Paragraph 154. Stockings should be repaired as soon as a small hole appears in them, as a small hole is easily darned but a large one presents a difficult task. Ordinary darning cotton is used to darn lisle and all kinds of cotton stockings. A finer mercerized darning cotton is used for silk hose. Figure 63 shows a ragged hole in a piece of stocking as it might be made by ordinary wear. Figure 64 shows this hole trimmed ready to be darned; you will notice that the ragged edges have been cut away.

After the ragged edges have been trimmed away as much as necessary, place the darner (an egg-shaped wooden ball or cardboard) under the hole and lay all the threads in one direction (shown in Figure 65) as follows: Beginning about 1/2" from the opening, take a few running stitches in the stocking, making the last stitch come over the edge of the hole; take a long stitch across the opening on the opposite edge continuing with running stitches in the stocking about 1/2" beyond the hole. Inserting the needle very close to the last running stitch make another row of stitches parallel with the first in just the same way (be careful not to draw the stitches tight enough to give a puckered appearance to the darn). Continue reenforcing the edge and running long threads across the opening until it is filled with threads as illustrated. Insert the needle at right angles to these threads, weave under one thread, over one thread across the threads first put in, taking a few running stitches into the edge beyond. To return, insert the needle very close to the last stitch, take a few running stitches to the edge of the hole, weave back across as you did before. Continue weaving back and forth until the hole is filled with woven threads. In a very neat darn every thread is properly woven and the work is smooth and even without any puckering. This gives the hole the appearance of woven cloth as shown in the lower portion of Figure 65.

figure 63.

figure 63.

Figure 64.

Figure 64.

NOTE: In this illustration white darning cotton was used in order that the stitches might show distinctly. In actual work use thread to match the stocking.

Where a ribbed stocking has a run in it, it may be repaired by sewing over and over the run with thread to match. A silk stocking may have the dropped stitch crocheted back in place. A large hole in the knee of a child's stocking may be repaired with a hemmed patch (Par. 149) instead of a darn.

Figure 65.

Figure 65.

Crocheted Chain Stitch

Figure 66.

Figure 66.

Paragraph 155. The crocheted chain stitch is the foundation stitch in most crochet work. It consists of a series of loops drawn through each other in a continuous chain. The chain stitches in Figure 66, are made of yarn with a bone crochet hook. To begin the chain stitch tie an ordinary slip knot in the end of the yarn; insert the end of the hook in the loop and draw it down tight on the hook. With the crochet hook still in the loop, push the hook forward and catch it around the loose strand of yarn (see Figure 66) and draw another loop through the one already on the hook. Continue drawing a new loop through the last one made until the chain of stitches is as long as desired. (ch. st. is the abbreviation used in working directions for chain stitch; 1. is the abbreviation used for loop).

Linen, cotton thread, or wool yarn are used in crocheting. A small steel hook is used for thread, a bone or amber hook for yarn. The directions given here for crocheting are very elementary. More detailed instruction, with a great variety of patterns, can be found in books dealing especially with crocheting.

Figure 67.

Figure 67.