Wicker Arm Chair, covered with Crochet

The seat and back of this arm-chair are covered with two round couvrettes, worked in crochet with Berlin wool of two colours. They are fastened on the chair with woollen braid, finishing off with tassels of the same colour. Begin each couvrette in the centre with a foundation chain of 6 stitches, with the lightest wool; join them into a circle, and work the 1st round in the following manner:--12 double.

2nd round: * 3 chain, 1 double, in the next stitch of the 1st round, [224] inserting the needle in the upper part of the stitch; repeat from * 11 times more; at the end of this round work 1 slip stitch in the 1st chain of this round. We shall not repeat any more the repetitions from * to the end of the round.

3rd round: * 4 chain, 1 double, in the next scallop of the preceding round; at the end of the round 4 chain.

4th round: 4 double in each scallop of the preceding round.

5th round: Begin to work with the darker wool and crochet slip stitch, inserting the needle in the front chain of the stitches of the 4th round.

The 6th round is worked once more with light wool, and consists entirely of double stitch, worked by inserting the needle at the back of the stitches of the 4th round, so that the slip stitches appear raised on the right side of the work, and form a round of chain stitches. The middle part of the couvrette is then finished.

Illustration 257 shows it in full size.

7th round: * 2 chain, missing 1 stitch of the preceding round under them, 1 double.

8th round: * 3 chain, 1 double, in the next scallop of the preceding round.

9th round:3 double in each scallop.

10th round: like the 5th;

11th round: like the 6th;

12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th rounds, like the 7th--11th;

17th--19th rounds like the 7th--9th.

20th round: Alternately 1 treble with the light wool, 1 treble with the dark; but every treble stitch must be cast off with the wool of the colour of the next stitch; that is, a light treble stitch with the dark wool, and a dark treble stitch with the light wool. Now and then crochet 2 treble stitches in one stitch of the preceding round, so that the couvrette remains perfectly flat.

21st round: 1 double in every stitch.

The 22nd--31st rounds consist of a double repetition of the 7th--11th rounds.

The 32nd and 33rd rounds are made in open work like the 7th and 8th rounds.

The 34th round is worked in treble stitches like the 20th round. Then work the outer border. It consists of chain stitch scallops which are worked alternately with dark and light wool. Illustration No. 256 shows a part of the border with the treble round in full size. Work from it with the light wool 1 double on 1 light treble stitch of the preceding round, 5 chain, 1 double, on the next light treble, throw the wool off the needle and let it hang over the right side of the work; crochet with the dark wool 1 double on the treble stitch between the 2 double of this round, leave the wool on the right side of the work; 5 chain, 1 double, on the next dark treble. Take the needle again out of the loop, draw the wool on to the right side, and work the next chain stitch scallop again with the light wool.

Instead of this border, pattern No. 255 may be worked. It consists of 3 rounds to be worked after the 34th round of the couvrette.

1st round of the border: With dark wool, * 1 double in 1 stitch, of the 34th round; 1 double, 3 treble, 1 double, in the next stitch; repeat from *.

2nd round: With the light wool, * 1 treble, inserting the needle in the next treble stitch of the 34th round, thus working over the double stitch between the spots of the preceding round; 1 chain.

3rd round: * 3 double in each chain stitch of the preceding round. To work the 2nd of these 3 double, insert the needle at the same time in the upper part of the middle treble of the 1st round.

4th round: Dark wool, * 1 double in each double of the preceding round, miss 1, and work 3 treble in the next stitch but one; the last of these [227] 3 treble is cast off with light wool, miss 1, and continue to work with the light wool 1 double in the next stitch but one, miss 1, 3 treble in the next stitch, cast off the last with the dark wool, miss 1; repeat from *.