ration: ORDINARY WEAVING

_a._ Weft. _b._ Warp.]

[Illustration: PLAIN STOCKING FABRIC]

The essential characteristics of good underwear are:

1. It should be made from elastic cloth, which implies a knitted
cloth.

2. It should be porous in a high degree--whether in winter weight or
summer weight.

3. The seams should be made upon the most modern sewing machines, with
as little bulk as possible.

=Experiment 54--Experiment to Illustrate Imperfections in Hosiery=

Apparatus: Magnifying glass.
Materials: Hosiery (seconds).
Reference: _Textiles_, page 159.

Examine a piece of hosiery called a _second_, obtained from a hosiery
mill, and notice whether any of the following defects are present:

_a._ Yarn contains thick bits and buns.

_b._ Knots are badly tied.

_c._ Discolored yarn.

_d._ Lacks solidity and firmness, due to the gauge being
too coarse for the yarn.

_e._ Full work-yarn too thick for gauge.

=Experiment 55--Characteristics of a Crochet Fabric=

Apparatus: Crochet needle.
Material: Thread.

_Directions_

1. Crocheting is another method, like knitting, of making a fabric.
Examine the operation of crocheting. Notice that only one thread is
made use of, and is formed into loops by means of a large needle with
a hook at the end. The chief point is that the loops are not formed in
uniform rows, but one loop at a time, and with the greatest liberty to
choose any part of the article already made to form a new loop. For
this reason, crocheting adapts itself to the production of fancy
patterns useful for ornamenting.

2. A knitted fabric can be told from a crocheted fabric by noting that
a knitted fabric is composed of rows or ranks of loops of a single
yarn which interlock successively with similar rows or ranks of loops,
while a crocheted fabric consists of a structure the basis of which is
a thread crocheted or knitted into a chain which is attached at
intervals to itself.

=Experiment 56--Characteristics of a Good Piece of Cotton Cloth=

Materials: Different samples of cotton fabrics.
Reference: _Textiles_, pages 151-152.

_Directions_

1. Examine different kinds of cotton fabrics. Compare the lowest,
medium, and highest priced varieties of the same fabric. Notice how
quickly the finish of a low priced cotton fabric with a _thick_ gloss
loses its luster after washing.

2. Examine the different grades of the following