Cycling and Shooting Knickerbocker Stockings.

by H. P. Ryder.

HOW TO KNIT KNICKERBOCKER STOCKINGS

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

The difficulty in giving knitting directions arises from no two people knitting alike. Some do so too loosely, others too tightly. In good work the loops should just run easily on the needles.

In order to secure your stocking being the right size, it will be well before you start it to test your knitting by casting on 8 st.i.tches and knitting 8 rows. If, with Alloa yarn and No. 12 needles, the knitting measures about a square inch, your stocking will work out medium size.

If, however, the square is much larger or smaller, then alter the size of needles to suit your knitting, taking bigger or smaller needles as required. _This is a very important point to attend to._ The directions given are for a medium-sized stocking, both in length and width. Any one who has knitted a stocking by them will see at _once_ how easy it is to enlarge or diminish the size.

_How to join Wool_

Never make a knot, but knit a few st.i.tches with both wools. The extra thickness never shows, and the ends may be cut off close with impunity.

_Raising_

It is helpful and saves much counting, if, when you raise or decrease, you knit along with the wool, on that st.i.tch _only_, a piece of fine white wool or thread. It is easily withdrawn afterwards, but it enables you to see at a glance which is your back needle, and the last time you raised or decreased.

You _raise_, by putting your needle before knitting next st.i.tch through the loop below, in reality the st.i.tch of the last round, and drawing the wool through it. You must be very careful not to make a hole, a slight twist as you take up the st.i.tch prevents this.

_Tops in Fingering_

When you knit with two wools, carrying them on at the back, the knitting is much more even if one colour, say the dark, is knitted with wool from right hand in the usual English way, but keep the lighter coloured wool over finger on _left_ hand, and take it up as the Germans always knit. This sounds troublesome, but is really quite easy with a little practice.

Another simple but useful direction in knitting with wool carried on at the back I must give.

When you knit 6 or more st.i.tches with one colour, to avoid too long a loop at the back, which is apt to get pulled, at the 3rd or 4th st.i.tch lay the wool you are _not_ using level with your needle so as to come above or rather _between_ the needle and the wool you are going to knit with. When the st.i.tch is knitted, you will find the wool caught lightly through at the back.

KNICKERBOCKER STOCKING WITH FANCY TOP. NO. 1.

_Required._--4 needles No. 12, tested by Walker's Bell Gauge, 3 cuts of Alloa yarn (heather mixture), cut of red to correspond.

K stands for knit, P for purl.

With heather mixture cast on 78 st.i.tches, 26 on each needle. Knit 4 rounds of k 1, p 1 alternately.

Purl two rounds.

In the next round you use the two colours alternately. Don't break off the wool until directed to do so.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

1st pattern round.--With red wool, k 4. Heather wool k 2, but in knitting these put the wool _twice_ round the needle instead of once as in ordinary knitting; this is done to lengthen the st.i.tch. Repeat.

2nd round.--_Red_ wool, k 4, slip the 2 knitted st.i.tches on to the same needle, letting the wool drop to make a long st.i.tch. When you slip, put in needle, as if to purl, from right to left. Repeat.

3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds.--Same as 2nd.

6th round.--_Heather_ wool. Knit all.

7th and 8th rounds.--Purl all.

9th round.--_Red_ wool, k 1, *, _heather_ wool, k 2, putting wool _twice_ round needle, _red_ wool, k 4, repeat from *, end with k 3 _red_ wool.

10th, 11th, 12th and 13th rounds.--_Red_ wool, k 1, *, slip 2, k 4, repeat from *, end with k 3.

14th round.--_Heather_ wool. Knit all.

15th and 16th rounds.--Purl all.

Repeat from 1st round _once_ more.

Repeat up to 9th round _once_.

You will have 5 coloured squares. Break off red wool.

With heather wool k 1, p 1 alternately every round until your stocking measures, from casting on, a length of _six_ inches.

_Stocking Leg_

Before beginning to rib the stocking leg, you must turn what you have knitted inside out to make the fancy top fall over correctly. Do this and arrange your st.i.tches as follows. Place 31 on 1st needle, which will be called the _back_ or heel needle, 24 on the 2nd, 23 on the 3rd needle.

1st round.--P 2, k 2, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 3, knit 2 together, k 3, knit 2 together, k 1, *, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 9, repeat from *.

You will have 29 st.i.tches on back needle, 76 in all.

2nd round.--* P 2, k 2, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 9, repeat from *.

This ribbing broad and narrow alternately is carried down the leg. In future, directions are only given for the increasings and decreasings made on the 1st or back needle.

Repeat the 2nd round until your stocking measures from casting on _eight_ inches.

_To increase for Calf of Leg_

1st round.--Back needle. P 2, k 2, p 2, k 2, p 2, k 2, raise 1 (see general directions), knit till within 2 of end of broad rib, when raise 1, k 2, _etc._ By _etc._ please understand you are to knit the ribs according to pattern rest of round.