Fig. 160.—Netting Needle.
Fig. 161.—Netting Needle.
Hammock making requires a netting needle of one of the shapes shown by Figs. 160 and 161. It may be made from a piece of 3/16-in. pearwood, beech, or boxwood about 8 in. long by ¾ in. wide. In needles as shown by Fig. 161 the cord is wound round as when filling an ordinary shuttle, and for Fig. 160 the cord is brought round the end at A up one side, round the pin at B, and back the same side, the process being repeated on the other side of the needle.
Figs. 162.—Mesh Stick.
Figs. 163.—Mesh Stick Cross Section.
A mesh stick (Fig. 162) is made of hardwood or bone about 5 in. long and of an oval shape (Fig. 163); it may be about ¾ in. by ¼ in. in section. At one end of the string to be used for the net tie a loop A (Fig. 164), and place the knot on a nail or hook fixed in some convenient position, as at A (Fig. 165). Place the mesh stick under the loop as at B, put the cord under it, then pass the needle through the loop and pull the cord tight.
Now place the thumb of the left hand on the cord beyond the loop as at A (Fig. 166), and with a turn of the wrist of the right hand throw the cord to the position shown at B, then pass the needle under the loop C, then through the bight of B, and down as at D, and draw the knot tight, which should then assume the shape shown by Fig. 167. The cord must be held firmly with the thumb at A (Fig. 166) when pulling up the knots, as on this depends the uniformity of the meshes.
Fig. 164.—Loop in Meshing.