THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
299 
Knitted Skirts. 
These knitted skirts are especially pretty for children 
though suited as well to grown people, and the pattern 
is so simple that any one can follow it with satisfactory 
results. Either Saxony or fine Germantown yarn is the 
best for the purpose, and you will need two long bone 
or wooden needles about the size of an ordinary slate- 
pencil. Cast on some multiple of nine, governing the 
number of stitches by the width of the skirt you wish 
to make, but they must be exactly divisible by nine as 
that number is required for each figure in the pattern. 
A skirt for a baby can be knit in one breadth, but for 
larger sizes it is best to knit in two breadths and then 
sew them together when finished. Cast on the number 
of stitches you will need, and for the first row, seam 
eight and knit one, repeat this to the end of the needle; 
second row, seam two, and knit seven, repeat as before 
clear across; third row, seam six and knit three, and 
repeat; fourth row, seam four and knit five, and repeat; 
fifth row, same as the fourth ; sixth row, seam six and 
knit three, and repeat; seventh row, seam two and 
knit seven, and repeat; eighth row, seam eight and knit 
one, and repeat; knit by this pattern as deep as you 
like; then for the top, either rib, by knitting three 
stitches plain and seaming three, or knit entirely plain. 
After sewing the breadths together, cut a shallow yoke 
of muslin or flannel and sew the skirt to it. If desired, 
the skirt can be sloped by narrowing, to nearly fit the 
yoke when the plain or ribbed top is being made. 
For a child from one to two years old, instead of 
having band, knit the plain part long enough to come 
up to the shoulders, where it can be joined with a knit¬ 
ted or crocheted strip over the shoulder tip, and form a 
waist and skirt combined. Finish around neck and 
arm-holes with narrow crochet—the ribbed knitting 
will be so elastic the garment will require no opening 
in the back, but will easily slip on over the head and 
adjust itself to the figure. 
Finish the bottom of the skirt with crocheted lace, 
directions for which are given in the Cabinet for Jan¬ 
uary—or knitted lace, in July number. Both of these 
patterns are extremely pretty, but it takes less time to 
crochet an edging than to knit one. If wanted for a 
baby’s skirt, split zephyr, matching the skirt in color 
should be used for the crocheted edging as it is then 
more delicate. R. Douglass. 
Directions for Covering an Umbrella or 
Parasol. 
Re-covering an umbrella or parasol is a very simple 
matter if one knows just how to set about it. My 
suggestions, however, will be of very little use to any 
who have lost or loaned umbrellas, but intended rather 
for the many wise and economical ones, who have not 
discarded a once choice article because the cover had 
worn, but kept it on account of the beauty of the handle, 
the superiority of the frame, or, perhaps, the pleasant 
associations connected with it. 
I presume the experience of others has been similar 
to my own, and that is, you cannot rely upon the wear¬ 
ing quality of the cover because you have paid a high 
price for the umbrella, and that sun-umbrellas in these 
days are only intended for sunny weather, and if a 
sudden shower comes up, its porous covering is just 
about as useful as a sieve. These facts induced me to 
rescue from the store-room a good frame and handsome 
handle, and see if I could fit a new cover to it, and so 
give it another term of usefulness, and as I succeeded 
in my attempt so well that I covered a second one, I 
will describe my modus operandi. 
For amount of cloth, measure throftgh the centre of 
one of the sections, allowing one-half inch for bottom 
hem, and one-quarter inch for seam at the top where it 
is to be fastened to the handle (this measured eighteen 
inches on my sun-umbrella), this gives you width of 
silk to purchase and four times this measure gives you 
the length (two yards in my case). Twilled silk is best 
for the purpose, surah does nicely. It is not safe to use 
an old section for a pattern, as it has become so stretched 
by its fastening on the ribs that it is almost impossible 
to get its time measurement; but measure the exact 
width of a section at the bottom, and allow three-eighths 
of an inch each side for seam. The measure through 
the centre from the apex to hem, as described before, 
gives you the straight length. Use this measure for 
the longest straight side of your triangle, and one-lialf 
the width found for bottom of section for the other 
line forming your right angle; draw a line from the 
end of this to the end of your longest straight line to 
perfect the triangle. If the bows in your umbrella or 
parasol were somewhat rounded, round the pattern on 
the bias side very slightly by making it one-eighth of 
an inch wider exactly at the centre, curving the line so 
as to unite with the original one before either end is 
reached. This gives you the pattern for one-lialf a sec¬ 
tion. Take a doubled piece of paper with fold on the 
longest straight line, and cut the time pattern from this 
half. Compare this pattern with one of the old sections 
and you will find it nearly the same, except that the 
bias seams are not as long, but they lengthen when 
stretched over the frame. 
Place the pattern thus obtained on the silk with the 
straight edge at the selvedge; alternate from side to 
side so there will be no waste of silk, and cut out eight 
pieces; make a narrow hem along the selvedge of each, 
and baste the pieces together. Sew the seams up on the 
right side, as narrowly as the material will permit; all 
that is needed is to hold the edges together, for the real 
seam is the second one, which you sew after turning on 
the wrong side and basting carefully. If sewed on a 
lock-stitch machine, the tension must be left a little 
loose, and silk used for both sides, to make an elastic 
seam. 
Remove the cover from the old frame and the little 
rivet that holds the metal cap in place. Cut a circle 
four inches in diameter from silk or muslin; notch it on 
the edge, and make a perforation in the centre, through 
which to slip the top of the stick so that it will rest on 
the upper part of the frame and prevent the ribs from 
rubbing the cover. Thread a needle with linen and 
pass it through each seam at the top, and with the 
cover wrong side out, slip the stick in the aperture and 
draw the linen thread snugly, winding it two or three 
times around the small groove, and fasten securely. 
Turn the cover down over the frame, and with doubled 
silk thread tack the ends of each seam to the small eye 
in the end of the rib. As these seams are bias they will 
stretch down in place; each one must be fastened in 
