“A stitch used to hold a hem down flat and keep the goods from ravelling. You can also use it for a trimming sometime, if want to. You’ll need the Crewel One to help you do this stitching. He’ll show you how. It’s very easy and pretty,” he said.
The Crewel One stepped forward and asked for some wool floss in his eye. “Either pink, blue, or red will do to use for catch-stitching,” he said.
Margaret cut some pink floss the proper length and squeezed a tiny loop to put in his eye. When harnessed, he told Margaret to hold the hem over her left forefinger. She took him in her right fingers. He stepped to the hem and sang:
“Coming towards you as I step
Away from you I hop.
First on the blanket, then the hem,
Go backward, do not stop.
Evenly I step along
And leave a crisscross track,
Which catches fast the blanket hem,