New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-25
WHITING AND CROCHET.
STOCKING KNITTING.
The LEG-rHE INTAKES
r.,on The Weeklg Tribune.


cached the widest part of the leg it Is
hs hocin the narrowings. decreasngs or
um1 The various methods of making these
m '"" hova already been described. Much of the
aress of the stocking will depend on the reg
ST. and Judgment with which these narrowings
u'ai''s ,od The Young knitter should first, there
o.. cst a clear idea of why these decreasings are
necessary. -,
7, n easily seen that the calf of the leg is mach
.,;dsr around than the ankle, and that stocking
,eh fitted well the former, if not reduced IN siZe'
rould he much too wide and loose for the latter
no make il fit both equally we'll il must be smaller
., the ankle than at the calf. And as the stocking
g Knit downwards rhis reduced size can onfy DE
ssc,ed by narrowing-or diminishing the number
% stitches on the needless and consequently the
,Stb of the stOekng-frOm the calf. The length
of this portion of the stocking-frOm the calf OF
the leg TO the anke-will vary of course, with the
sizs of the stocking and las wearer but whether
long or short all the intakes must be made during
the knitting of this piece.
In arranging the intakes two general methods are
adopted The simpler plan is the one most widely fol-
lowed. In this, first count the number OF stitches
st the calf Then find out how many stitches you
n,ust have at the ankle. Next how many rounds
of knitting there will be In this part of the leg.
These three things furnish all the data
necessary for ascertaining the number of
intakes and the number of rows between
tine intakes Thus in a girls stocking on No IA
needles suppose the number of stitches at the calf
to be 68 and the number at the ankle So. Then
there must be - intakes, or rounds of intakes
q intakes-1 on each side of the seam stltch-being
In each round.) Again, the number of rounds be-
tween the calf and ankle sc. Taking out the g
rounds OF decreasing, this leaves 80 rounds of plain
knitting or 10 rounds between every rounds OF
intakes.
Another Illustration In a lady's ordinary size
stocking on No. Is needles. the number Of stitches
at the calf viii be about lac. at the ankle rs. and
the number of rounds from calf to ankle. 154 Here
the number of intakes will be 36-the difference be-
tween 149 and 1897 Is rounds of intakes with
II intervals of plain knitting between them. Tax
ing these Is rounds from the whole length OF this
mart of the leg-l54 rounds-the total number OF
bounds of plain knitting Will be 1876, or rounds
between every two rounds of intakes. The COM
elete directions might, therefore thus be summar-
zed: 80
Number of stitches at calf, 149
Number OF stitches at ankle, 113
Total number of decreasngs, 80
Rounds of decreasings, Is
Number of rounds to ankle ia
Rounds of plain knitting be-
tween the intakes,
In following this rule no two authorities now
ever are agreed upon the number of rounds OF PLAIN
knitting between the intakes. On the contrary
the difference between them is often so great as to
be ludcrous. Thus in " The Knitting teachers
Assistant" designed for the English puDlc
,cbools never more than five rounds given
between the intakes. and frequently only three
or four, while in The Standard Guide to Knit
ting" intended for the same uses. and dedicated to
the Princess Louise the invariabe rule is to knit
ten plain rounds after each decreasing round
The difference in the shape OF the leg
knit according to these guides, would be
marked-one tapering down much more rapidly
than the other.
In the case of children and persons whose legs
possess little muscular development this regular
uniform narrowing of the stocking answers very
well. In adults. however. this is not usually the
natural shape of the leg. Instead of gradual
slope from calf TO ankle, there is generally rapid
slope at first which grows less and less as
it advances to the ankle, and forms curved
outline. To give the stocking the same
curved shape old and experienced knltters make an
important modification in the arrangement OF the
intakes Instead of having the intervals between
the rounds of intakes uniform they make them al
first very narrow, and increase them as the leg au
vances Thus in the case of the lady's stocking al
ready mentioned, where the number OF stItches at
the calf is 49, at the ankle 113, and the number OF
rounds of decreasing is SO. the following would be
the ARA cement OF the lntakesi
8 intakes with plain rounds between
9 intakes with plain rounds between
intakes with ; plain rounds between
3 intakes with plain rounds between
intakes with 10 plain rounds between
This plan, it will be seen. follows the curved
outline of the leg. Here is another Illustration OF
the same principle in a lady's stocking on No.
10 needles with "a stitches at the calf, and VA at
the ankle, the number OF decreasing rounds being
90:
intakes with rows between.
5 intakes With rows between
Intakes with rows between.
3 intakes with rows between.
2intakes 18th rows between.
Having made the decreaslngs by either OF these
methods, the ankle is knit plain without lncreas-
iprs or narrowings), and the stOcklng-kntter is
ready TO undertake the most difficult part OF heI
task-the foot.
DIAMOND LACE
Cast on II stitches and knit back plain.