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[Illustration:  No 78.  A MAT FOR A FLOWER-VASE.]

[Illustration:  Nos. 79, 80.  LADY’S SLIPPER.]

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CROCHET.

78.  A MAT FOR A FLOWER-VASE.

Material—­Raworth’s crochet thread No. 40.

Centre Flower.—­12 c s, unite, work into this ring 5 c s, 1 l s, * 2 c s, 1 l s; repeat from * eleven times, finish with 2 c s, s c into third stitch of first, 5 c s.—­

2d round.  D c into first space, * 5 c s, d c into next space; repeat from * into every space, finish with 5 c s, s c into first d c of the round.—­

3d round. 5 d c round every loop of 5 c s in last round.

The eight Leaves round this Flower.—­Commence on one of the stitches at the edge of this flower, 25 c s, s c back (this is for the stripe in the centre of leaf), * 5 c s, miss 3, d c into fourth; repeat from * five times, which brings it to top stitch of leaf, 6 c s, d c into same stitch, 5 c s, miss 3, d c into fourth six times down the other side of the stripe, draw out the loop on the needle a little, pass the thread under the leaf, 1 d c round the first loop, 5 c s, d c round the next loop, * 6 c s, d c round the next; repeat from * four times, which brings it to top loop, 7 c s into same top loop, 6 c s into five more loops down the other side, 5 c s, d c into last loop, pass the thread under the leaf, d c three times round the loop next to stripe, five times round next loop, six times round every loop up to the top, 2 d c, 5 l s, 2 d c round the top loop, 6 d c round every chain of six down the other side, 5 d c round chain of 5, 3 d c round the last loop at bottom of leaf next to the stripe; fasten off.  Make another leaf in the same manner at the opposite side of the centre flower, and one at an equal distance between these two; another on the other side to correspond, which will make four leaves, then work four more leaves between these 4, and the eight leaves will be finished.

For the rounds of open work proceed thus: Commence on the point of one of the leaves, work 29 c s, d c into point of next leaf; repeat this all round, not making the c s too tight.—­

2d round.  D c into every stitch of this round.—­

3d round. 1 l s, * 3 c s, miss 2, 1 l s into third stitch; repeat from *.—­

4th round.  D c into every stitch of last round.—­

5th round. 1 l s, * 3 c s, miss 2, 1 l s into third stitch; repeat from *.—­

6th round.  D c into every stitch of last round.—­

7th round. 1 l s, 2 c s, miss 2, 1 l s into third; repeat from * all round.—­

8th round.  D c into every stitch of last round.  Work on the inside of the first round of 29 c s a ring, thus:  commence on centre, c s between the leaves, 16 c s, unite on foundation-stitch, d c twenty-four times round this ring; repeat these rings between every two leaves, making eight in all.