Lamp mat

MATERIALS..—6 skeins of white netting silk, and 3 skeins each of four shades of cerise ditto, the darkest being almost brown, and the lightest a rich and brilliant cerise. A hank of rather large steel beads, a string of short square steel bugles, and 1 oz. of fluted ditto, 1/2 inch long. A skein of rather fine white cotton cord, and 54 rings. Tapered, indented crochet-hook, No. 22. Begin with the darkest cerise, and do not change until the directions require it.

1st round: With this silk work 8 s.c. on the end of the cord, and form into a round, after which 6 s.c. to secure it.

2nd (Cerise and white): X 1 cerise in the same stitch as the last, 1 white, 2 cerise in 1, x 6 times.

3rd: X 1 cerise worked in the same stitch as the last two, 3 white, 2 cerise in one, X 6 times.

4th: Like 3rd, with 5 white instead of 3.

5th: X 1 cerise in the same stitch as the last two, 7 white, 4 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

6th: X 1 cerise in the same as the last four, 11 white (the last 2 being over 2 cerise), 4 cerise in one, X 6 times.

7th: X 1 cerise on the next stitch, 13 white, 1 cerise on 1, 3 on the centre one of 5, X 6 times.

8th: Like 7th, with 15 white. Change to the next shade of cerise.

9th: X 1 cerise on next, 8 white, 1 cerise, 8 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise on centre of 5, X 6 times.

10th: X 1 cerise on next, 8 white, 3 cerise (the second over 1 cerise), 8 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, X 6 times.

11th: X 1 cerise on next, 6 white, 3 cerise, 1 white, 1 cerise, 1 white, 3 cerise, 6 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, X 6 times.

12th: X 1 cerise in next, 6 white, 11 cerise, 6 white, 1 cerise. 3 in 1, X 6 times.

Next shade of cerise.

13th: X 1 cerise in next, 5 white, 5 cerise, 2 white, 1 cerise, 2 white, 5 cerise, 5 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, X 6 times.

14th: X 1 cerise in next, 7 white, 3 cerise, * 1 white, 2 cerise, * twice, 1 white, 3 cerise, 7 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, x 6 times. 15th: X 1 cerise in next, 11 white, 3 cerise, 1 white, 3 cerise, 11 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, X 6 times.

16th (Lightest cerise): X 1 cerise in the same stitch as the last 3, 13 white, 2 cerise, 1 white, 1 cerise, 1 white, 2 cerise, 13 white, 4 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

17th: X 1 cerise in the next, 16 white, 3 cerise (over 1 w., 1 c., 1 w.), 16 white, 1 cerise, 3 in 1, X 6 times.

LAMP MAT.

18th: X 1 cerise on next, 18 white, 1 cerise, 18 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

19th: X 1 cerise in next, 39 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

20th: X 1 cerise in 1, 2 white, * 2 cerise, 3 white, * 7 times, 2 cerise, 2 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

21st: X 1 cerise in next, * 3 white, 2 cerise, * 8 times (the white over white, the cerise over cerise), 3 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

22nd: X 1 cerise in next, 3 white, * 1 cerise, 2 white over 2 cerise, 1 cerise, 1 white, * 8 times, 2 more white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

23rd: X 1 cerise in next, 3 white, * 1 cerise, 4 white, * 8 times, 1 cerise, 3 white, 1 cerise, 3 cerise in 1, X 6 times.

24th: Entirely cerise, working 3 in 1 at all the 6 points.

25th: White and cerise alternately, a single stitch of each, with 3 in 1 at the points.

26th: All cerise, increasing, as before, at the corners.

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.