Subject of the Month

New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 725, 5 June 1953, Page 22

Subject of the Month

S? many kindly Links in our Daisy Chain have written helpful suggestions to the following letter than I have called it the Subject of the Month: Dear Aunt Daisy, ‘I am knitting a frock and having a deal of bother with the skirt (30 rows of which is knitted plain), and in spite of having pressed it wet, the wretched thing will persist in curling up. I would be very grateful if you, or any of your Daisy Chain could help me with my problem. "Another Daisy," Auckland. "Raumati" writes: "I presume she has a stocking stitch edge, which always curls. This can be remedied if she carefully picks up each stitch on edge and knits a few rows of garter stitch, then ‘cast off again. As one point relating to this, I may mention a little bonnet with ‘a Fair Isle pattern going around the head which had (beyond the pattern) a rather loose edge (Fair Isle is inclined to tighten a trifle in working). Well, I picked up the edge stitches, knitting three rows in garter stitch, and on casting off it fitted perfectly." "Kelburn’" writes: "I have knitted myself three frocks and a suit for my mother, and have never had any trouble with the hems rolling. I think 30 rows far too many at the bottom, I only knit 5 to 10 rows, Probably the knitter cast the stitches on far too tightly and that does cause rolling. The only solution would be to turn under about 10 rows,

and herringbone it up as a hem, taking ‘reat care not to do it tightly, and then press carefully. Do not have the. cloth too wet. Irrespective of ‘the type of garment, I always use needles 2 sizes bigger to cast the stitches on with. Then I Start the knitting with the size required." "Fendiulton" writes: "If she attaches a piece of soft petersham ribbon, the same width as the knitted band, on the inside of the hem, it will sit flat. This method of using petersham on knitted garments is being used now by manufacturers on the facings of cardigans with great effect. It does not have to be removed for washing or dry-cleaning." "Ashburton" writes: "Tell her to crochet two rows along the hem edge and then press. I do most of my cardigan cuffs in this way and they always Stay neat, and never curl up." "Karori" writes: "One of the six frocks I have made caused me the same trouble. Turning the hem up made it too bulky and no amount of pressing remedied the fault. I undid the side hems for three inches, undid, the bottom for about 11 inches, picked up the stitches with a finer needle, then knitted until the required length, using size larger needles than the frock was knitted on. The trouble was well worth it as the frock was useless with a curled hem." "Pt. Chevalier" writes: "Any plain knitting will curl, and she has not improved it by pressing it hard. I think she has read plain (in the pattern) as plain one side and purl the other. This is generally referred to as plain smooth fabric or stocking stitch; whereas she should have done plain on both sides (garter stitch). This would not curl. I find a nice hem for a skirt is one and and one rib with double wool, about one inch or less; it cannot interfere with any pattern. I knit for a shop."