Page 482 - The Ashley Book of Knots

CHAIN AND CRO\VN SINNETS

Any of the sinnets on this page may be made with a crochet

needle. They may also be made on a spool of one peg by the methods

described on pages 474 and 476. Number 2869 is made by placing

successive hitches over the pin; the rest by merely making a turn.

Either method may be doubled by passing a turn of the strand a

third time around the pin, then casting off the lower turn only at

each operation.

2873. The chains that were 'ust shown resemble closcly, 'on the

reverse side, the ordinary FLAT INNET, of the next chapter. 13 tuck-

ing each loop alternately over, under and over, instead of uri-der all

three parts, a sinnet will be made that closely approximates FRENCH

SJI"NET and that will make a very handsome trumpet cord. The final

illustration shows the reverse side.

2874. This illustrates a chain carried one step farther than the last

and tucked over, under, over and under. The method rapidly be-

comes cumbersome and it would seem that these two are sufficient

for all practical purposes. But there is no limit to the number of

loops and sizes that are theoretically possible.

We have now finished with the FLAT CHAIN SINNETS of one strand

and most of the remainder of the Loop SINNETS may be characterized

as TUBULAR SIN NETS, since they have a roundabout circuit. Many of

them can be made by hand alone, and most of them may be made on

a spool, but if large cord is used the hand method is recommended.

2875. The chain "fork" is an old apparatus for making square 2.674

chains of small thread, generally of silk. This was the common cord

for hanging lockets, eyeglasses, etc.

Sometimes the forks are of ivory, often they are of ebony or holly.

The one pictured, which is my own, is made of boxwood. Sailors

make this sinnet in larger material by hand and it can scarcely be

told from ordinary EIGHT-STRAND SQUARE SINNET. Miss Lambert in

her Hand Book o{Needlework (1842), illustrates a chain fork which

does not have the shoulders that are pictured here.

2876. The braiding spool pictured is a familiar contrivance that is 2670 -

generally considered a child's toy. It commonly has three or four

pegs, which makes a SIX- or EIGHT-SIDED SINNET that is practically

round. With one peg only a SINGLE CHAIN SINNET (* 2868) can be

made. Spools are commercially made in different forms, sometimes

with a sliding wire carrier to lead the yarn around the pegs. One can

be made with a large base, and with a hole entering at one side so

that the finished sinnet may be led from the side or front while the

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spool rests solidly on the table. By this means both hands are left free. • , · • ' . • •••••
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2877. ~liss Lambert gives a "purse mould" of many pegs. She

minutely describes the old method of making purses, of the sort

that Cyrano de Bergerac, in the persons of Mansfield, Coquelin and

Hampden, used to toss about the stage so carelessly, but states that

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"since the introduction of crochet, these moulds have not been much ','" . ,,-' . - .
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used." A large CYLINDRICAL SINNET of sail twine, made on a mold of " · - ,
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this sort, after being moistened, stretched and dried, makes a strong , ~/'
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bag or pocket for holding odds and ends. . .) .'
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