THE “EMPIRE” PETTICOAT.
TRICOT ECOSSAIS.—See [Frontispiece].
Materials—1lb. of Scarlet or Mauve 4-ply Fleecy; also 2 ounces of Black and 1 ounce of White Wool. Walker’s Tricot Needle No. 5 Bell gauge.
First Stripe.
Commence with the Scarlet Wool, and make a chain of 33 stitches.
Work 2 rows of Tricot Ecossais as described at [page 28], then join on the Black Wool to finish the last stitch.
3rd row—Black—Raise the 1st loop, then increase a loop, raise 13 loops; then decrease by taking 3 loops on the needle and working as one stitch. Raise 13 loops, increase again, and raise the two last loops. Work back. All the rows are worked in this manner, that is, increasing at the beginning and end, and decreasing in the centre.
4th row—Work as the last row.
Then with the White Wool work a row as the last.
Black 2 rows.
Scarlet 10 rows.
18th row—Raise the 1st loop and increase as before. Raise 11 loops, then decrease by taking 2 loops together; decrease again, taking 3 loops together as usual; then decrease a third time, taking 2 together. Raise 11 loops. Increase and raise 2 loops. There will now be only 31 loops. Work back.
Work 10 rows more as the 3rd row, but raising 12 loops instead of 13 on each side of the centre decreased stitches.
29th row—Work as the 18th row, but raising 10 loops instead of 11 loops on each side the decreased stitches.
Continue working 10 rows as the 3rd row, and then a row decreasing 3 times in the same manner as the 18th row, until the work is reduced to 23 stitches, when it will be about 30 inches in length.
As the number of stitches decreases each time the 18th row is worked, a less number of stitches must be raised on each side of the centre.
To finish the Stripe work 3 rows, decreasing in the centre and leaving 2 stitches unworked at each side; then work back to the right side, and end with a row of single crochet.
For an ordinary sized Petticoat 10 stripes will be required. The last stripes should not be joined to the top.
The Edge—With the Black Wool commence at the top of the left side of a Stripe, and work down the selvedge a row of plain Crochet, putting the needle into the open spaces formed by the increased stitches. This row should be worked loosely. Continue this row across the foundation, and up the right side of the Stripe. Work the other Stripes the same.
The Joining Row—With the White Wool commence at the black stitch even with the white row of the stripe; work a single stitch on the stripe. Take a second stripe, put the needle into the corresponding stitch of it, work another single stitch. Continue working a single stitch alternately on each stripe, until they are joined; the needle should be put in both edges of the black row. The first four rows of the stripes are to be sewn together with Scarlet and Black Wool.
The Border—With the White Wool commence at the black row of the foundation, and work a row of 1 chain, miss 1 and 1 plain; putting the needle in the same scarlet stitches as the black row, so as to cover the alternate stitches of it. Repeat all round.
With the Scarlet Wool work 3 chain, miss 1 and 1 plain in each chain stitch of the white row.