This completes the centre of the mat. Now cover six of the rings with the darkest cerise, 12 with the lightest, 12 with the second lightest, and 24 with white. They are to be done in s.c. The darkest are sewed in the centre of each side of hexagon, with a white at each side, and two more (joined together) above it. The lightest cerise are placed at the points the two being joined together, and one to the mat. These form the extreme points, and the other twelve are placed to connect the lightest rings with the white. The short square bugles are threaded, with some of the beads, to form a cross in the centre of each of the white rings; the other rings have a cross of beads only.

All the rings are sewed together, and to the mat.

The elegant fringe round the edge is formed of the long steel bugles, connected with each other at the outer edge by a chain of 4 steel beads. The needle is slipped down them to connect them with the rings, and a single bead is threaded at the base of each. The side rings have 6 bugles each, placed at equal distances; the corners have 8; and 1 is placed where every two rings are joined.

This mat would be very beautiful if worked in white and shades of green, with gold beads and bugles.

CANDLE LAMP MAT.

MATERIALS.--Half-ounce each of stone-colour and shaded violet, 8-thread; half-ounce of shaded amber, 4-thread Berlin Wool; 4 yards of ordinary sized Blind or Skirt Cord; 77 small Curtain Rings, the size measuring across five-eighths of an inch; Nos. 1 and 2 Penelope Hook: 2 bunches No. 6 Steel Beads.

With No. 1 Hook, and drab Wool, work 11 st.i.tches d.c., over the end of the cord; double in as small a circle as possible, unite, and work 2 st.i.tches into every loop for three more rounds.

5th: 1 st.i.tch into every loop.

6th: Increase 1 st.i.tch in every 2nd loop. There must be 72 st.i.tches in this round.

7th: Place a pin in every 9th loop, and in this same 9th loop work with 8-thread violet, 1 st.i.tch; then 9 st.i.tches drab in the next 8 loops, that is, increasing 1 st.i.tch in about the 4th loop; repeat this all round.

8th: Work 3 st.i.tches violet into the 1 violet st.i.tch; then 9 st.i.tches drab, working only 8 st.i.tches in the last compartment, to commence next row.

9th: In the last drab st.i.tch that was not worked into, work 1 violet st.i.tch; then 4 more violet; then 7 drab, increasing 1 in 4th st.i.tch; in the last compartment make only 2 drab after the increased st.i.tch, in order to make 8 violet in next round.

10th: 8 violet, the 1st to come before the 5th violet of last row, and the last to come after the 5th violet, but increasing 1 violet on the 5th st.i.tch; then 7 drab, increasing 1 in the 4th drab st.i.tch.

11th: All violet, increasing 1 in every 5th st.i.tch.

12th. All violet, but without increasing, unless required.

The diameter of the mat should now measure 6 inches across, but should it be required larger, another row of cord, or even two, will give the increased size.

Now d.c. under all the rings, about 30 to 32 st.i.tches for each ring is necessary; unite and tie the knot very neatly, and sew six of these rings round a 7th, sewing them with cotton the colour, and sewing them at the parts where each ring is joined, about 6 st.i.tches in length; be careful that no st.i.tches are seen on the right side; then sew steel beads round the centre ring, taking up 5 to 6 beads at a time on the needle; then place the needle between the joinings of the rings, take upon it about 35 beads, and draw the cotton across to the opposite point; repeat this twice more, the beads will then form as given in engraving; sew the circles of rings on to the mat by two of the rings, and sew the circles together by one ring. Any other colour beside amber will do for the rings. If the table cover is scarlet, green wool should be used; if blue, amber; or if green, scarlet or pink.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CANDLE-LAMP MAT.]

HAND SCREEN, IN CROCHET.

MATERIALS.--5 skeins of rich dark blue purse silk, 6 skeins of fine and pure gold thread; Penelope hook, No. 18; 2 yards of dark blue silk fringe, 2 inches deep; 2 yards of fine wire, and 3/4 yard of white gros-de-Naples. A pair of screen handles.

Of course silk of any other colour may be used, if blue will not correspond with the furniture. Green looks very handsome with gold, and scarlet with silver. The metal thread used must be of the very best description only.

Begin by making six gold flowers, thus:--26 ch., close in 19th for a round, X 7 ch., s.c. under loop, X twice, 7 ch., slip on the closing of the round--thus there are three loops in the centre one; work under the chain of the first, 1 s.c., 1 d.c., 6 t.c., 1 d.c., 1 s.c. Under the centre one 1 s.c., 1 d.c., 9 t.c., 1 d.c., 1 s.c.; and the third loop like the first. Slip on the base of the flower, and work down the 19 ch. in s.c.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HAND SCREEN.]

Six of these flowers are to be made, and afterwards sewed on the silk, radiating from the centre, and each occupying the middle of one side of the hexagon.

FOR THE SCREEN (beginning in the centre).--With the blue silk, make a chain of six, and close into a round.

1st: X 1 d.c., 5 ch., miss none, X 6 times.

2nd: X 5 t.c. on 5 ch., 5 ch., miss 1 d.c., X 6 times.

3rd: X 7 t.c. (beginning on the last of 5 ch.), 5 ch., X 6 times.

Continue in this manner, increasing the t.c. st.i.tches by 2 at each section of the hexagon, in every round, until there are 33 t.c. in each division, always making 5 chain between. Then s.c. all round, adding the silk flowers where they occur--that is, over the 8th, 17th, and 26th of the 33 t.c. in each section. The flowers are made in the following mariner:--12 ch., close into a loop at the 7th, 6 ch., s.c.

under loop. 8 ch., s.c. under loop, 6 ch., slip at the stem, X 5 ch., s.c. under first loop of 6, X 5 times, * 5 ch., s.c. under the loop of 8, * 7 times, ** 5 ch., s.c. under loop of 6, ** 5 times; s.c. down the chain, and continue the round.

The gold flowers are to be worked in the same way, and attached over the centre of each 5 chain which form the corners of the hexagon. Work a chain all round, catching up the points of the flowers at regular intervals, and then work two rounds of s.c., with three st.i.tches in one at the points.

Do all the crochet work of these screens rather tightly. Sew on the large gold flowers, pa.s.sing the ends through the centre loop of the screens, and form a little rosette of X 6 chains, s.c. in the round, X repeated to close the middle.

TO MAKE UP THE SCREENS.--Cut out a hexagon, the exact size of the crochet, in paper, and bend the wire into the same form. Be very particular that the wire frame shall be true and even. Cover it on both sides with white silk, over one side of which sew the crochet. It will only require to be fastened round the edges. The fringe must then be laid on, the handles attached, and the screen is completed.

If preferred, the back of the screen may be covered with silk of the colour of the crochet, as more durable than white.

CROCHET COUNTERPANE FOR A Ba.s.sINET.

MATERIALS.--Brooks' Great Exhibition Prize Goat's-head Knitting Cords, Nos. 12 and 16; 8 oz. of blue beads, large enough to thread on the finest cotton, they should be turquoise blue; crochet hooks, Nos. 19 and 20.

The centre of the counterpane is made in diamonds, with small pieces at the edges, merely to fill in the parts where the diamonds leave s.p.a.ces, and form the whole into a solid square. It is done in ribbed crochet. Ribbed crochet is so called from the work having the appearance of ridges. It is worked backwards and forwards thus: the top of a row of crochet, whether s.c., d.c., or t.c., presents an appearance of chain st.i.tch; in working ribbed crochet, take up always that side of the chain which is furthest from you. The middle of the counterpane is done in knitting cord, No. 12; crochet hook, No 19.

FOR THE DIAMONDS.--(a) Make 2 ch., miss 1, 3 s.c. in the next ch.

2nd: Turn the work; 1 ch., 1 s.c. in one, 3 s.c. in next, 1 s.c. in third.

3rd: Turn, 1 ch., 2 s.c. in second, 3 s.c. in next, 2 s.c. in two last.

Thus you proceed, turning the work at the end of every row, working 1 s.c. in every one but the middle st.i.tch, in which you work 3, until you have made 15 ribs, and the row has 61 st.i.tches, a chain st.i.tch being made at the beginning of every row.

Now make 3 ch., on turning, and work 3 d.c. in the first st.i.tch, X miss 2, 3 d.c. in third, X 9 times, miss 1, 3 d.c. in second, 1 ch., miss 1 (which should be at the point), 3 d.c. in second, miss 1, 3 d.c. in second, * miss 2, 3 d.c. in third, * 9 times. This completes the row, the last 3 d.c. coming on the last st.i.tch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CROCHET COUNTERPANE FOR A Ba.s.sINET.]