Picots.—Picots (Fig. 72) make a dainty finish for an edging of crochet, needlework, or lace. Collars, table mats and many small articles may be improved by these light points of various shapes; the one objection to them is that they lose in appearance after washings and so are not suitable for rough wear unless substantially made.
Plain Crochet Picots.—Crochet picots are quickly and easily worked. For a plain triangular point, make six chain, then work one treble stitch into the first chain made, that is the stitch furthest from the hook. Repeat six chain and one treble into the first chain for the length required—the six chain form the little triangular points or picots, the treble stitch forms the heading.
Dropping Picots.—These dropping picots are a little more solid in appearance than the plain picots. Make five chain; withdraw the hook from the loop and insert it in the second of the five chain stitches just made; take up the loop dropped; pass the thread over the needle and draw it through the two loops; repeat with five chain; drop the last loop; insert in second chain; take up the dropped loop; put the thread over the hook and draw through both loops. Continue in this way for the length required.
Crochet Lace Picots (Fig. 73).—Lace picots, as the name suggests, are generally worked in fine threads; nevertheless, they can make very effective trimmings if worked in wool or stout thread over a mesh, and will wear wonderfully well.
Two-chain Picots.—Commence with two chain; put the hook into the first chain; pass the wool over and draw it through the stitch—there are now two loops on the hook; work two chain, then slip the loop nearest the end of the hook off on to a thin wire or mesh and repeat. Put the hook into the first of the two chain; pass the wool over and draw it through the stitch; work two chain and slip off the last loop. It is sometimes easier to withdraw the needle from the two loops instead of slipping the last loop off the end of the hook and to replace it into the front loop.
This edging may be sewn to a piece of work.
Fig. 72.
Picots (Fig. 72).—The following picot is worked directly on to the edge of the finished piece of crochet, or it may be worked into a length of chain and overcast to the edge of any article suitable. Put the hook into the first stitch; pass the wool over and draw through; work one double crochet (see [p. 157]) into the next chain; draw out the loop to the desired length for the picot and slip it on to a mesh or pencil; insert the hook into the horizontal stitch at the foot of the loop; pass the wool over the hook and draw a loop through; make a double crochet stitch into the next chain; draw out the loop and slip on to the mesh; repeat to the end of the work.
Two-pronged Fork.—A very quickly worked insertion, fringe, or edging may be made by means of a two-pronged fork. The little implement can be manufactured quite easily at home. For a fringe, a wooden fork is necessary, with one wide and one narrow prong. The usual fork is of thick steel wire and varies in size, but as steel wire is too hard for the unskilled worker to manipulate, a softer metal would be more satisfactory. A length of copper wire about one-eighth of an inch in diameter and 15 inches long, could be beaten into the form of a hairpin (Fig. 73) by means of a hammer; if the metal is too hard to take the curve it can be softened by annealing it. The width between the prongs may vary in different forks according to the width of the insertion to be made, from half an inch to 3 inches apart is the usual spacing. The stitch is made with a crochet needle, which will also vary in size according to the material used; for working in fingering wool, three or four ply, a No. 1 steel crochet needle does very well. Cotton, flax, wool, raffia, string and metal threads, all may be worked up to form various useful articles for decorative purposes. An effective fringe could be made by threading beads into the wool; the beads could be kept at the edge of the wide prong.