FOR THE LAUNDRY.

The following articles are in use.

1st. Ironing cloths or blankets; these are generally made of proper kind of flannel called fearnought; they should be carefully dried when put away, lest moths should destroy them.

A good washer-woman will examine carefully the linen she has to wash, and rub soap on to such parts as require it the most, as the collars and wristbands of shirts, taking care that the water is not too hot, otherwise it will set in the dirt.

She afterwards twice thoroughly washes out all her white things in plenty of white warm lather, shaking each article out, and examining if every spot or stain is removed. She then boils them, taking care not to put too many into the copper at once.

A small quantity of soft soap thrown in to the boil, helps to give a good colour to the linen, and if well washed out of the boil, as all linen ought to be, and afterwards well rinsed in plenty of spring water, no unpleasant smell will be retained.

The rinsing water should be made moderately blue, by means of stone blue tied up in a flannel bag, and squeezed in.

Such things as are to be starched, will be much clearer if they are first dried; then dipped in the starch before it is quite cold; then dipped in cold water and dried again; then once more dipped in cold water, spread upon a coarse dry cloth, and rolled up; by this mode also, their sticking to the ironing cloth, will be prevented.

The best way to make starch, is, very gradually to moisten with cold water, a table spoonful of starch; when quite smooth, stir it into a pint of boiling water, with a morsel of white wax, and let it boil gently for several minutes, stirring it all the time; when poured out, cover it over with a plate, to prevent a skin forming at top, which is both troublesome and wasteful.

To prevent flannels or woollen stockings from shrinking, pour over them, when new, boiling water; suffer it to remain till cold, then hang them up without wringing; and when dry, shake them well.

Greasy spots may be taken out of all kinds of woollen cloths, blankets, scarlet cloaks, or table baizes, without injury to the colour, by washing them with gall, instead of soap; the gall may be had at the butcher's, at 3d. a pint.

A pint mixed up in a good sized tub of soft water, will be sufficient for several articles; it will lather exactly like soap.

This is the process used by the scourer. The articles so washed, will require to be several times rinsed in water, to remove the smell of the gall; when dry, they should be removed, and suffered to remain in the mangle all night, after which, they will appear as good as new.

In washing prints the colours should be rubbed as little as possible, for which reason it is a good thing to boil a lather of soap till it is like a jelly, mix this jelly with cold water, and wash them in it.

coloured things the first time, in the suds in which flannels have been They should be taken immediately from one water into another, and

It is a good plan also to wash
washed, if it is not too dirty.
not suffered to lie together damp, or they will dry streaky.

When washed, rinse them twice in spring water, and hang them out immediately, without wringing.

Blankets are washed with soft soap.

Gall is used for bombazines and stuffs.

Any thing that has been singed in the ironing should be wetted with cold water, and laid in the air. Soda may be put in the water in which very greasy cloths are washed, but it is liable to spoil other things.

Grease may be taken out with cold water and suds.

Men and boy's stockings should be steeped, and stewed in cold water and soap, in a slow oven, or boiled.

HANGING TO DRY.

Stockings should be hung by the toe, to prevent the feet becoming thick.

Gowns should be pinned up by the shoulders, rather than by the bottom of the skirt, or the body lining becoming discoloured.

MANGLING AND IRONING.

Damp over the things, and iron or mangle them; the latter is used for heavy linen, such as sheets, towels, table cloths, &c.

Those articles which have buttons or thick plaits should not be mangled; the mangle is injured by them; besides the buttons are broken to pieces, and the plaited articles cannot be made smooth.

In ironing, be careful first to rub over something of little value, lest fine things be either scorched or smeared.

The Italian iron is used entirely for puffs, frills, &c.

The sleeve iron, which resembles a mushroom, having a half circle at the top, to which is attached a handle or stalk, is put up through the opening of the sleeve towards the wrist, and the sleeve is drawn or passed over the iron backwards and forwards until it is all properly ironed. This only suits some kinds of sleeves, but is remarkably good for them.

Let every thing be thoroughly dried, and aired by the fire, otherwise they will have a tumbled, half finished appearance, besides exposing the wearer to the risk of taking cold.

CLEAR STARCHING.

Wash out the articles to be clear starched, and then in a very clean vessel, put about two table spoonsful of water to two ounces of starch, wet it and mix it well up into a paste, pour about half a pint of boiling water upon it, keep stirring it all the while, till of the proper consistency, then boil it up well for a quarter of an hour, and by adding a little white wax, it prevents the starch sticking to the iron.

Dip the articles in, and wring the starch out again very dry, spread the things on a clean cloth, and then roll the cloth and articles together very tightly. It should remain thus about two hours, and then be ironed nicely.

The iron should be very clean; to effect this, rub it each time on taking it from the fire, upon a little sand paper and a cloth.

GAUFIERING.

This may be done either with gaufiering irons, or by means of straws, which are brought in bundles prepared for the purpose.

The following is the manner in which the straws are used:

Procure a board about a yard long, and six nails broad, cover it with flannel, and fasten two tapes lengthwise, leaving about a quarter of a yard between them; then pin the net to the flannel at one end, and place a straw over the tapes (between which the net is lying) and under the net, the next straw is laid under the tapes and over the net, and so on alternately, taking care that the upper strawers are put close to each other, upon the under ones, forming two layers of straws. When all the net is folded, dip a coarse cloth in water, and wring it as dry as you can, lay this upon the net, and iron it dry, pressing on the board as much as you can without splitting the straws; remove the cloth, and place the board before the fire for half an hour, when you may draw out the upper straws, and run in some cotton to secure it, after which, the remaining straws may be taken away, and the work is complete.

Some persons hold the board in the steam of a kettle for some time and then dry it before the fire, in preference to ironing it.

Some others sprinkle it with very weak starch water, gum water, or rice water, before ironing.

CHAPTER XI.

KNITTING.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

Knitting is the art of uniting worsted, or any other material together, without the aid of a loom. This work is applied to stockings, socks, boots, coverlids, and various other articles of wear or ornament, and is generally done with worsted, cotton or silk, but as the latter material properly belongs to fancy work, it will not be often mentioned.

KNITTING PINS OR NEEDLES,

As they are variously called, are made of iron or brass, for common use, and steel for best. They can be procured of every size and thickness, and are sold in sets, each set containing four pins. These sets cost from d. to 2d. each, according to the metal and size.

Ivory, bone, whalebone, steel, rosewood, ebony, and cane pins, of a larger size and thickness, are employed for knitting coverlids, boots, carpets, and other thickly knit articles. These are sometimes twenty inches, or two feet long, and have a knob at one end to prevent the stitches from slipping off. Of these pins two or three form the set. For schools, common pins may be procured from a carpenter or turner, for 2d. a set, whereas the former are charged at from 1s. 6d. to 8s. or 9s. the set.

MATERIALS FOR KNITTING.

Worsted, lambs' wool, or fleecy wool, is used for stockings, and other wearing articles.

Cotton is employed for curtains, window blinds, bags, fringe, &c.

These materials are always sold by the weight; one pound contains sixteen ounces.

The expense of wools and worsteds varies so materially, that an average price can hardly be stated. It has been sold as low as at 2s. per pound, and as high as 6s. 6d. Crimsons are the most expensive colours, greens and oranges the next, blue is more moderate, and black, grey, purple, and pepper and salt are the least expensive, always excepting white, which is the lowest of any.

Grey and white common worsted contain a good deal of turpentine, and are often preferred by the poor on that account.

Black should be well soaked in strong vinegar, to set the colour, and prevent its coming off on the hands while being knitted.

Worsteds are more suitable for men's and women's stockings.

Wools for children's stockings, or for muffetees, ruffs, and other lighter articles of wear, which should be soft and warm.

All worsteds and wools should be carefully wrapped up in the coarsest brown paper, which also contains turpentine, and keeps out the air. They should be often looked to, as the moths are apt to get at them and spoil them.

Worsteds in use should be neatly wound in small balls, about the size of an orange.

ON KNITTING STITCHES.

In knitting, keep the ball in the pocket, or in a bag hung to the arm, or a basket, and do not allow it to roll on the table or floor, to get dusted.

There are a great variety of knit stitches, all of which, are founded on the following kinds, beginning with casting or setting on stitches, all of which will be explained in due order.

CASTING ON STITCHES.

This must be first learned, and signifies putting the stitches on the pins, in order to begin working. There are two or three modes of doing this.

Hold the worsted at about a quarter of a yard from the end, together with one of the pins in the right hand, between the finger and thumb.

Next, hold the worsted at some distance from the end, and lay it across the palm of the left hand, holding it down with the fingers while you make a loop, by bringing the worsted before the thumb, and carrying it outside and back again, between the thumb and first finger into the palm, taking care to cross it over the other worsted; with the right hand put the pin under the loop, and take it off from the thumb upon it, drawing the end of the worsted tight at the same time. Continue making loops

with the left thumb, and taking them off on the right hand pin, until the proper number of stitches be

set on.

Another and a better mode, is that of knitting on the stitches. For this purpose, after making the first loop with the left hand thumb, as above, and slipping it off the thumb upon the right hand pin, continue as follows::

Take another pin in the right hand, and put it under the loop on the pin, making this right hand pin lie across under the left. Next, put the worsted between the two pins, and press the end of the right hand pin upon the worsted, till it is brought through the first stitch, and forms a loop upon the pin. Take this loop off upon the left hand pin, by putting the end of it under the loop, which gives it a kind of twist; continue thus increasing the stitches on the left-hand pin until the proper number is formed.

THE COMMON KNITTING STITCH.

After setting on the number of stitches in the manner before mentioned, begin to knit them off from one pin to the other, as follows:—

Hold the pin with the stitches on, in the left hand; with the right hand, put the other pin under the first loop, making the pin lie across behind the left-hand pin, while with the first finger, the worsted is drawn in front between the pins. Then with the end of the right pin, press this worsted till it is brought through the stitch in the form of a loop upon the right hand pin. Keep it on the right pin, taking the loop quite off from the left pin. Continue knitting the stitches off the left upon the right hand pin, till the row is completed, when change pins, putting the one with stitches in the left-hand, and the disengaged pin in the other.

DUTCH COMMON KNITTING.

This is another mode of knitting the common stitch, and is more simple, and more quickly done than the usual way.

Hold the pin-ful of stitches in the left hand, as also the worsted, which should be wound once or twice round the little finger, to keep it firm, and allowed to pass over the first finger to the pins. The right hand pin is then simply passed through the stitch, and catching the worsted outside, draws it through, and forms the loop on the right pin, and so on.

THE TURN OR SEAM STITCH.

This is also called back-stitching, or pearling, but when alluded to hereafter, it will invariably be called turn-stitch. It is simply bringing the worsted between the needles, and taking up the loop, by putting the needle into the stitch from behind, and knitting it off by putting the worsted round the pin, and pressing the loop through the stitch.

WIDENING.

This is increasing the number of loops, and is generally done in the middle of a pin-ful of stitches. There are various modes of widening. One is, that of simply passing the worsted in front, before knitting the loop, and is termed making a stitch. Another, is effected by taking up the cross loop, below the next stitch belonging to the row before, and afterwards continuing the plain knitting.

In some cases where the widening occurs at the end, in order to form a gradual slope, knit the last stitch without taking the loop off the pin. Again put the right hand pin into the loop, but in order to give a twist to the worsted, put it in under the side furthest from you, and knit it off.

NARROWING.

This is decreasing the number of stitches, by simply knitting two together.

SLIPPING A STITCH.

This is merely taking the stitch or loop off one pin upon the other without knitting it.

FINISHING OFF.

In finishing off a piece of knitting, knit two stitches from off the left hand pin, upon the right, and