Fig. 34.
Position of Stitch After Racking.
Fig. 35 is an example of a fabric that may be made with a one-needle rack. It is called the zig-zag stitch. To make this the machine should be set to make the full cardigan stitch. After setting up the machine and putting on one round, the needle plate is racked over one needle, put on a course or half round and rack back one needle. Continue this racking back and forth on each course for five rounds, then skip one rack or put on one full round without racking and continue as before. Repeat this operation of racking every course for five rounds and then skip one rack and we have a zig-zag stitch.
Fig. 35.
Zig-Zag Stitch.
The points come where the rack is skipped, or in other words the direction of the diagonal stitch will continue in the same direction as long as the needle plate is racked every course without skipping, but immediately one rack is missed the stitch starts diagonally in the other direction. It is obvious from the foregoing explanation that the knitter is not obliged to use any set number of courses between the change, but may use any number at his discretion to get the distance desired between the points.
Shaped Collar for Sweaters
The peculiar characteristic of this stitch is utilized in making a shaped collar for sweaters, as shown in Figs. 38 and 39. First let the reader remember that the direction the diagonal stitch takes all depends on which end of the machine the carriage is at when the racking operation begins. It should be understood that the collars are made in a long string and the three parts, as shown in Fig. 38, are duplicated one after another. On either end, where this piece has been cut off, there was a duplicate of the plain racked piece shown at the middle, and at the end of these there was another diagonal piece, and so on from the beginning to the end.
Fig. 38.
Shaped Collar for Sweaters as Knit.