 
and knit it as a stitch. 
To make a stitch at the beginning of a row, do it 
as if casting on an extra stitch. 
To cast off .—Knit two stitches, loosely. Draw 
the first over the second. Knit another. Draw 
it also over : continue so to the end, then cut 
off the thread a few inches from the work, and 
draw it through the last stitch. 
To join two threads .—The only safe knot is made 
thus : Hold the two ends crossed, the new be¬ 
hind the old, between the finger and thumb of 
the left hand. Pass the thread from the ball 
round the first joint of the thumb, under the new 
end, and over the other, which bend back over 
it, under the loop, and holding the two ends in 
opposite directions, draw the loop tight. Then 
you may cut the ends short, and the more it is 
pulled the tighter it is. 
THE SONTAG. 
This is a sort of woolen habit-shirt, to be 
worn under the cloak, or in the house over the 
dress. It is a comfortable garment, and may be 
made at home. It is knit with the ordinary stitch 
in the following manner : Cast on five stitches. 
Knit backward and forward, increasing one at 
the end of every row, until 86 stitches are on 
the needle. This is the back. 
Now knit only half, leaving the other 48 
stitches on the needle. At the end of the row 
Fig. 3—The Sontag opened out—re, the neck. 
terminating in the needles, decrease by knitting 
two together, as one. At the end of the alter¬ 
nate rows make one, until you have done sixty 
rows. Cast off loosely. This is one front. Do 
the other the same. As you have no end to 
knit the thread on, in beginning the second half, 
just knit as usual, leaving an end of six inches, 
and next time you come there, knit the two 
threads together as one. 
The border, is prettier when made of a different 
color. Take up all the stitches along the two 
cast off ends and the neck, and knit in one row, 
increasing one at the end of every row, and also 
increasing one at each point of the neck iu the 
alternate rows, by bringing the thread in front, 
and knitting the next stitch as usual. Do 12 
rows, then cast off. 
Take up the stitches along the outer edges, 
and knit the same, increasing one, in the alter¬ 
nate rows, each side of the 5 foundation, and al¬ 
so working six, at intervals, over the shoulders, 
and one at the end of eveiy row. Do 12 rows, 
cast off loosely. Join the sloping ends; fasten 
off the ends. Work spots at intervals across 
the center of the border, with the same wool as 
the ground of the habit-sliirt. 
Put an elastic band at the back, to go round 
the waist, fastened with a hook and eye in front, 
crossing the ends over the chest. It makes a 
warm and not cumbrous wrapper under a mantle. 
