Hemp rope and cotton, large rope and small, down to the ordinary heavy twine, all lend themselves to this work.

It requires a rather heavy clothes-line, one considerably lighter, called by some rope-cord, and a piece of strong twine for the

Make the bottom of a board two feet long and sixteen inches wide, and on each end of the board nail securely one-half of a barrel-hoop (Fig. 78). From an old broom-stick cut four rounds one inch thick for the feet (Fig. 79), and fasten one round to each corner underneath the board with strong screws or wire nails (Fig. 78, Z Z). This is all the wood you will need for the basket, the rest is to be made entirely of rope.

Take your small rope and nail one end of it to the edge of the bottom, close to one end of one of the barrel-hoops (Fig. 80), then wrap the hoop with the rope, one row close to another until it is completely covered. Cut off the rope when it reaches the end of the hoop and nail it down as you did the first end of the rope in beginning. Fasten a piece of the heavy rope entirely around the edge of the board, nailing it at intervals along each side, but leaving loose that at the end edges until later. Make the

Eight inches from the end of the bottom, underneath but near the side edge, nail one end of your heavy rope; bring it up slantingly and wrap and tie it to the hoop just above and touching the top edge of the loops, stretch the rope tightly across the hoop and tie at the other side, then carry the end down and fasten underneath the bottom eight inches from the end of the board (see illustration). Wrap and tie the top loops of the end piece to the top rope as shown in illustration. Finish the other end of the basket in the same manner, not forgetting to nail in place the rope left loose at the end edges. Give the completed wood-basket several coats of dark varnish. The varnish not only produces a nice finish, smoothing down both wood and rope, but also stiffens and helps to hold the rope in place.

This netting may be made of heavy rope for a grille in an open doorway, or of lighter rope for fringe. In either case the method is the same.

In a board, at regular distances apart, along a straight line, drive a row of wire nails. It depends upon the size of the rope how far apart the nails should be placed. For a heavy rope there must be at least four inches between, and this distance should lessen as the rope decreases in size.

Cut your rope into pieces four feet in length if it is heavy, not so long if it is light rope. Loop one piece of rope over each nail and let it hang down evenly, then bring the first and fourth strands together and slip on them a small brass curtain or embroidery ring (Letter A, Fig. 83). Push the ring up to within four inches of the line of nails if the nails are four inches apart. If the distance between the nails is three inches the ring must be three inches below the line. Catch the ring to each strand of rope with needle and thread to hold it in place. Bring the third and sixth strands together and slip on a ring (Letter B, Fig. 83). Then the fifth and seventh, and so across the board.

Begin the next row by slipping a ring on the first and second strands, placing it the same distance below the first row of rings that the first row of rings is below the line of nails (Letter C, Fig. 83). Bring the third and fourth strands together with a ring, the fifth and sixth, continuing the original pairing of the strands until the row is complete. The third row of rings brings together again the second and fourth strands, the third and sixth, as in the first row, and the fourth row of rings goes back to pairing the first and second, third and fourth strands.

Below the last row of rings wrap and tie the strands together, then untwist the ends of the rope up to where it is tied and fray it out until it becomes fluffy. Make the head of the tassel by wrapping closely with twine a short distance below the ring, or you may slip on several of the brass rings as a finish.

The board on which you make your netting need not be any longer than is convenient to handle, for when one part of the netting is finished it can be taken off the nails and new strands added to carry on the work.

Fig. 84 is an ornamental design suitable for decorating a wooden chest or, if sewed on cloth, for a hanging. By studying the design you can easily reproduce it without the aid of description or other diagram.