THE 
WOOD CARVING AND PYROGRAPHY. 
CRAFTS 
LEATHER AND METAL. 
BASKETRY, ETC. 
Under the inanagement of Miss Emily Peacock, 6 Brevoort Place, Brooklyn, N. Y. All inquiries in regard to the 
Crafts arc to be sent to the above address, but ivill be ansivered in the niagarnnc under this head. 
BASKETRY— KNOT STITCH 
Ava M. Frochlich 
THE k'liot stitch is aLs(.) known as tlie kice or knit stitch. 
It is in reahty a coil l^ouncl b\' the material gi\'ing the 
effect of a knotted lace, knit or crochet work. 
Many different materials ma3' be used as a foundation for 
this effective stitch, much depending upon the size and shajje 
of the basket. 
Roimd reed of any size may be used. A very small reed 
worked with a fine strand of raffia malccs a closely woven 
basket of beautiful texture, liut it will require time and 
patience. 
Half round reed, sweet grass, soft coils of any size, such as 
imperfect grasses, second quality raffia, com husk, jute roping, 
heavj^ twine, are, when firmly worked, very well adapted to 
these coil stitches. ._^ 
Fis.n 
Start coil as in Lazy >Squaw stitch and begin the Icnot after 
binding the centre firmlj'- as in Fig. HI. 
This is one of two ways of making the lace stitch : 
Wind the rattan b with raffia a for the space of one quarter 
of an inch toward the right. Bring the needle through from 
the back, catching under the preceeding row to bind the new 
coil to the last one. Throw the raffia over the new coil and 
then bring it forward underneath at the right of the binding 
stitch. Place it in front of this stitch and through to the back 
at the left of it. This completes the knot and we are ready 
to wind the coil for a (|uarter of an inch and proceed as Ijefore, 
keeping the stitches as c\cn as j3ossible (Fig. IV.) 
l\Ian\- will prefer working toward the left. The order of 
procedure is then re\'ersed. 
Wind the raffia over the coil toward the left (Fig. V.) 
Loop the raffia over the new coil, after catching the binding 
stitch into the last coil, bring it underneath this coil forward at 
the left, over the stitch in front, through to the back at the 
right of it. 
*--<=**>«i*iaaF'Vj/ 
I'g. I 
Plan the shape and the decoration of the basket as in 
Fig. I. Decide how many units are to appear as a design. 
Lay out the top view of the basket bj^ dividing the circle into as 
many parts as there are units similar to Fig. II. Compare the 
plan frequently with the work and where the color is to appear, 
splice the raffia as explained in Lazy Squaw stitch, Keramic 
vStudio for December 1903. 
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Use few colors. Two colors coml)ined with the natural 
raffia, such as two shades of brown, or brown and orange, or 
black and red, will be more effective than the use of more 
colors. 
MATERIAL FOR KNOT STITCH BASKET SIX I.XCHES IX DIAMETER. 
Rattan reeds, No. 3. Needle large enough to hold hal 
one strand of ralfia, and best qualit3' of raffia. 
f of 
\\'ind coil as before and continue. 
AA'hen the design is to appear, count the stitches in the last 
row and begin the design at regular intervals, allowing a little 
for irregularities in the raffia, keeping as close to the plan as 
possible. Change where the plan will not fit the number of 
stitches. 
A profile as in Fig. \'l cut from .stiff" paper is an excellent 
guide in keeping the shajjc. 
