This simple knot is the foundation of all net-making, and once succeed in that and you will very soon be able to manufacture almost anything. Slip out the mesh stick and take the same stick through the loop you have just made, and so continue on, passing the needle every time through the last loop made, until you have made enough. By the time you have made as many as you think requisite, your work ought to look something like T. Unfasten the end from the nail and untie the first loop made. Pass a piece of cord through the upper row of meshes, tie the ends of the cord together, and hang it over the hook. Go on with the work as before, only do not slip the loop off the stick as at first, Knot through f Fig. W, then through e, d c, and so on, until you have travelled along the whole width. Then turn the work over and travel back again in the same manner. Presuming the string breaks, or you wish to join another ball, the way to do it is with a " becket-hitch," commonly called a "weaver's knot." Form a bight, pass one part up through it, then over, under and back through its own loop, as in X.

(3) Lawn Tennis Nets

There are many persons who are thoroughly familiar with the ordinary method of netting - that is to say, as far as making the loops and meshes is concerned - who do not know the construction of square-meshed nets, such as are required for lawn tennis and other similar games. The following instructions will enable anyone capable of making the ordinary diamond -shaped netting to construct also square-meshed nets for tennis or other purposes. In making nets in which the meshes are of large size, the spools or mesh pegs are usually flat. When very large they become awkward to hold, in which case it will be found much more convenient to have them cut the shape shown in Fig. 344/ than to allow them to remain of equal size from end to end. In using these spools, the base of the thumb goes into the deep notch shown at the left extremity of figure.

By the term loop, we mean the loop formed around the spool, as each knot is made in succession, the last row netted always consisting of a series of loops, each of which, with the two loops of the preceding row into which it is knotted, constituting a complete mesh.

In making square-meshed netting it is necessary to be able to make the knots in a different manner from that usually adopted, to net in fact with the fishermen's knot. This is done as follows: Let the spool and netting be held in the usual manner. Then, to make a new loop, bring the needle backward over the spool; then carry it forward under the spool, but without catching the string on any finger. Pass the needle upwards through the loop that is to be taken up, and pull it close up to the spool, seising the twine passing through the loop with the forefinger and thumb of the left hand. The loose twine should be allowed to fall over to the left, and down in front over the netting; and the needle should then be passed upward between the loop that is being taken up and the last one secured. On tightening the loose twine, the knot is completed.

This mode of netting is shown in Fig. 347 Z, where the twine may be traced from the last-formed knot round the 6pool, through the loop, then to the left, where it is secured by the thumb; the loose twine is shown lying over the netting, and the point of the needle is just inserted behind the loop that is being taken up. To finish the knot, the needle must be pulled through, and the string drawn tight.

A very slight examination will show that the knot made by this method is the same as that resulting from the common mode of proceeding.

In reality the stitch is much more simple than the one ordinarily used, and can be made with very much greater rapidity. It necessarily follows that anyone used to the old mode will find this new plan awkward at first, and will fail to net as neatly as before; but the strangeness is soon overcome, and great rapidity attained. With stout cord the advantage is very great; there is no sawing of the twine required to tighten the knot, consequently no fraying either of the twine or the fingers.

Another immense advantage possessed by this knot is that it can be made, using one, two, or three fingers instead of the spool, and with a short end of the string without a needle, so that in mending nets it is really invaluable.

Two points, however, we have omitted to mention: the method is not adapted to very small netting, and it is always necessary that the spool should be larger than the needle, otherwise the latter sticks in passing between the loops. Again, there are certain stitches that cannot be made in this manner, such as the first row or foundation of a diamond-meshed net.

Diamond-meshed nets are commenced, as is well known, by netting a number of loops into a foundation, and when as many as are required are made, netting a second row into the first.

Square-meshed nets, as shown at. Fig. 348 A, are made by commencing at one angle or corner, and netting diagonally across the square to the opposite corner. In beginning a square-meshed net, one loop a Fig. 348 B, is first netted on to the cord which is used as a foundation; this loop may be of larger size, as it is only temporary, being removed when the net is completed. The spool is then withdrawn, and two loops are netted into the one first made; the last of these two should always be made with what is known as the fishermen's knot, as, if made in the ordinary manner, a lopsided knot is the result. The spool is again withdrawn from these two, and a new row is commenced; this will consist of three loops, two being formed by taking up the last loop of the previous row twice. The netting is to be continued in the same manner, the last loop of every row being taken up twice. By this means a half-square of netting will be formed, of which the la6t row is the diagonal, and the two sides a c and a 6, Fig. 348 A, form the selvedges on each side of the half-square. When the sides of the square are of the required length, a single row should be netted without the extra loop at the end; and then, to form the remaining half of the square, the rows should be continued, but with this difference, that, instead of netting two loops into one, as before, the last two loops in every row should be taken up with the needle togdher: thus the width of the netting will be gradually diminished to one mesh, and when the net is stretched out it will be found a complete square formed of square meshes, as shown at Fig. 348 A.