Chapter 4
Doll’s Skirt to Doll’s Sweater
This skirt is five inches long and made of flat web. The first and last rows are made one and a quarter inch shorter than the other rows forming the skirt. These two rows are sewed together when the skirt is finished, thus forming the placket and also the desired fulness in the back.
There are sixteen rows in all. Each two, when sewed together, form a scollop at the top and bottom where the web is turned. In sewing care must be taken to have each row the exact length of the preceding row except in the first and last row.
The top of the skirt may be finished with a draw-string or a band made from cloth. The bottom of the skirt may be left as it is, or be finished with a blanket stitch of some contrasting color. The skirt requires five yards of flat web.
Little Boy’s Hat
Measure the child’s head for the size of the hat. Make the crown of the hat one-half of this measurement. If the child’s head measures twenty-two inches around, make the crown eleven inches in diameter. The crown is circular and is made in the same way as the circular mat, taking two stitches of web and sewing them into one stitch of the crown already sewed to keep it flat. When it is of the desired size, begin the side by sewing one stitch of the web into one of the crown, at the same time holding the web to be sewed directly under the last row in the crown.
- Make the side twice as long as the desired height of the hat. For instance, if the desired height is to be three and a half inches, make the side seven inches long, as one-half of this measurement is turned up.
- Two colors may be used, one color for the crown and one for the side. Red and black or red and white are pretty combinations.
- A doll’s hat of the same style, the crown three and a half inches in diameter, requires five yards of round web.
Child’s Muffler
This is a combination of flat and round web. Knit ten inches of flat web, change to round web by bringing the yarn across the center of the hole in the knitter to the opposite post, and knit ten inches, or the number of inches necessary to go around the neck. Change again to flat web, knit ten inches and clip off.
Make seven such pieces and sew them together to form the muffler. The round web will form the neck part.
Do not remove from the knitter while changing from flat to round web.
Child’s Hood
This is made much in the same way as the doll’s hood. Make the back of the hood five inches in diameter, then turn the web and form the side. Sew around to within four inches of the place of turning on the opposite side and turn again. So continue until the side is sufficiently wide to cover the child’s head. Extend this side three inches beyond the desired width, widening on each row of the extended part to give fulness. This widening may be omitted, and the extended part turned back, leaving it perfectly plain, if desired. Trim with rosettes or pompons made of the same material as the hood.
Turn back the extended part and tack to the hood. Sew a pompon or a rosette of yarn over the top of the sewing stitch. For tie-strings, use cord and tassel, or ribbon.
The hood requires from twenty-five to thirty yards.
Little Girl’s Hat
This requires twenty-five yards of round web. Measure the child’s head for the size of the hat. Start the crown in the same way as the circular mat. When it is five inches in diameter, gradually turn the crown, while sewing the next five or six rows.
When the desired width is reached, begin forming the side by sewing one stitch of web into one stitch of the crown, keeping each row exactly under the preceding row until the desired height is obtained; then gradually widen to form the rim, which is three and a half or four inches broad.
Do not widen any on the last two rows, but draw the web a little tighter while sewing to make the edge of the rim roll or turn inward.
Finish with cord and tassels around the crown, or pompons on the right or left side of the front of the hat.
Doll’s Sweater
- This is made of five and one-half yards of flat web cut into pieces of a desired length. Cut three pieces seven inches long for the front. One inch and a half of this will also form the neck. When cutting, clip only one stitch and pull out the ends.
- The next two pieces are cut five and one-half inches long and sewed one on each side of the front one inch and a half below the top end. Each succeeding row is made a little shorter to form the shoulder, the shortest pieces forming the outside edges.
- Make the back of the sweater in the same way and sew front and back together, leaving one and a quarter inch opening on each side for the sleeves.
The sleeve is made of five pieces, the longest piece being three inches, and the shortest two and one-half inches long. Sew these pieces together to form the sleeve. When sewing it into the sweater, place the longest part at the shoulder seam and stretch the armhole while sewing it in.
Reprinted from Spool Knitting, by Mary A. McCormack (1909). Free for personal use. Please share a link rather than copying this page.