WOMEN’S NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 177, 26 June 1935, Page 13

WOMEN’S NOTES.

KNITTING. (By Miss Mary Tallis.) A crochet bread-basket.—This basket is formed from a. round, square or any shape d’oylev of crochet chain loops, which is stiffened by dipping into sugar-water and then placed inside a dish, the shape of which it assumes as it dries hard. The crochet ends may be pulled out, while solt, to make points, tn iact, it can be treated in a hundred different interesting ways. Materials: 1 ball white micrame twine, No. 10; a No. 3 steel crochet hook; a few cards of coloured string or narrow ribbon, to twist round the edge of the basket; and lialf-a-pound of white granulated sugar, for the syrup. To work: Begin at the centre with 3 ch., and slipstitch to the first stitch to form a ring. Ist round : Work 6 d.c. into the ring. Mark the first d.c. with, a piece of coloured cotton, to indicate the beginning of the round, but do not join the rounds with a slip-stitch. 2nd round : Work 2 d.c. in each st. all round, taking up both Joops at the top of the st., to make a flat d.c. 3rd round : 2 d.c. in the Ist st., 1 d.c. in the next st., and repeat from the beginning of the round. 4th round: 2 d.c. in the Ist. st., 1 d.c. in each of the next 2 sts., and repeat from the beginning of the round. sth round: +2 ch., miss I d.c., 1 d.c. in the next st., and repeat from t all round. 6th round : t 2 ch., 1 d.c. in tile first loop, 2 ch., 1 d.c. in the same loop 2 ch., 1 d.c. in. the next loop, and repent from + all round. 7th round: 2 ch., 1 d.c. in each loop all round. Bth round: t 2 ch., 1 d.c. in the first loop. 2 ch., 1 d.c. in the same place, 2 ch. and 1 d.c. in each of the next 2 loops, and repeat from t all round. 9th round: As 7th round. 10th round: As Bth round, but work 3 single loops after each increase loop. Now work 16 rounds of 3 eh. and 1 d.c. in each loop all round. Before working the last round, fit this into the dish and if deep enough work a final round of 3 d.c. in each loop, and fasten off. Pass the coloured string unco through each hole of the last round and over the edge of the basket, after the manner of oversewing. To prepare tho stiffening: Put the sugar into a pan and heat it until it has the appearance of water, dip the crochet into this, then squeeze out as much as possible. Put the crochet inside the dish and fit into the shape desired, pulling out the crochet at each end to get long points, if desired. Leave it there until quite dry, when it can bo removed from tlie disli. EXERCISE.

After a tiring day.—You’ve had the sort of day when everything has gone wrong! There’s a painful, tight feeling at the hack of your neck that seems to go right through to the back of your eyes. Your head is bursting! Well, there are only two things you can do —go to bed and take aspirins, or do a few relaxation exercises. It possible, tho first exercise for relaxing should be done lying on the bed. Lie fiat on the back with every muscle limp and relaxed, then lift the right arm straight up in the air, and let it fall to the bed like a dead weight. Do the same with the left arm, and alternately with each leg. Next, open the jaw and relax the muscles of the face and neck. Raise the head and let it drop back on the bed. Finish by raising both arms over the head, stretching the whole body, then relaxing completely and letting every muscle go limp. Lie like this for ten minutes, with the eyes closed, resting the mind, and when you are ready to get up the nervy, tired feeling will have gone. It is not always possible to lie down, so, in that case, try this exercise: Stand with the body sagging limply forward from the waist, the muscles of neck, shoulders, arms and back completely relaxed. Then let the weight of the sagging head and arms slowly pull you over from the waist, until the hancls are flat on the floor (and please note that the legs must be straight). Come slowly back to the first position, straighten up and stretch the back and head up as high and as erect as possible. For a change, here is another exercise for that “weary” feeling. Begin by standing with the feet apart. Then raise the left arm and let it fall over vour head to the right. At the same time let your body bend from the waist in the same direction. Now twist from the waist slightly, so that you are falling forward, the arm that was raised falling, too. Continue the semi-circle until you are bending straight forward with arms hanging loosely in front. Stand up and repeat to the other side. Do this exercise slowly, letting your arms go where they will and keeping every muscle loose and relaxed. Remember, over-wrought, tired nerves show results in tight, strained faces and jumpy movements, so try these exercises and see how refreshed and invigorated you’ll be.

WORKING THEIR WAY,

AMERICAN STUDENTS.

The American boy and girl university students were very alive to the possibilities of working their way through college said Mrs W. H. Read, of Wahroonga, New South Wales, who, with her husband, Dr W. H. Read, and her daughter, Miss Myfanwy Read, returned from a holiday tour of America by the Niagara last week. Mrs Read, who is president of the Rachel Forster Hospital, did not investigate the hospitals in America, because she felt their work was incomparable with the work of the Rachel Forster Hospital. In America, literally millions of pounds were spent in equipment, she said. The universities, hoiyever, being listed in tourists guides as places of interest, she did visit, and was amazed to find the numbers of students who worked their way through college. Driving along the Pacific Highway, Mrs Read admired the beautiful redwood forests, and was informed that these had been preserved by the women of the West Coast, who had organised a campaign to prevent the cutting out of the forests by lumber men. Around Detroit, Mrs Read related, the municipal council and Mr Henry Ford had put aside acres of land which were given in quarter nere lots to the poor and out of work people for cultivation. Henry Ford even provided the growers with seeds if they needed them, and ploughed their ground. If the vegetables grown were up to standard, he brought them for his hosiptals. Since people built cabins and lived 911 these lots, or they drove up from their homes in the slums every day. In Washington, Mrs Read discussed reforms with the retiring president of the American Federation of Women’s Clubs, with which association the Women’s Club, Sydney (of which . Mrs Read is a vice-president), is affiliated. Mrs Read related the success of the keep-your city-clean campaign organised in Sydney a few years ago, and the retiring president decided that she would suggest a si j Jar reform to the new president. Asked for advice, Mrs Read suggested the training of children in tidiness, the punishing of adults for untidiness, and the placing of refuse bins about the city.