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.

[Illustration:  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. stitches 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 stitches in one at the points.

Do all the crochet work of these screens rather tightly.  Sew on the large gold flowers, passing 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.