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NETTING is one of the prettiest and one
of the easiest accomplishments of a lady. The materials are simple,
while the effects produced by good netting are most elegant and of
great durability. One great advantage of netting is that each stitch
is finished and independent of the next, so that if an accident
happens to one stitch it does not, as in crochet or knitting, spoil
the whole work. Netting, so easy
to do, is most difficult to describe. The materials required are--a
netting-needle and mesh (see illustration No. 302). These are made of
bone, of wood, of ivory, and most commonly of steel. The wood, bone,
and ivory are only used for netting wool, the steel for silk, cotton,
&c.
The needle is filled by passing the
end of the thread through the little hole at the left-hand point, and
tying it; then the thread is wound on the needle as on a tatting
shuttle. The needles are numbered from 12 to 24; these last are
extremely fine. The meshes correspond to the sizes of the needles, and
are made of the same materials. The larger the size of the stitch
required the thicker the mesh must be selected; indeed, large hat
meshes are often used for some patterns. A stirrup to slip over the
foot to which the foundation is attached is required by those who do
[302] not use a netting cushion, placed before them on the table and
heavily weighted; to this the foundation is fastened.
The stirrup is made of a loop of ribbon, to which the foundation is
tied. Some ladies work a pretty stirrup of the exact shape of a
horseman's stirrup; a loop of ribbon is passed through this, and the
foundation fixed as before. |
