The Knitted Rug Page 11

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Begin the rug by setting up forty-four stitches of the plain dark green thread on a needle. Then knit all of them off on to the other needle except one stitch, leave this last stitch. It is never taken from the needle on which it is first set up. It is the center stitch of the rug from which all the knitted ribs radiate, the pivotal point. The rows are knitted from the center of the rug toward the edge and back again and it is important to remember that the stitches are transferred from one needle to the other, at the center of the rug and not at the edge. Of course by the center is meant the point relatively nearest to the center at which each row is started. The un-knitted stitches are transferred in the following manner:

When knitting a row which goes toward the center of the rug, always leave the last stitch on that row un-knitted. Also, after having turned the knitting to begin a row which goes toward the edge, begin it by first transferring an un-knitted stitch to the other needle. The stitches which are transferred are not re-knitted again in that section. In order to make sure that one has not forgotten to transfer an un-knitted stitch for each respective row, it is a wise plan to tie a piece of cord around the needle and to move it, always keeping it next to the last un-knitted stitch which has just been transferred. For the sake of convenience, we will call this cord the marker, and it should be made of a different color from the color of the rug, so that it can be easily seen.

At this stage of the rug there is one stitch on one needle and thirty-nine on the other and we are at the center of the rug. Transfer an-other un-knitted stitch to the first needle, and placing the marker above it, knit off the other thirty-eight stitches. Repeat the knitting of rows and transferring of stitches until ten rows have been knitted in the (lark green thread. These ten rows will form five ribs in each section of the rug. They make the dark center and the dark bands which correspond to the surface ornament of the gourd.

Now change the color of the thread and using the mottled green thread, finish the section by knitting the thirty rows of it, which will make, of course, fifteen ribs in each of the sections of the rug. These rows make the wedge-shaped figures in mixed greens which appear on the rug's surface.

There are now four stitches which have not been knitted on the last row, but the four last stitches on the last row are left un-knitted in each section. Change the thread to the dark green and begin another section by the ten rows of dark green as before, followed by thirty of the mottled. This is repeated twelve times, or until the circle is complete. After all the sections are finished, knit the last section off the needles and over-hand it to the first section with a coarse linen thread. After the first and last sections are sewed together, crochet a narrow border around the whole rug. Go twice around, first with the plain chain stitch and then with a scallop stitch. It is this border which gives the finished edge to the rug.

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The Craft Of Handmade Rugs - View The Rest Of The Book

Introduction - Some Old Time Rugs - A Word About Dyes - The Braided Rug - The Scalloped Doormat Or Tongue Rug - The Crocheted Rug - The Hooked Rug In Cotton And Wool - The Needle-Woven Rug
The Colonial Rag Rug - Some Applications - Newer Methods Of Stencil Making - The Tufted Counterpane
Old Time Lights - The Batik Or Wax Resist Process