Download the full version of the textbook now at textbookfull.

com

Introduction to Computation and Programming

Using Python 3rd Edition John V. Guttag

https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-
computation-and-programming-using-python-3rd-
edition-john-v-guttag-2/

Explore and download more textbook at https://textbookfull.com

 Recommended digital products (PDF, EPUB, MOBI) that
you can download immediately if you are interested.

Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python

3rd Edition John V. Guttag

https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-3rd-edition-john-v-guttag-2/

textbookfull.com

Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python

With Application to Understanding Data Second Edition John
V. Guttag
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-with-application-to-understanding-data-
second-edition-john-v-guttag/
textbookfull.com

Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python

with Application to Understanding Data Guttag

https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-with-application-to-understanding-data-
guttag/
textbookfull.com

SOFSEM 2016 Theory and Practice of Computer Science 42nd

International Conference on Current Trends in Theory and
Practice of Computer Science Harrachov Czech Republic
January 23 28 2016 Proceedings 1st Edition R■si■š M■rti■š
https://textbookfull.com/product/sofsem-2016-theory-and-practice-of-
Freivalds
computer-science-42nd-international-conference-on-current-trends-in-
theory-and-practice-of-computer-science-harrachov-czech-republic-
january-23-28-2016-proceedings-1/
textbookfull.com
Deep Learning Approaches to Text Production 1st Edition
Shashi Narayan

https://textbookfull.com/product/deep-learning-approaches-to-text-
production-1st-edition-shashi-narayan/

textbookfull.com

Rediscovering Social Economics: Beyond the Neoclassical

Paradigm 1st Edition Roger D. Johnson (Auth.)

https://textbookfull.com/product/rediscovering-social-economics-
beyond-the-neoclassical-paradigm-1st-edition-roger-d-johnson-auth/

textbookfull.com

Build, Run, and Sell Your Apple Consulting Practice:

Business and Marketing for iOS and Mac Start Ups Charles
Edge
https://textbookfull.com/product/build-run-and-sell-your-apple-
consulting-practice-business-and-marketing-for-ios-and-mac-start-ups-
charles-edge/
textbookfull.com

Studying Scientific Metaphor in Translation Mark

Shuttleworth

https://textbookfull.com/product/studying-scientific-metaphor-in-
translation-mark-shuttleworth/

textbookfull.com

Drugs in Perspective: Causes, Assessment, Family,

Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment Richard Fields

https://textbookfull.com/product/drugs-in-perspective-causes-
assessment-family-prevention-intervention-and-treatment-richard-
fields/
textbookfull.com
Pro PowerShell for Microsoft Azure 1st Edition Sherif
Talaat (Auth.)

https://textbookfull.com/product/pro-powershell-for-microsoft-
azure-1st-edition-sherif-talaat-auth/

textbookfull.com
Introduction to Computation
and Programming Using
Python

with Application to Computational

Modeling and Understanding Data
Introduction to Computation
and Programming Using
Python

with Application to Computational

Modeling and Understanding Data
third edition

John V. Guttag

The MIT Press

Cambridge, Massachusetts
London, England
© 2021 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any
electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or
information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the
publisher.

This book was set in Minion Pro by New Best-set Typesetters Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Guttag, John, author.

Title: Introduction to computation and programming using Python : with
application to computational modeling and understanding data / John V.
Guttag.
Description: Third edition. | Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2021] |
Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020036760 | ISBN 9780262542364 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Python (Computer program language)—Textbooks. | Computer
programming—Textbooks.
Classification: LCC QA76.73.P98 G88 2021 | DDC 005.13/3—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036760

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

d_r0
To my family:

Olga
David
Andrea
Michael
Mark
Addie
Pierce
 CONTENTS

PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
1: GETTING STARTED
2: INTRODUCTION TO PYTHON
3: SOME SIMPLE NUMERICAL PROGRAMS
4: FUNCTIONS, SCOPING, AND ABSTRACTION
5: STRUCTURED TYPES AND MUTABILITY
6: RECURSION AND GLOBAL VARIABLES
7: MODULES AND FILES
8: TESTING AND DEBUGGING
9: EXCEPTIONS AND ASSERTIONS
10: CLASSES AND OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
11: A SIMPLISTIC INTRODUCTION TO ALGORITHMIC
COMPLEXITY
12: SOME SIMPLE ALGORITHMS AND DATA STRUCTURES
13: PLOTTING AND MORE ABOUT CLASSES
14: KNAPSACK AND GRAPH OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS
15: DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING
16: RANDOM WALKS AND MORE ABOUT DATA
VISUALIZATION
 17: STOCHASTIC PROGRAMS, PROBABILITY, AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
18: MONTE CARLO SIMULATION
19: SAMPLING AND CONFIDENCE
20: UNDERSTANDING EXPERIMENTAL DATA
21: RANDOMIZED TRIALS AND HYPOTHESIS CHECKING
22: LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND STATISTICS
23: EXPLORING DATA WITH PANDAS
24: A QUICK LOOK AT MACHINE LEARNING
25: CLUSTERING
26: CLASSIFICATION METHODS
PYTHON 3.8 QUICK REFERENCE
INDEX

List of figures

Chapter 1
Figure 1-1 Flowchart of getting dinner
Chapter 2
Figure 2-1 Anaconda startup window
Figure 2-2 Spyder window
Figure 2-3 Operators on types int and float
Figure 2-4 Binding of variables to objects
Figure 2-5 Flowchart for conditional statement
Figure 2-6 Flowchart for iteration
Figure 2-7 Squaring an integer, the hard way
Figure 2-8 Hand simulation of a small program
Figure 2-9 Using a for statement
Chapter 3
Figure 3-1 Using exhaustive enumeration to find the cube root
Figure 3-2 Using exhaustive enumeration to test primality
Figure 3-3 A more efficient primality test
Figure 3-4 Approximating the square root using exhaustive
enumeration
Figure 3-5 Using bisection search to approximate square root
Figure 3-6 Using bisection search to estimate log base 2
Figure 3-7 Implementation of Newton–Raphson method
Chapter 4
Figure 4-1 Using bisection search to approximate square root
of x
Figure 4-2 Summing a square root and a cube root
Figure 4-3 A function for finding roots
Figure 4-4 Code to test find_root
Figure 4-5 Nested scopes
Figure 4-6 Stack frames
Figure 4-7 A function definition with a specification
Figure 4-8 Splitting find_root into multiple functions
Figure 4-9 Generalizing bisection_solve
Figure 4-10 Using bisection_solve to approximate logs
Chapter 5
Figure 5-1 Two lists
Figure 5-2 Two lists that appear to have the same value, but
don't
Figure 5-3 Demonstration of mutability
Figure 5-4 Common methods associated with lists
Figure 5-5 Applying a function to elements of a list
Figure 5-6 Common operations on sequence types
Figure 5-7 Comparison of sequence types
Figure 5-8 Some methods on strings
Figure 5-9 Translating text (badly)
Figure 5-10 Some common operations on dicts
Chapter 6
Figure 6-1 Iterative and recursive implementations of factorial
Figure 6-2 Growth in population of female rabbits
Figure 6-3 Recursive implementation of Fibonacci sequence
Figure 6-4 Palindrome testing
Figure 6-5 Code to visualize palindrome testing
Figure 6-6 Using a global variable
Chapter 7
Figure 7-1 Some code related to circles and spheres
Figure 7-2 Common functions for accessing files
Chapter 8
Figure 8-1 Testing boundary conditions
Figure 8-2 Not the first bug
Figure 8-3 Program with bugs
Chapter 9
Figure 9-1 Using exceptions for control flow
Figure 9-2 Control flow without a try-except
Figure 9-3 Get grades
Chapter 10
Figure 10-1 Class Int_set
Figure 10-2 Using magic methods
Figure 10-3 Class Person
Figure 10-4 Class MIT_person
Figure 10-5 Two kinds of students
Figure 10-6 Class Grades
Figure 10-7 Generating a grade report
Figure 10-8 Information hiding in classes
Figure 10-9 New version of get_students
Figure 10-10 Mortgage base class
Figure 10-11 Mortgage subclasses
Chapter 11
Figure 11-1 Using exhaustive enumeration to approximate
square root
Figure 11-2 Using bisection search to approximate square root
Figure 11-3 Asymptotic complexity
Figure 11-4 Implementation of subset test
Figure 11-5 Implementation of list intersection
Figure 11-6 Generating the power set
Figure 11-7 Constant, logarithmic, and linear growth
Figure 11-8 Linear, log-linear, and quadratic growth
Figure 11-9 Quadratic and exponential growth
Chapter 12
Figure 12-1 Implementing lists
Figure 12-2 Linear search of a sorted list
Figure 12-3 Recursive binary search
Figure 12-4 Selection sort
Figure 12-5 Merge sort
Figure 12-6 Sorting a list of names
Visit https://textbookfull.com
now to explore a rich
collection of eBooks, textbook
and enjoy exciting offers!
Figure 12-7 Implementing dictionaries using hashing
Chapter 13
Figure 13-1 A simple plot
Figure 13-2 Contents of Figure-Jane.png (left) and Figure-
Addie.png (right)
Figure 13-3 Produce plots showing compound growth
Figure 13-4 Plots showing compound growth
Figure 13-5 Another plot of compound growth
Figure 13-6 Strange-looking plot
Figure 13-7 Class Mortgage with plotting methods
Figure 13-8 Subclasses of Mortgage
Figure 13-9 Compare mortgages
Figure 13-10 Generate mortgage plots
Figure 13-11 Monthly payments of different kinds of mortgages
Figure 13-12 Cost over time of different kinds of mortgages
Figure 13-13 Balance remaining and net cost for different kinds
of mortgages
Figure 13-14 Simulation of spread of an infectious disease
Figure 13-15 Function to plot history of infection
Figure 13-16 Produce plot with a single set of parameters
Figure 13-17 Static plot of number of infections
Figure 13-18 Interactive plot with initial slider values
Figure 13-19 Interactive plot with changed slider values
Chapter 14
Figure 14-1 Table of items
Figure 14-2 Class Item
Figure 14-3 Implementation of a greedy algorithm
Figure 14-4 Using a greedy algorithm to choose items
Figure 14-5 Brute-force optimal solution to the 0/1 knapsack
problem
Figure 14-6 The bridges of Königsberg (left) and Euler's
simplified map (right)
Figure 14-7 Nodes and edges
Figure 14-8 Classes Graph and Digraph
Figure 14-9 Depth-first-search shortest-path algorithm
Figure 14-10 Test depth-first-search code
Figure 14-11 Breadth-first-search shortest path algorithm
Chapter 15
Figure 15-1 Tree of calls for recursive Fibonacci
Figure 15-2 Implementing Fibonacci using a memo
Figure 15-3 Table of items with values and weights
Figure 15-4 Decision tree for knapsack problem
Figure 15-5 Using a decision tree to solve a knapsack problem
Figure 15-6 Testing the decision tree-based implementation
Figure 15-7 Dynamic programming solution to knapsack
problem
Figure 15-8 Performance of dynamic programming solution
Chapter 16
Figure 16-1 An unusual farmer
Figure 16-2 Location and Field classes
Figure 16-3 Classes defining Drunks
Figure 16-4 The drunkard's walk (with a bug)
Figure 16-5 Distance from starting point versus steps taken
Figure 16-6 Subclasses of Drunk base class
Figure 16-7 Iterating over styles
Figure 16-8 Plotting the walks of different drunks
Figure 16-9 Mean distance for different kinds of drunks
Figure 16-10 Plotting final locations
Figure 16-11 Where the drunk stops
Figure 16-12 Tracing walks
Figure 16-13 Trajectory of walks
Figure 16-14 Fields with strange properties
Figure 16-15 A strange walk
Chapter 17
Figure 17-1 Roll die
Figure 17-2 Flipping a coin
Figure 17-3 Regression to the mean
Figure 17-4 Illustration of regression to mean
Figure 17-5 Plotting the results of coin flips
Figure 17-6 The law of large numbers at work
Figure 17-7 The law of large numbers at work
Figure 17-8 Variance and standard deviation
Figure 17-9 Helper function for coin-flipping simulation
Figure 17-10 Coin-flipping simulation
Figure 17-11 Convergence of heads/tails ratios
Figure 17-12 Absolute differences
Figure 17-13 Mean and standard deviation of heads - tails
Figure 17-14 Coefficient of variation
Figure 17-15 Final version of flip_plot
Figure 17-16 Coefficient of variation of heads/tails and
abs(heads – tails)
Figure 17-17 A large number of trials
Figure 17-18 Income distribution in Australia
Figure 17-19 Code and the histogram it generates
Figure 17-20 Plot histograms of coin flips
Figure 17-21 Histograms of coin flips
Figure 17-22 PDF for random.random
Figure 17-23 PDF for Gaussian distribution
Figure 17-24 A normal distribution
Figure 17-25 Plot of absolute value of x
Figure 17-26 Checking the empirical rule
Figure 17-27 Produce plot with error bars
Figure 17-28 Estimates with error bars
Figure 17-29 Exponential clearance of molecules
Figure 17-30 Exponential decay
Figure 17-31 Plotting exponential decay with a logarithmic axis
Figure 17-33 A geometric distribution
Figure 17-32 Producing a geometric distribution
Figure 17-34 Simulating a hash table
Figure 17-35 World Series simulation
Figure 17-36 Probability of winning a 7-game series
Chapter 18
Figure 18-1 Checking Pascal's analysis
Figure 18-2 Craps_game class
Figure 18-3 Simulating a craps game
Figure 18-4 Using table lookup to improve performance
Figure 18-5 Unit circle inscribed in a square
Figure 18-6 Estimating π
Chapter 19
Figure 19-1 The first few lines in bm_results2012.csv
Figure 19-2 Read data and produce plot of Boston Marathon
Figure 19-3 Boston Marathon finishing times
Figure 19-4 Sampling finishing times
Figure 19-5 Analyzing a small sample
Figure 19-6 Effect of variance on estimate of mean
Figure 19-7 Compute and plot sample means
Figure 19-8 Sample means
Figure 19-9 Estimating the mean of a continuous die
Figure 19-10 An illustration of the CLT
Figure 19-11 Produce plot with error bars
Figure 19-12 Estimates of finishing times with error bars
Figure 19-13 Standard error of the mean
Figure 19-14 Sample standard deviation vs. population
standard deviation
Figure 19-15 Sample standard deviations
Figure 19-16 Estimating the population mean 10,000 times
Chapter 20
Figure 20-1 A classic experiment
Figure 20-2 Extracting the data from a file
Figure 20-3 Plotting the data
Figure 20-4 Displacement of spring
Figure 20-5 Fitting a curve to data
Figure 20-6 Measured points and linear model
Figure 20-7 Linear and cubic fits
Figure 20-8 Using the model to make a prediction
Figure 20-9 A model up to the elastic limit
Figure 20-10 Data from projectile experiment
Figure 20-11 Plotting the trajectory of a projectile
Figure 20-12 Plot of trajectory
Figure 20-13 Computing R2
Figure 20-14 Computing the horizontal speed of a projectile
Figure 20-15 Fitting a polynomial curve to an exponential
distribution
Figure 20-16 Fitting an exponential
Figure 20-17 An exponential on a semilog plot
Figure 20-18 Using polyfit to fit an exponential
Figure 20-19 A fit for an exponential function
Chapter 21
Figure 21-1 Finishing times for cyclists
Figure 21-2 January 2020 temperature difference from the
1981-2010 average145
Figure 21-3 Plotting a t-distribution
Figure 21-4 Visualizing the t-statistic
Figure 21-5 Compute and print t-statistic and p-value
Figure 21-6 Code for generating racing examples
Figure 21-7 Probability of p-values
Figure 21-8 Lyndsay's simulation of games
Figure 21-9 Correct simulation of games
Figure 21-10 Impact of sample size on p-value
Figure 21-11 Comparing mean finishing times for selected
countries
Figure 21-12 Checking multiple hypotheses
Figure 21-13 Has the sun exploded?
Chapter 22
Figure 22-1 Housing prices in the U.S. Midwest
Figure 22-2 Plotting housing prices
Figure 22-3 A different view of housing prices
Figure 22-4 Housing prices relative to $200,000
Figure 22-5 Comparing number of Instagram followers
Figure 22-6 Do Mexican lemons save lives?
Figure 22-7 Statistics for Anscombe's quartet
Figure 22-8 Data for Anscombe's quartet
Figure 22-9 Welfare vs. full-time jobs
Figure 22-10 Sea ice in the Arctic
Figure 22-11 Growth of Internet usage in U.S.
Figure 22-12 Professor puzzles over students' chalk-throwing
accuracy
Figure 22-13 Probability of 48 anorexics being born in June
Figure 22-14 Probability of 48 anorexics being born in some
month
Chapter 23
Figure 23-1 A sample Pandas DataFrame bound to the variable
wwc
Figure 23-2 An example CSV file
Figure 23-3 Building a dictionary mapping years to
temperature data
Figure 23-4 Building a DataFrame organized around years
Figure 23-5 Produce plots relating year to temperature
measurements
Figure 23-6 Mean and minimum annual temperatures
Figure 23-7 Rolling average minimum temperatures
Figure 23-8 Average temperatures for select cities
Figure 23-9 Variation in temperature extremes
Figure 23-10 Global consumption of fossil fuels
Chapter 24
Figure 24-1 Two sets of names
Figure 24-2 Associating a feature vector with each name
Figure 24-3 Feature vector/label pairs for presidents
Figure 24-4 Name, features, and labels for assorted animals
Figure 24-5 Visualizing distance metrics
Figure 24-6 Minkowski distance
Figure 24-7 Class Animal
Figure 24-8 Build table of distances between pairs of animals
Figure 24-9 Distances between three animals
Figure 24-10 Distances between four animals
Figure 24-11 Distances using a different feature representation
Chapter 25
Figure 25-1 Height, weight, and shirt color
Figure 25-2 Class Example
Figure 25-3 Class Cluster
Figure 25-4 K-means clustering
Figure 25-5 Finding the best k-means clustering
Figure 25-6 A test of k-means
Figure 25-7 Examples from two distributions
Figure 25-8 Lines printed by a call to contrived_test(1, 2, True)
Figure 25-9 Generating points from three distributions
Figure 25-10 Points from three overlapping Gaussians
Figure 25-11 Mammal dentition in dentalFormulas.csv
Figure 25-12 Read and process CSV file
Figure 25-13 Scaling attributes
Figure 25-14 Start of CSV file classifying mammals by diet
Figure 25-15 Relating clustering to labels
Chapter 26
Figure 26-1 Plots of voter preferences
Figure 26-2 Confusion matrices
Figure 26-3 A more complex model
Figure 26-4 Functions for evaluating classifiers
Figure 26-5 First few lines of bm_results2012.csv
Figure 26-6 Build examples and divide data into training and
test sets
Figure 26-7 Finding the k-nearest neighbors
Figure 26-8 Prevalence-based classifier
Figure 26-9 Searching for a good k
Figure 26-10 Choosing a value for k
Figure 26-11 Linear regression models for men and women
Figure 26-12 Produce and plot linear regression models
Figure 26-13 Using linear regression to build a classifier
Figure 26-14 Using sklearn to do multi-class logistic regression
Figure 26-15 Example of two-class logistic regression
Figure 26-16 Use logistic regression to predict gender
Figure 26-17 Construct ROC curve and find AUROC
Figure 26-18 ROC curve and AUROC
Figure 26-19 Class Passenger
Figure 26-20 Read Titanic data and build list of examples207
Figure 26-21 Test models for Titanic survival
Figure 26-22 Print statistics about classifiers
 PREFACE

This book is based on courses that have been offered at MIT since
2006, and as “Massive Online Open Courses” (MOOCs) through edX
and MITx since 2012. The first edition of the book was based on a
single one-semester course. However, over time I couldn't resist
adding more material than could be fit into a semester. The current
edition is suitable for either a two-semester or a three-quarter
introductory computer science sequence.
The book is aimed at 1) readers with little or no prior
programming experience who have a desire to understand
computational approaches to problem solving, and 2) more
experienced programmers who want to learn how to use
computation to model things or explore data.
We emphasize breadth rather than depth. The goal is to provide
readers with a brief introduction to many topics, so that they will
have an idea of what's possible when the time comes to think about
how to use computation to accomplish a goal. That said, this is not a
“computation appreciation” book. It is challenging and rigorous.
Readers who wish to really learn the material will have to spend a lot
of time and effort learning to bend the computer to their will.
The main goal of this book is to help readers become skillful at
making productive use of computational techniques. They should
learn to use computational modes of thoughts to frame problems, to
build computational models, and to guide the process of extracting
information from data. The primary knowledge they will take away
from this book is the art of computational problem solving.
We chose not to include problems at the end of chapters. Instead
we inserted “finger exercises” at opportune points within the
Visit https://textbookfull.com
now to explore a rich
collection of eBooks, textbook
and enjoy exciting offers!
chapters. Some are quite short, and are intended to allow readers to
confirm that they understood the material they just read. Some are
more challenging, and are suitable for exam questions. And others
are challenging enough to be useful as homework assignments.
Chapters 1-13 contain the kind of material typically included in
an introductory computer science course, but the presentation is not
conventional. We braid together four strands of material:

The basics of programming,

The Python 3 programming language,
Computational problem solving techniques, and
Computational complexity.

We cover most of Python's features, but the emphasis is on what

one can do with a programming language, not on the language itself.
For example, by the end of Chapter 3, the book has covered only a
small fraction of Python, but it has already introduced the notions of
exhaustive enumeration, guess-and-check algorithms, bisection
search, and efficient approximation algorithms. We introduce
features of Python throughout the book. Similarly, we introduce
aspects of programming methods throughout the book. The idea is to
help readers learn Python and how to be a good programmer in the
context of using computation to solve interesting problems. These
chapters have been revised to proceed more gently and include more
excercises than the corresponding chapters in the second edition of
this book.
Chapter 13 contains an introduction to plotting in Python. This
topic is often not covered in introductory courses, but we believe that
learning to produce visualizations of information is an important
skill that should be included in an introductory computer science
course. This chapter includes material not covered in the second
edition.
Chapters 14-26 are about using computation to help understand
the real world. They cover material that we think should become the
usual second course in a computer science curriculum. They assume
no knowledge of mathematics beyond high school algebra, but do
assume that the reader is comfortable with rigorous thinking and is
not intimidated by mathematical concepts.
 This part of the book is devoted to topics not found in most
introductory texts: data visualization and analysis, stochastic
programs, simulation models, probabilistic and statistical thinking,
and machine learning. We believe that this is a far more relevant
body of material for most students than what is typically covered in
the second computer science course. Except for Chapter 23, the
material in this section of the book focuses on conceptual issues
rather than programming. Chapter 23 is an introduction to Pandas, a
topic not covered in earlier editions.
The book has three pervasive themes: systematic problem
solving, the power of abstraction, and computation as a way of
thinking about the world. When you have finished this book you
should have:

Learned a language, Python, for expressing computations,

Learned a systematic approach to organizing, writing, and
debugging medium-sized programs,
Developed an informal understanding of computational
complexity,
Developed some insight into the process of moving from an
ambiguous problem statement to a computational formulation of
a method for solving the problem,
Learned a useful set of algorithmic and problem reduction
techniques,
Learned how to use randomness and simulations to shed light on
problems that don't easily succumb to closed-form solutions, and
Learned how to use computational tools (including simple
statistical, visualization, and machine learning tools) to model
and understand data.

Programming is an intrinsically difficult activity. Just as “there is

no royal road to geometry,” 1 there is no royal road to programming.
If you really want to learn the material, reading the book will not be
enough. At the very least you should complete the finger excercises
that involve coding. If you are up for trying more ambitious tasks, try
some of the problem sets available through
 https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-
computer-science/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-
and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/

and
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-
computer-science/6-0002-introduction-to-computational-
thinking-and-data-science-fall-2016/.

1 This was Euclid's purported response, circa 300 BCE, to King

Ptolemy's request for an easier way to learn mathematics.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The first edition of this book grew out of a set of lecture notes that I
prepared while teaching an undergraduate course at MIT. The
course, and therefore this book, benefited from suggestions from
faculty colleagues (especially Ana Bell, Eric Grimson, Srinivas
Devadas, Fredo Durand, Ron Rivest, and Chris Terman), teaching
assistants, and the students who took the course. David Guttag
overcame his aversion to computer science, and proofread multiple
chapters of the first edition.
Like all successful professors, I owe a great deal to my graduate
students. In addition to doing great research (and letting me take
some of the credit for it), Guha Balakrishnan, Davis Blalock, Joel
Brooks, Ganeshapillai Gartheeban, Jen Gong, Katie Lewis, Yun Liu,
Jose Javier Gonzalez Ortiz, Anima Singh, Divya Shanmugam, Jenna
Wiens, and Amy Zhao all provided useful comments on various
versions of this manuscript.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to Julie Sussman, P.P.A., who
edited the first two editions of this book, and Lisa Ruffolo who edited
the current edition. Both Julie and Lisa were collaborators who read
the book with the eyes of a student, and told me what needed to be
done, what should be done, and what could be done if I had the time
and energy to do it. They buried me in “suggestions” that were too
good to ignore.
Finally, thanks to my wife, Olga, for pushing me to finish and for
excusing me from various household duties so that I could work on
the book.
 1
GETTING STARTED

A computer does two things, and two things only: it performs

calculations and it remembers the results of those calculations. But it
does those two things extremely well. The typical computer that sits
on a desk or in a backpack performs a 100 billion or so calculations a
second. It's hard to imagine how truly fast that is. Think about
holding a ball a meter above the floor, and letting it go. By the time it
reaches the floor, your computer could have executed more than a
billion instructions. As for memory, a small computer might have
hundreds of gigabytes of storage. How big is that? If a byte (the
number of bits, typically eight, required to represent one character)
weighed one gram (which it doesn't), 100 gigabytes would weigh
100,000 metric tons. For comparison, that's roughly the combined
weight of 16,000 African elephants.2
For most of human history, computation was limited by how fast
the human brain could calculate and how well the human hand could
record computational results. This meant that only the smallest
problems could be attacked computationally. Even with the speed of
modern computers, some problems are still beyond modern
computational models (e.g., fully understanding climate change), but
more and more problems are proving amenable to computational
solution. It is our hope that by the time you finish this book, you will
feel comfortable bringing computational thinking to bear on solving
many of the problems you encounter during your studies, work, and
even everyday life.
What do we mean by computational thinking?
All knowledge can be thought of as either declarative or
imperative. Declarative knowledge is composed of statements of
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
 The Project Gutenberg eBook of The ladies'
complete guide to crochet, fancy knitting, and
needlework
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: The ladies' complete guide to crochet, fancy knitting, and

needlework

Author: Ann S. Stephens

Release date: March 31, 2024 [eBook #73303]

Language: English

Original publication: New York: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1854

Credits: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading

Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was
produced from images made available by the
HathiTrust Digital Library.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LADIES'

COMPLETE GUIDE TO CROCHET, FANCY KNITTING, AND
NEEDLEWORK ***
Transcriber’s Note:
New original cover art included with this eBook is
granted to the public domain.
 THE

LADIES’ COMPLETE GUIDE

TO

Crochet, Fancy Knitting, and Needlework.

BY MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.

Containing a complete Dictionary of the technical terms and characters used
in descriptions of Crochet and Fancy Knitting Patterns. In this work the
terms are so clearly explained, that any person who can read, can in a few
hours learn to execute the most complicated and difficult patterns in
Crochet and Knitting. This work also contains the clearest elementary
information and the fullest instructions for every species of Needlework,
with new and beautiful edgings and insertions, in addition to the choicest
specimens of Ladies’ work.

NEW YORK:
DICK & FITZGERALD,
18 ANN STREET.
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by
GARRETT & CO.,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern
District of New York.
CONTENTS.
 Page.
Needlework and its History 5
Introduction 22
Honiton Lace Collar 24
Passion Flower in Chenille 26
Card Basket in Crochet 28
Border for a Quilt 29
Crochet Edging 30
Punch’s Anti-Macassar 31
Deep Lace in Crochet 33
Tatted Insertion 34
Anti-Macassar 35
Net for the Hair 37
Berlin Work and Canvas Embroidery 38
Crochet Collar 44
Knitted Lace Undersleeve 46
Insertions in Embroidery 47
Table Mat 48
Gentlemen’s Knitted Braces 49
Small Gimps in Crochet 49
Judy’s Anti-Macassar 50
Crochet D’Oyley 53
Point Lace Instructions 54
Crochet Collar 61
Mat with Border of Moss, &c. 62
Initials in Embroidery 63
Autour Boutons 64
Pretty Carriage Bag 64
D’Oyley in Square Crochet 65
Deep Point Lace 66
Crochet Edging 67
Crochet Edging 68
Crochet Insertion 69
Instructions in Embroidery 70
Honiton Crochet Collar 76
Knitted Basket 77
Initial Letters 78
Shamrock-Leaf D’Oyley 79
Pinafore 80
Neck Tie 82
Embroidery 82
Square D’Oyley 83
Deep Lace in Crochet 83
Collars in Tatting 84
Crochet Insertion 85
Knitting Instructions 86
Infant’s Cap Crown 89
Initials 91
Knitted Bag 92
Lacet Bag 93
D’Oyley in Square Crochet 93
Crochet Edging 94
Lady’s Chemisette 96
Anti-Macassar 98
Crochet Mat 100
Instructions in Tatting 102
Embroidery on Cambric 105
Knitted Lace Collars 106
Spanish Crochet Edging 107
Collar in Frivolite 108
Collar in Frivolite 109
Fish Cloth 110
Crochet Insertion 113
Knitted Scarf 114
Night Cap in Crochet 115
Crochet Edging 117
 LADIES’ COMPLETE GUIDE TO
CROCHET AND NEEDLE WORK.

NEEDLE WORK AND ITS HISTORY.

The first step in education ever made by the feminine mind was the
art of Needlework. Before women began to read, and when they
considered writing as a mystery only to be undertaken by men of
nobler parts, Needlework became a sort of medium by which women
attempted to express their ideas and embody those affectionate
thoughts that must have some expression to keep the full heart from
overflowing.
In olden times, when war and warlike fame was the great object of
every brave man, woman first learned to write her love and all the
mysterious faith which, with the educated or uneducated, is a portion
of her being, in those war pennants and embroidered scarfs that were
worn by the sterner sex as rewards of valor or expressions of love.
Taking a hint from the flowers, God’s own handwriting of love upon
the bosom of the earth, she began to symbol the deep feelings of her
nature in imperfect imitations, and this was the first step made by
woman in the progress of mind.
How rude and uncouth these first attempts were, matters little.
They constituted the alphabet of all the bright creations, whether of
the pencil or pen, which are the glory of the present century. During
the dark ages Needlework was considered an aristocratic, nay, almost
a regal accomplishment, and queens vied with each other in the
gentle art as ardently as their husbands struggled in the battle-field.
The Lady of a castle in those times made it a portion of her duty to
initiate the noble damsels of her household in the mysteries of cross
and tent-stitch, just as her lord held noble youths in training for the
battle-field.
The amount of Needlework done by the female sovereigns of
England and France is really wonderful! The wife of William the
Conqueror wrought whole suits of tapestry with her own hands, and
poor Mary Stewart has left scores of mournful proofs how great a
consolation this accomplishment is to the suffering and afflicted. Her
solitude in the various prison castles of England was softened more
by this gentle occupation of the hands, than by her literary or
conversational talent put together. The most touching memento of
this beautiful woman at Holyrood Palace is the basket in which she
placed those pretty garments, enriched by her own skill, intended for
the infancy of her only son—that son who allowed her to remain a
prisoner during his entire youth, rather than endanger the friendship
of her royal murderess. Indeed one of the most painful events of her
life was connected with this art. After a year of prison life, spent in
embroidering a robe for this pusillanimous son, after she had woven
as it were her anguish and her tears in the rich fabric, she forwarded
the garment to Scotland, accompanied by a letter full of maternal
love. This letter was directed to James, Prince of Scotland, not to the
King. Holding her own sovereign rights as sacred, how could she
acknowledge those of another by her own hands. James sent the robe
back because of this omission It is easy to fancy, after this outrage,
that poor Mary Stewart might receive her death warrant with
comparative composure.
 KNITTING.
We should find it difficult to trace the origin of this particular class
of work-table employment, of which our book treats, except as it
sprang from these intricate stitches first introduced into old point
lace. The transition from one needle to more, and the weaving of
thread into forms of beauty, was a progress natural to the spirit of
invention, and the facilities for thought which the first step in any art
creates.
Probably the first progress which Knitting made toward a distinct
art, was when yarn stockings were invented in Flanders. The stitch,
as every New England housewife knows, is simple enough. But
inventive genius has so adorned and varied it, that stockings are
easily enriched with lace-work, and lace itself is abundantly
manufactured by a little thread and a pair of knitting needles. There
is no female accomplishment so universal as this of knitting. The
women of different nations perform the simple stitches with a
process of their own, but the result is the same. In Germany and
Russia, the yarn is held in the left hand, and wound in an intricate
fashion among the fingers of that hand, while with us it is simply
folded over the front and little finger of the right hand. The author
remembers well the amazement and merry smiles of a Russian lady
in St. Petersburg, when she exhibited this American method of
producing the stitch the lady had been forming in the continental
fashion; this was but natural; for the amusement was quite mutual.
Nothing could be droller than the way in which she handled her
needles.
All over Europe, ladies may be seen in their balconies after dinner,
grouped around their work-baskets, while the gentlemen converse
with them, or silently watch the progress of their pretty tasks. In the
sitting-room of every mansion, some one corner is rendered cozier
than the rest, by the well-used work table, laden with pretty boxes
and baskets, crowned with a rainbow wreath of Berlin wool.
Fashionable as this household accomplishment is getting among us,
American ladies devote themselves less to needlework than those of
almost any other nation.
 CROCHET WORK.
Crochet Work proper is, in its present improved form, almost a
modern invention. It has only been introduced to any extent into the
country within the last twenty years, but now it is very general, and
our old-fashioned knitting work is completely thrown into the back
ground by the Crochet needle. The embroidered sheath and chased
silver needle-case have disappeared even from the cherry-wood
workstands of New England, and a thousand beautiful designs for
chairs, cushions, toilets and wearing apparel, supply the place of the
old-fashioned stocking basket with its well mended contents. In
England and Ireland, where the ladies are always industrious,
Crochet work has arisen to the dignity of an art. It is introduced into
the national schools, and hundreds of poor are supported by the rich
laces and pretty collars produced there.
It is quite wonderful to what perfection this art has reached in
some districts of Ireland. Every day develops new improvements and
contributes some novel pattern to the world, which promises to
render this class of lace making more popular than even the English
point, has been, especially on this side the Atlantic. At the Crystal
Palace this year, some specimens of Crochet collars, sleeves, and
even entire dresses, were exhibited that had all the rich effect of old
point lace. Flowers, even raised in petals from the ground work, have
been invented, and the most intricate patterns are given with a
boldness of effect only to be found in the ancient lace we have
mentioned.
Thus it is pleasant to see that what was late only a dainty
accomplishment with which the gentlewoman idled away her time,
promises to become a means of support to the working classes.
In this country, Crochet work can only be denominated an
accomplishment, but we must consider it not merely as an elegant
way of whiling away time, but as one of those gentle means by which
women are kept feminine and lady-like in this fast age. Masculine
women of hard and coarse grained natures, are seldom given to these
pleasant household employments. We never hear that Elizabeth
amused herself with the needle, she was too busy with her pen
signing death warrants, or with her tongue scolding her council, for
any thoughts of the graceful art which brightened the prison she gave
to her beautiful rival. Indeed, fancy work in all its branches is always
subservient to the household spirit which attends every true woman.
There is a careless fashion among gentlemen, of speaking lightly
regarding those graceful exhibitions of female industry, which pass
under the head of Fancy Work. Yet, to our mind, there is no
amusement more innocent and graceful. One of the most
distinguished literary ladies of this country once told us that she
cultivated a love of her old-fashioned knitting, because it gave
employment for her hands, which were so used to motion, that she
really felt uncomfortable when they were unemployed. Our friend is
only singular in the homeliness of her taste in knitting useful
stockings, instead of pretty ornaments. The ladies of almost every
country we have ever seen appear most natural and charming when
employed in some graceful task of needlework or knitting.
But a love of it is increasing, and still increasing. Let gentlemen
deride these pretty occupations if they please; we know how much of
a soothing influence lies in the dreamy habit of counting stitches,
and how many bright faculties are pleasantly exercised in arranging
and matching colors.
On no occasion does a lady seem more lovely than when half
occupied with some feminine art which keeps her fingers employed,
and gives an excuse for downcast eyes and gentle pre-occupation.
This sort of playing at work, and working at play, sheds a home
feeling around the guests which no studied effort at hospitality can
produce, and forms habits of usefulness which consumes many an
hour of idle time that might be put to far more harmful uses.
There is an air of tranquility, and a proof of innocent contentment
in these domestic accomplishments, that have a beautiful
significance in the family circle. It is only in well regulated
households that leisure moments are thus gathered up. It is only
minds composed and serene in their joy, or submissive in sorrow,
that can constrain themselves to the gentle monotony of work like
this.
With a crotchet-needle in the hand, we join more pleasantly in
conversation; the little implement fills up all embarrassing pauses:
its use gives a feminine and domestic air, which men may smile at,
but cannot condemn; and, under all circumstances, it is better than
counting beads, like the modern Greeks, or flirting fans, like the
Spanish belles—or flirting without fans, as sometimes happens to
ladies of all nations.
The time which any lady gives to ornamental needlework is usually
made up of those leisure moments which would be lounged away on
a sofa, or in a rocking-chair; and it is wonderful how many pretty
objects start into existence, that, but for this taste, would be dreamed
away into nothingness.
Of course, no person of well regulated intellect would make a
business of this graceful accomplishment, unless compelled to
exercise it for a subsistence. We advocate it simply as an amusement,
like all recreation, to be indulged in only when the more serious
duties of life are disposed of. But it has advantages not always
recognized. Many a fine eye for colors has been cultivated into
artistic perfection, by the nice discrimination necessary to assort the
tints of a worsted rose. Grouping may be learned from a close study
of patterns, and a thousand charming associations may be woven in
with the forget-me-not or heart’s-ease, which we have wrought
tremblingly into the canvass, which a beloved eye was gazing upon.
Without a gift for needlework, what should we ladies do for
appropriate mementos for our brothers, husbands, and friends, at
Christmas time, and when birthdays come round, sounding their
yearly remembrances upon our heartstrings? What should we do for
wedding cushions, and christening robes, when our favorite cousins
insist upon becoming heads of families, and useful members of
society? What excuse should we have for casting down our eyes,
when other people’s eyes become troublesome? Every lady knows
how many heart-tremors can be carried off in a vigorous twist of the
crotchet-needle; how many pleasant words may be innocently
received in a sensitive heart, when all its defensive faculties are busy
counting stitches? In short, we persist in it, that a feminine character
cannot be quite perfect without a knowledge of all sorts of
needlework, and a down-right hearty love of it, too. For our part, we
have buried many a heart-ache in the growing leaves of a silken rose,
and blunted the sharp edge of pangs that would not be wrestled with
by the sweet, calm monotony of a shining bit of steel.
 The delightful art of netting produces not only objects of beauty
but of comfort so indispensable in our severe winters, that the fair
hand employed in netting may be deemed useful as our
grandmothers’ were when they seamed enormous quantities of yarn
away in winter socks and stockings. In our cold seasons, when
parties most prevail, sleeves, cuffs, rigolettes, and over-shoes of
delicate Berlin wool, have saved many a fair form from colds and
their consequent diseases, which, without such care, prove so fatal
when heated rooms are exchanged for the biting cold of a winter’s
night. With soft warm cuffs, or oversleeves, to draw over the arms, a
snowy web of netting and tassels upon the head, and shoes thickly
wadded with silk, drawn over the satin slippers, added to the usual
wrappers, no lady need expose herself to cold though the atmosphere
be at Zero and her dress of gossamer, with low neck and short
sleeves. It is not always that fashion blends so gracefully with taste
and comfort, as it does in these charming little trifles manufactured
at odd moments, from Berlin wool, by the fair hands of those who
intend to present or wear them. Besides, the fabrication of these
articles is a pretty accomplishment that possesses a social value,
independent of time well employed, and comfort secured.
Knitting, crochet work, and the manufactory of lace are so
connected and interwoven together that the history of one would be
incomplete without the other. We therefore go on from our familiar
and pleasant talk about needlework as an accomplishment and give
its history as a matter of trade. In this point of view, lace making is
the most important, and indeed so connected with the rest that we
give concise history of its rise and progress in the world.
We have already spoken of needlework in its first rude condition,
when uncouth figures and a barbarian taste for gorgeousness
prevailed without those powers that create harmonious beauty.
After these rude attempts at a first step in the arts, it is not
wonderful that improvements were made, almost unconsciously, and
that the innate genius that existed then as now in the female bosom
found at all times some imperfect means of expression through the
needle, which ended at last in those stitches, that have since been
combined into the fabric called lace.
It is certain that neither labor nor ingenuity was spared in the
production of the magnificent borderings for robes, often worked in
gold and silver and various colors, which are associated in our minds
with the ancients on better grounds than mere tradition. What, then,
is more probable than that, in the search for novelty and variety—as
much an object of desire, no doubt, in that age as in our own—the
idea should have presented itself to some tasteful eye of relieving the
pattern of the fabric with occasional spaces, either left wholly vacant,
or filled up with a web-like ground work? This would, in reality,
constitute lace, however much it might differ from the delicate
material known by that name in the present day. Whether the
introduction of lace is referable to the classic ages or not, certain it is
that a very respectable degree of antiquity may be claimed for it.
It must be borne in mind that real or handmade lace is divided
into two distinct classes: first, that worked with the needle, which
has for ages been known by the name of point, and is but transparent
embroidery; and secondly that made on a hard cushion or pillow, by
the interweaving of numerous fine threads wound on wooden
bobbins. The latter method of lace making is comparatively of
modern invention; so that in the early history of the fabric it must be
understood as referring solely to the point. During the earlier periods
at which the existence of lace is generally recognised, it was
exclusively worked in conventual institutions, and applied to the
adornment of church-furniture and the state-vestments of the
priests. Had it been made in populous towns, and formed an article
of commerce, more satisfactory information would have been here
and there discovered; but of those old isolated convents in Spain and
Italy, and of the habits and pursuits of their inhabitants, little beyond
vague tradition has descended to us. There is every reason to
suppose, that during the thirteenth, fourteenth, and two following
centuries, the making of lace occupied the same important position
in the daily employments of the nuns, as the arts of copying
illuminating manuscripts, amongst the monks and friars.
It is singular that, in later years, the secrets connected with the
manufacture of old point lace have been lost to us; and that, although
ingenious imitations are by no means rare, the authentic method of
making it is quite unknown. The substratum used, or ‘foundation,’ as
it is called, would appear to have been fine linen, though scarcely a
thread is visible to the eye, from the heavy embroidery upon it, which
here and there stands out in complete relief. The pattern consisted of
small sections of fantastic and varying outlines; now a rather
unnatural imitation of a flower, now some quaint arabesque or
mechanical form, resembling nothing in the world but itself. These
being distinct from each other, were united by delicate fibres made
with the still common button-hole stitch; and it is not easy for mere
description to render justice to the beauty of the general effect. It
seems wonderful that so perfect a result could have been attained by
following the impulse of the moment; but still more difficult to
believe that any design could have been invented so strange and
capricious in character. As for the untiring patience displayed in the
execution, we can only rejoice that it was believed to be in a good
cause; that the pious nuns could not foresee the desecration to
which, in the course of some few centuries, their cherished
productions were to be subjected. When accident or necessity by
degrees alienated the more valuable adornments of church-furniture,
they were applied to secular purposes; and no doubt many a modern
belle may have unconsciously displayed in a ball room a lace flounce
which has adorned an image of the Virgin, or sought ineffectual
protection from a draught by drawing around her a mantle of old
point, which has witnessed from the shoulders of a cardinal many a
grand and imposing ceremony. There are, of course, comparatively
few specimens extant of this very antique lace, properly described as
Spanish point; and these few have in most cases been handed down
to their possessors as valued heir-looms from generation to
generation; regarded with as much honest pride by the ladies of the
line, as the more valuable portion of the family heritage by their
matter-of-fact husbands. As the supply of old point can never be
renewed, and competition can never affect it, its value naturally
increases; and when it can be bought at all, it is only at a price that
would be deemed extravagant by any other than a genuine lace-
fancier.
It was not until the latter part of the fourteenth century, that the
world at large was indulged with more than an occasional glimpse of
the beautiful fabric when displayed in the great festivals of the
Church; but by that time some knowledge of the art had crept out of
its holy hiding-places, and had found its way amongst the merchants
of one or two continental cities, to whom its novelty and beauty could
not fail to recommend it as a subject of extensive and profitable
commerce. It is true, we do not hear of it at once as being in general
use; but Rome was not built in a day, neither was point lace to be
produced at a wish. The hands that made it had to be carefully
instructed and exercised in their employment before any degree of
perfection could be attained, and then long and unwearyingly had
they to pursue it before even the wealthier classes of society, to
whom alone it was attainable, could be adequately supplied. We
meet with most frequent allusion to Venice, that great bazaar of the
luxuries of the middle ages as the chief seat of the point lace
manufacture in early times. As this city certainly monopolised the
most skilful artisans in every branch of ornamental handicraft, and
was the great emporium whence everything beautiful and costly was
spread over the world, it is by no means extraordinary that the
establishment of lacemaking in other countries should be generally
referred back to some wandering band from the city of the winged
lion.
The character of the lace worn during the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries differed in some respects from the conventual point, if it
may be so termed. It was less massive, and although, certainly,
exhibiting no deficiency of work, did not display that
superabundance of adornment which distinguished the chiefs-
d’œuvre of the holy sisterhoods. This is easily accounted for by the
circumstance, that the one kind was made for money by those whose
bread depended on the work of their hands, whilst the other was the
chosen occupation of leisure hours, and an outward demonstration
of heart-service.
Brussels, which has during several centuries maintained a
reputation wider and more extended than any other place, may
certainly in the present day be said to support and, if possible, extend
the renown of its lace; of this there are two distinct varieties, easily
recognisable by the initiated in such matters. The more valuable and
beautiful kind is that called pointe a l’ aiguille, or, more commonly,
Brussels point; it is worked wholly with the needle, and is, as its
name implies, a very refined descendant of the ancient family of the
points. It was very much in vogue among the wealthier classes in
England during the reigns of Charles I. and several succeeding
monarchs, and has been immortalised in Vandyck’s portraits of the
martyr-king, under the form of the beautiful pointed collar and cuffs
which were dignified by the name of the artist. Fashion has, in this
case, been more constant than usual, since the taste for Brussels
point has continued so decidedly among us, that we still monopolise
a large proportion of the whole quantity made; the other variety,
called Brussels plait, being more extensively used in France Spain,
Russia, and other countries. In the latter description of lace, the
flowers for the pattern are made separately on the pillow, and
afterwards attached to net. It differs, in fact, but little from the best
English Honiton, of which I shall speak hereafter.
In the lace called Mechlin, made at Malines and Antwerp, there are
some of those nice distinctions which render an account of the
various productions of Brussels unavoidably rather complicated.
Mechlin lace is made entirely on the pillow, and in one piece; it can
therefore be applied only to articles of limited size. Lappets or
trimmings are the forms under which we generally see it; and in
these the exquisite delicacy of its texture can be thoroughly
appreciated. The chief peculiarity consists in the filmy lightness of
the ground, and in a thick plait-thread, as it is called, following the
outline of the pattern, and giving the effect of embroidery.
The next class of Belgian lace, called generally Valenciennes, will
be familiar to most of our readers; but they may be scarcely aware
that the contributions of each of the six towns in which it is chiefly
made offer some distinctive peculiarity, which would enable a person
accustomed to compare them to decide with certainty upon their
birthplace. The finest description is that which comes from Ypres.
This town is acknowledged to excel in laces of the finest square
ground and in the widest and most expensive kind; its productions
have been known in some instances to produce as much as L.50 the
yard.
Although Caen and Bayeux were the principal seats of the blonde
manufacture in France, a variety was originated at Chantilly, which
was brought to a higher perfection than any other, and was
proportionably higher in price. It was extensively worn in England
about thirty years ago, but is now almost traditionary here. The
peculiarity of Chantilly blonde consisted of the rich close pattern,
which contrasted with the filmy lightness of the ground. It was
chiefly woven for veils, which then differed a good deal from our
present idea of them: they were simply squares surrounded by one of
these deep heavy borders of irregular outline, and also flowered over
in the centre, and were thrown over the bonnet, completely
enveloping the head and shoulders of the wearer. This description
may be recognised by any one who has ‘assisted,’ as the French say,
at the bringing to light of those treasures of by-gone days consigned
by the changes in taste and fashion to the darkness and oblivion of a
lumber-room. Among such articles would be most likely included a
Chantilly veil of gigantic dimensions, or a collar of proportionate
magnitude. But although the general rage for Chantilly has long past
away, it is still used in small quantities, and is made of exquisite
beauty, as if thereby to retain with the very fastidious the favor it has
lost among the great body of lacewearers.
We should be charmed to proceed with this history of lace making,
till the subject exhausts itself, but our present book deals with it only
so far as it throws light upon and is connected with the branch of art
particularly under consideration. Crochet work has now become a
branch of lace making to a considerable extent, even in our country,
where it has been exclusively held as an accomplishment. But
however charmed we may be with the subject, a regard for space
must prevent us running off into a dull essay instead of giving the
ways and means by which this particular class under consideration is
to be fabricated—as a bad example to new beginners, for if they
indulge in such deviations among the stitches the workmanship will
be a failure, we can assure them. But now we begin in sober earnest
to explore the complicated mysteries of Crochet work as an art.
 INTRODUCTION.

In commencing our instructions in Crochet Work in all its variations,

we supply what certainly is a great want in the American Household,
where some sort of fancy work is essential to the completion of those
domestic circles which render an American home so cheerful. In
giving those general directions regarding terms and stitches, which
will, we trust, prove acceptable, we have endeavored to be as concise
and clear as the nature of the subject will admit.
“The Ladies’ Complete Guide to Crochet and Needlework,” may
therefore be regarded as a compendium both of choice and accurate
receipts and of clear elementary instruction.
We will begin by giving those which are required for Crochet, and
beg our fair readers to refer to them on any future occasion of doubt
or difficulty.
Chain Stitch (abbreviated into ch.) is the foundation stitch in
crochet. A loop of thread made on the hook, and through this the
thread is drawn, forming the first chain stitch; draw the thread
through this one, and a second is formed. Continue the process until
you have done the required number.
Slip Stitch (sl.) is a stitch chiefly used for the veinings of leaves,
and similar parts, in imitations of Honiton lace. It serves, also, to
carry the thread from one part to another, without either breaking it
off or widening the work. Insert the hook in the stitch next to that
already on the needle (unless the directions particularly say, miss so
many,) and draw the thread at once through both stitches. Repeat.
Single Crochet (sc.)—Insert the hook in the chain, and draw the
thread through it; this forms a second loop on the hook. Draw the
thread through these two by a single movement and the stitch will be
completed.
 Double Crochet (dc.)—Raise the thread over the hook, so as to
pass it round, before inserting the latter in the chain; draw the thread
through, and you will find three loops on the hook; bring the cotton
through two, which makes one instead of those taken off. Thus two
are still on the needle; finish the stitch by drawing the thread
through these.
Treble Crochet (tc.) is a stitch precisely similar to the last; but as
the thread is passed twice round the hook before the insertion of the
latter in the chain, there will be four loops on, when the thread is
drawn through. Bring the thread three times through two loops to
finish the stitch.
Long Treble Crochet (l tc.) has the thread twisted three times
round the hook, before it is passed through the chain; consequently,
it will require the thread to be drawn four times through two loops to
finish the stitch.
To work THROUGH a stitch, is to draw the thread under instead of in
it. This is stronger than the usual method, but not so neat; it is,
therefore, rarely used for anything but very open work.
Square Crochet is that which is made entirely in small squares,
those which form the pattern being closely filled in, and the ground
open. Open squares are formed thus: 1 dc. 2 ch., miss 2, repeated.
Close squares contain three dc. stitches, thus: 1 c. 1 o., would have 4
dc. 2 ch. Every pattern in square crochet requires a foundation chain
of stitches which can be divided by three and leave one over; as it is
obvious that if an open square were the last on the pattern, a dc.
stitch would be required to form the square at the end.
Sometimes a very large piece of work may be made in treble square
crochet. In this work, a close square of 4 tc. stitches; an open square,
1 tc. 3 ch. miss 3. This style requires the pattern to be divisible by
four, with one stitch over.
The stars, daggers, and asterisks used in printing knitting and
crochet receipts signify that any stitches given between two similar
marks are to be done as many times as directed; thus, ✕ 3 dc. 2 ch.
✕ three times, means 3 dc. 2 ch., 3 dc. 2 ch., 3 dc. 2 ch.
When one repetition occurs within another italics are used at each
end of the part. * 1 p. 2 k. 1 p. 1 k. (a) m. 1, k. 1 (a) 6 times * 8 times,
means that one complete pattern being finished, when you have
made 1, knitted 1, 6 times, 8 of those patterns, beginning again each
time at the first *, will be required for the round or row.
 HONITON LACE COLLAR.
[Fig. 1.]

The same sprigs and edgings may be used for a Bertha, or Veil, as
they are complete in themselves, and only require to be tastefully
grouped and lightly sewed on Italian net, already cut into the form
required.
Materials.—Crochet cotton, No. 60; crochet hook, No. 24; eagle
card-board gauge.
For the Border.—Make a chain of the length required, taking
care that there are so many sevens and two over. 2 sc. on ch. ✕ 5 ch.,
miss 5, 2 sc. on 2 ch. + repeat.
2nd Row.—2 sc. on the other side of the chain, ✕ 2 dc. 3 tc., 2 dc.,
in 5 ch., 2 sc. on same 2 ch. that were worked in the last row +
repeat.
3rd Row.—2 slip on 2 sc. + 1 sc. 3 dc., 1 sc. on 5 ch. 1 slip on sc.;
make a chain of 12, close for a loop, and work round in sc., 1 slip on
second sc. stitch + repeat. Do not make the loop of 12 at the last
pattern.
For the small Sprigs.—16 ch. close in 5th for a loop, leaving a
stem of four; work round the loop in sc., 2 ch. in continuation of
stem, 18 ch., close for loop, round which work thus: 3 ch., miss 2, sc.
on 3rd, 3 ch., miss 2, dc. on 3rd, ✕ 3 ch., miss 1, dc. on 2nd + twice,
3 ch., miss 2, dc. on 3rd, 3 ch. miss 2, sc. on 3rd, 3 ch., miss 2, slip
stitch at the close of the loop; work round in sc. and down the 6 ch. of
the stem.