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I wonder if we all realize the amount of real good crochet is doing in its own quiet, demure, unostentatious way? The spirit of helpfulness, the desire to share good things wtih others is a perfect inspiration to all who are in any way connected.

Following are helpful tips from vintage Needlecraft Magazines...

If your sewing-machine skips stitches, try loosening the screw that holds the needle in place, let the needle drop down a little, say one eighth inch, and tighten up again. This simple remedy has been of great help to me.

When making baby's every day dresses use two or three thicknesses of the material for the yoke. The little garment will last much longer, as the yoke receives most of the wear and tear in the laundry.

If you have but little time to make gifts, and want something unusual, make some chains or necklaces, alternating the beads in various styles with the seeds called Job's tears, which are pearl-gray in color, hard and lustrous. Alternate a gold bead with a tear and the effect is very pretty.

For those holiday bookmarks make a strip of filet crochet using any holiday words desired. A cross-stitch alphabet will enable you to make any combination desired. The work may be simply backed with a strip of ribbon of same width, fringing the ends or a narrow ribbon may be run in and out the spaces around the edge and tied in a loop at one corner. A little scallop may be added; Fasten in a space, 5 trebles in next space, fasten in next, and repeat.

Having been doing a great deal of crocheting with fine thread and sharp needle, I found that the continual pricking of the needlepoint on the index finger of the left hand had caused it to become irritated and painful. I tried the patent fingershield and tip cut from an old kid glove, neither of which was satisfactory. Now I am using a strip of adhesive tape, wrapped once or twice around the finger, and find it very comfortable and effective. It protects the portion of the finger coming in contact with the needlepoint and leaves the tip free to handle the thread.

Besides all other kinds of fancy work, I have done a great deal of tatting and to avoid the annoyance of picking up a pin to join the work, I took a small-sized crochet hook from a set (about two inches long), put a head of sealing wax on the end which was intended to fit into the handle, inserting a piece of cord while forming the head to make a loop a few inches long, which I could hang over a button on my waist, and the bother of pin-dropping was done. I always keep this little implement with my tatting-shuttle and find it very much better than a pin.

The slipper-stitch - doubles worked in rows, picking up the back part of stitch to form a rib - makes very pretty sweaters; I have made several for children. Commence at the front the length wanted from the neck, and work up and down, increasing at one end only to fit the neck and creasing at one only to fit the neck, and when the shoulder is long enough leave stitches enough for the armscye. I usually add two or three extra rows by turnign halfway from bottom to armscye. Work two or three rows under arm, then make a chain long enough to reach from armscye to shoulder at the back.

Continue working back and forth, making the other front as directed. Work a few rows of doubles, taking up both loops of stitch, on front shoulder, and join to back; work same number of rows around neck and down front (taking both loops). This keeps the sweater from stretching. make sleeves in same way, working up and down, and making a ridge or two more at upper part of sleeve; sew up and finsih with ribbed cuffs - knit two, purl two.

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