MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 October 1939, Page 9

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

BALACLAVA HELMETS.

KNITTING DIRECTIONS. Following are directions lor making balaclava helmets: — Balaclava, No. I.—Any coarse yam, Two No. 9 needles. Cast on 99 stitches. Rib 3 plain and 3 purl for six inches. Cast off 12 stitches at. each end. \\ ith the remaining stitches go on knitting in the rib for four inches. Cast on lb s’itches at each end, and go on in the rib for live and a-half inches moreThen knit 2 together in every rib, making ribs of 2 plain and 2 purl all roiind. , „ ~ You now have 66 stitches. Knit - plain and 2 purl lor 4 rows, then knit together all along the row, leaving 33 stitches. Now knit 2 together all along, leaving 17 stitches. Cast oil. Sew up the edges under the chin and over the forehead and gather the top under a button, quite Hat. Balaclava, No. 2.—Four-ply lingering, 2 No. 8 needles. Cast on 96 stitches. Knit 30 rows plain, 31st row: Knit 2, purl 2, am\ continue thus to end'. Do 19 more rows like the 31st. Then cast off 16 stitches at either end and on the remaining stitches do 60 rows plain knitting. Next row. —Knit plain to within lb stitches of the end, knit 2 togethei, turn. Slip 1, knit to within 16 stitches of the other end, knit 2 together, turn. Slip 1, knit to within 15 stitches of the end, knit 2 together, turn. Continue thus, always slipping the first stitch, and knitting together the stitches on either side of the hole made by the last decrease, till all the stitches are knitted in. Cast off loosely Sew up under the chin. For the face-piece cast on 98 stitches and work in rib of 2 plain, - purl for 22 rows. Cast off loosely and sew round the opening of the face, joining under the chin.

POLISHED FURNITURE

METHODS OF TREATMENT Whether new or old, modern or period, and whether costly to buy or inexpensive, your furniture will not only last longer but will improve enormously in appearance if you see that it. gets a regular polishing at least once a week. Of course, a lot depends upon the kind of finish. The best pieces nowadays are made of handsomely figured timbers which have been neithci stained, varnished, fumed nor French polished. Instead, the wood is left in its natural state and finished with a very light, sparing application of wax polish. This has the effect of sealing the grain, keeping out dirt and grime, and to some extent of protecting the wood against the attacks of pests. Also it leaves the natural beauty ot the figuring plainly visible, and this is often preferred nowadays to either an artificial stain or a very high polish which almost reminds you of glass. Furniture of this kind is generally said to have a “natural, lightly waxed finish,” and it need not necessarily be expensive, though the timber should be very good. But it needs to be taken care of, and there is every reason why regular polishing is an excellent investment. For example, if you polish the furniture regularly over a period of years, using the minimum of polish and the maximum of elbow-grease every time, the pieces will acquire a lovely richness of tone which connoisseurs call patina. . True patina can only be acquired by patient polishing, and its presence makes the furniture far more pi ecious than even good design or handsome figuring. . This peculiar richness is one ot the most desirable qualities in an antique; and for this reason, regular polishing helps to make your furniture into the valuable antiques of to-morrow. Even with comparatively commonplace pieces, polishing can add materially to their worth. If you want a home-made polish, one of the most generally useful is obtained by mixing together equal parts of turpentine, linseed oil, and melted beeswax. These ingredients should be poured into an old saucepan, warmed over a low gas, and stirred until thoroughly mixed. Afterwards, use when COOI. , . . The purpose of the bees-wax is to fill up the grain and form a hard surface, and this ingredient may be omitted or reduced in quantity if it is felt that the furniture has been well waxed already. In that case, the following could be used: Half a pint of turpentine, half a pint of vinegar, a quarter of a pint of linseed oil. Put into a large bottle, and thoroughly shake and mix. Furniture should never be rubbed with polish when it is dirty. First, wash in warm water and a little vinegar. Do not use too much water, however. Linseed oil should not be used for oak. This timber has a course grain, and the linseed oil soaking in causes dust and dirt to stick to it. The oil also tends to turn the light or natural oak yellow. A good polish for natural oak consists of 8 teaspoonfuls of turpentine, 2 teaspoonfuls of strained lemon juice, and 25 drops of ammonia. The mixture should be well shaken before use, and the ammonia will gradually give the rich warm tone of old oak. Walnut looks well if rubbed occasionally with a paraffin rag and. then polished. Mahogany is improved if- the surface is cleansed with cold tea previous to polishing.

Ebony needs careful treatment to avoid scratches. To clean it, wash with soda and hot water; polish with turpentine on chamois leather. To avoid smears when using furniture cream, apply it with a piece of flannel wrung almost dry after being dipped in hot water. Then rub the furniture with a circular motion, at first lightly, then harder and harder. If you want a really good furniture polish try this: Have four ounces of beeswax; two ounces white wax; two ounces Castile soap; two pints of turpentine; two pints boiling water. Have a good-sized jar, place this in a warm spot, shred up both the Wax and soap into it. Stir until this is melted. Then add the boiling water and turpentine. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally until it is quite cold. At this stage it should be like thick cream. This can be kept in the jar. On the other hand, if you have old pickle jars at hand, it can be poured into these while still warm and stirred at intervals until cold. The polish will keep for years, and in fact is better when old than new.

The following, used as a polish, will restore furniture that has become shabby. Mix in a bottle a gill each of turpentine, methylated spirits, vinegar and paraffin. Use a little at a time on a soft rag and rub well. r ro prevent perfume and cream bottles from leaving marks on your dress-ing-table, use the humble kitchen grease-proof paper. Cut out the shapes in the paper a trifle smaller than your duchess-set, and slip them under the mats. No spot of liquid or grease will soak through to the wood beneath.

Bruises and dents in furniture can be removed by dampening the damaged portions with warm water and placing over them some brown paper or blotting paper which has been soaked in warm water and doubled several times. Then apply a warm iron until the moisture has evaporated. This process should cause the wood to expand and raise the dent to the surface. It may be necessary to repeat the process. Deep scratches can usually be got rid of in the same way. A little iodine applied to the scratch will restore the colour. Finally treat with a good furniture polish. To remove slight scratches apply a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine in equal proportions, and rub gently with a soft cloth.

To remove ink stains from a mahogany table, touch them with a. feather dipped in a mixture of a few drops of spirits of nitre in a tcaspoonful of water. When the ink has disappeared rub the place over with a rag moistened in cold water. If marks have been left by hot plates, rub them with a. rag dipped in oil. Afterwards pour on a little can do Cologne, or alcohol, and rub it dry with a clean rag.

To remove fingermarks and hot water marks from furniture use one quart of water, three tablespoons of soap flakes ami one tablespoon of salad oil. Dissolve soap in water. Incorporate oil thoroughly by beating.

Wring a soft cloth out. of solution. Rub the surface lightly. Dry with a clean, | soft cloth or chamois wrung out of j warm water. 1 Pianos, valuable furniture, or heavily upholstered suites stand damp very badly and must be in rooms that are heated at least twice a week if they are not to suffer. If you must iron on a polished table, be very careful. It is advisable not to rely on the ironing blanket. A piece of American cloth under the blanket will save heart-burning aud table scorching. And lastly to destroy furniture worms apply kerosene on several successive days and let it sink into the interstices. Then mix 12oz. linseed oil, 6 oz. camphor oil, and loz cedar oil; warm it, and work it into the holes with a. soft brush. Should the colour of the furniture be affected, wax polish will soon restore it. This may, if necessary, be tinted with umber or orchre, according to the original tone.

GIRLS AND DIET. A DOCTOR’S WARNING. Modern girls who sacrifice proper meals in order to spend their money on permanent waves, cosmetics, dancing, and the pictures, were warned ot the danger to their health by Dr. F. Temple Clive in a lecture to women, tuberculosis visitors, and hospital nurses given at King’s College Theo- 1 logical Hall, London, reports “The Sunday Observer.” The modern tendency to spend, he said, had enormously increased the strain on the resistance of the individual. A typical young adolescent girl probably having had no proper breakfast, travelled to work in any weather in a crowded bus or train, and worked for eight to 10 hours. Her lunch probably consisted of a few sandwiches, and when she returned home in the evening she might or might not have a proper meal awaiting her. Later she would probably go to some unhealthy cinema or dance, and return home late and exhausted to snatch a few hours’ sleep. At week-ends, instead of resting or taking graduated exercise, the girl would often cycle a long distance to the coast for a “breath of fresh air.” “These long cycle rides are a great mistake,” said Dr. Clive, “and are far more likely to cause a breakdown in health than to improve it. I cannot see how these girls get any benefit from these rides when they go so far and so fast, with all the fumes and dust on the road. “I am sure that this club cycling when they set out to go a specified distance in a specified time, is bad. Hiking is a good thing, provided' they do not go too far.” After pointing out that the wage earned by the average girl was often poor, Dr. Clive went on: “But rather than buy herself adequate food, she will spend her money on unnecessary luxuries, such as hairdressing and cosmetics. Moreover, she must be in the fashion, and will wear inadequate clothing, with silk stockings and thin, high-heeled shoes, in all weathers.

“The girl will become run-down and will often waste her money on quack remedies rather than buy herself a good square meal.” Health hints given by Dr. Clive stressed the importance of a good night’s rest, a substantial breakfast, and mid-day meal, milk, fresh fruit, and green vegetables and sensible clothing. He praised the nourishing qualities of fish and chips, but condemned excessive tea-drinking.

“I am a tea-drinker myself,” he confessed, “but I think that a lot of tea is drunk unnecessarily in this country. It has a definitely depressing effect on the appetite, and I think people would do a lot better without so much tea.”

Dr. Clive lamented the “present-day lack of appreciation of good cooking,” and declared that insufficient attention was paid to cooking meals. Recourse was too often made to the tin-opener, and such meals as were prepared were often badly cooked. “I would discourage the purchase of tinned foods, which, although quite safe and nourishing, lead to laziness and a lack of appreciation of the importance of good cooking,” he said. LATEST MACKINTOSHES. LOVELY AND ATTRACTIVE. The 1939 French Derby, which has just been run in the pleasant setting of Chatilly, provided the opportunity of a quiet unexpected showing of new mackintoshes, and spectators who had been admiring smart dresses one minute as the sun was shining on the race field the next minute were able to see them all covered with lovely light rubber capes and coats. Mackintofies are no longer merely convenient accessories. A famduß Parisian specialist in rubber clothing of the Boulevard Haussmann realised that the Parisienne must be as attractive on rainy days as on sunny days. Adopting the slogan, “La mode appliquee an caoutchouc” (fashions applied to rubber), he created and presented a number of very original and highly-worked models. His recent collection showed a mackintosh for every occasion—evening, seaside, and sports—in gay and' lovely shades, pastels, violet,, etc., and white and black, followed by a multitude of patterns, striped crepes, and woollens, on dark or light background, whose combinations of materials and designs give the most youthful effects. Many have a pointed hood lined in material of another colour. Often the mackintosh is lined in woollen for warmth. There are a great number of capes. One called “Negresco” is made in white satin, very ample. “Bon Dada” is a simple straight coat in white rubberised woollen, of which the collar and front and bottom hems are trimmed with velvet imitation leopard’s skin design. It is fastened with three big square buttons on the front. “Troubadour,” another design, is in light satin made of stitched giving the flared effect and the wide scallops at the hem. Rubber bands are stitched underneath to keep the coat closely waterproof. A big fancy buckle fastens a small collar under the chin. Another very smart mackintosh is in white rubberised satin, for which the edge is highly worked with five superposed cords. “Le Furet,” for sports wear, is in striped woollen with big square pockets of material forming a combination of geometrical design trimmed with leather lacing matching the buttonsAnother, very graceful, has a tightfitting bodice, full skirt, square shoulders, and a. wide bell.

Bliss Faris, also leader of the ballet. aJ the Opera Continue, presented a mackintosh made of rubberised checked woollen, with swing skirt, the upper part loose at the back, like a bolero, over a wide belt in red doeskin, with buttons to match.—Zelie.

COOKERY BOOKS

Besides the book of the immortal Airs. Beeton, other works on the art of cookery have appeared from time to time which may deserve a passing word, comments “Lucio” in the “Man- > Ji<‘; >cr Guardian." One of the earliest was that of Cato the Elder, who wrote a work on “Rustic Life” in which he included recipes for cakes and puddings, for fattening hens and geese, and for preserving tigs during winter. Next perhaps in fame among the Romans came the notorious epicure Ga-

I bins Apicius. This unfortunate man hanged himself after squandering a fortune on the table, though it is said that he left sufficient wealth to have sustained a moderate appetite in affluence. A work on the art. of cookery is ascribed to Apicius; though some hold that, it was written at a. later dale and given the name of the celebrated glutton to sell it. In the sixteenth century Bartolomeo Scappi, the papal cook of Pope Pius V., published an excellent, work on cookery. Of modern cookery experts before

Airs. Becton one of the most celebrated was Dr. Kitchener, who was born, iu 1775, the son of a coal merchant in the Strand. He was educated at Eton, and in later years regarded eating and drinking as the only serious business iji life. The result of his experiments in the art he published in the “Cook’s Oracle." lie had many eccentricities, though an amiable man; and at his weekly receptions, which he held on Tuesday evenings, placed a placard over his mantelpiece. ’’At seven come, at eleven go."