From ninety to one hundred stitches form the circle of a purse in fine silk.
One hundred and thirty stitches may be taken for the round of a bag, in crochet silk.
A table-cover, in six-thread fleecy, is generally computed at about four hundred stitches in length.
Borders of flowers, and very intricate patterns, may be worked in crochet, but it would be impossible to convey a complete idea of these even to the most experienced worker, without greatly exceeding the limits of the present work. The expert needle-woman will soon perceive the best method of copying any pattern of this description she may desire.
The terms chiné and ombré, are frequently applied to the materials employed in crochet and knitting. Wool and silk are chiné, when two, three, or more different colours are introduced, at intervals, on one thread, in the process of dying;—they are ombré, when one colour only is similarly employed, but which gradually runs from the lightest to the darkest shade.
N. B. In the directions for working the different patterns in crochet, it must be borne in mind, that unless any other stitch be mentioned, the plain, or double crochet stitch, is always to be employed.
A Sofa Pillow, or Table Cover.
This is merely given as the first and easiest pattern in crochet, for the purpose of teaching the stitch.
A good-sized ivory or steel crochet needle, with six-thread fleecy, will be required. Instead of working the rows backwards and forwards, as before described, begin each row separately at the same end. When the last stitch of each row is finished, draw the wool through, and cut it off, leaving an end of two or three inches. It is impossible to determine the exact number of stitches,—that must depend on the article, and its required size; but with this description of wool, half a yard in length will generally be found to number about sixty-five stitches, and a calculation may accordingly be made.
First stripe—one row black; one row white; one row black.