Let’s Go Gossiping

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3771, 19 June 1936, Page 4

Let’s Go Gossiping

KOMEN’S INTERESTS: THE HOME.

(By

Miss Mary Tallis.

—Special Service to The Walpa Post)

FASHIONS. ; THE KING'S FASHIONS. Recently I dined with a man who knows more about fashion than any other. He told me that the two outdoor colours we will all wear when mourning is over are the colours our King wore last summer (his last care-free summer) —one is' coral and the other is aquamarine. The way the King is watched, he said, by all countries all over the world to set the fashion by the things he wears—or does—must make his life almost a constant irritation. If he wears a watch set in leather instead of in metal, the watches of the world change to leather. When he slips his by a cord through his button hole one day when he is changing for bathing, watches all over the world are deliberately so worn. He wears a scarf a new way and all the women tie their scarves in the same way. His dogs, tweeds, sweaters, shoes, ties, are all copied. It seems that when he was at Cannes last autumn he went informally to visit his cousin. Lord Louis Mountbatten, on his destroyer, wearing grey flannel trousers and a coral coloured pullover. Every paper abroad flashed the news. Manufacturers at once began to demand the "Prince of Wales' coral.” Fabric makers dyed their white fabrics to this shade. Other manufacturers, who had wondered if women would go on wearing grey flannel suits, sighed with relief, knowing that grey would now be quite surely the "high fashion colour,” and that it would be worn with coral colour as its complement. BEAUTY. HEALTH BEAUTY. Hard working mothers who are not too well blessed with money are just as desirous of healthy beauty as their more fortunate sisters; but they have neither the time nor the means to spend on beauty culture. Yet some really beautiful women are seen among these busy mothers. The reason is that the round of drab daily jobs is really a good course of beauty culture, and the knowledge that irksome duties are adding to health and loveliness should go far towards giving these tedious tasks a new interest and pleasure. The woman who must set out first thing in the morning to take her small child to school feels this journey to be both a hindrance and a burden. But this enforced open air exercise is really a bled Sing in disguise. Without it, unless she has to run out for shopping, she would probably stay indoors all day. As it is her limbs are stretched, she unconsciously does some deep breathing in the open air, and the sluggish blood stream is stimulated. Similar healthful benefit is derived from having to shake the mats and clean the front step. ' Bed making is a dull enough occupation, but expensive health and beauty specialists give exercises identical with the muscular movements of stretching the arms and legs, and bending the trunk and neck, while turning a mattress or flinging the sheets and blankets. Never mind the daily dozen if you have a round of bed making to start the day. That necessary morning at the wash tub is tiring; wash day seems to come round so quickly. But washer women seldom suffer from blackheads or other facial blemishes, and it only women could realise what a splendid help to her complexion is the weekly steaming her face gets over the job, clearing away inpurities from the pores of the skin -so that it can breathe freely, she would say to herself: “This is one of the treatments which all professional beauties have to undergo. I can have it without wasting time or money!”

Sweeping and floor work are excellent for the figure. Housemaids have lovely rounded arms, and they usually wear slim fitting clothes. Rich and expensive foods are neither necessary nor good for healthy beauty. A simple diet is always recommended. Those who wish to make the best of their natural beauty live on very plain foods; those who can and do indulge in rich living have neither health, figure nor complexion worth mentioning. THE HOME. \ THE DINING ROOM. This room is much more stereotyped, as there are specific pieces of furniture required for practical use. Obviously, a centre table as large as the room will allow is essential. For the chairs two armchairs with the rest single are customary, although today there is a tendency to use all armchairs round a dining table, so that everyone, instead of only the host and hostess, can sit comfortably. Unfortunately they take up rather a lot of room and cost more than single ones. | |: T A sideboard, or a serving table, preferably with drawers for table napkins and silver, is also indispensable. A carving table in addition to a sideboard is an added convenience. Both should be kept as near as possible to the serving door.so that the servants will not have to walk round the room unnecessarily when bringing in and carrying out the food. One wall must be given up to the fireplace, the other could be used to accommodate a fairly tall ' piece of furniture, such as a cabinet, which will come in useful for storing table silver, condiment sets, sugar castors, etc., as well as drinks. If there is a spare corner, a wine cooler is not only practical but helps to furnish the room. A small article which might be overlooked but which is really essential, is a fire screen to protect the person who happens to sit with his or her back immediately to the Tire. The design of the screen is not of very great importance, providing it harmonises with the rest of the room. Another piece of furniture which can be folded up and taken out when not in use is a butler’s tray, but there must be a convenient place for it in the arrangement of the room. HOUSEKEEPING. THE CARE OF SAUCEPANS. Saucepans need to be chosen carefully and well cared for afterwards to obtain the best results from their use, especially as they form such a prominent part in the life of every housewife. Aluminium saucepans are deservedly popular to-day, but too often “when being cleaned they receive harsh treatment from a wire brush instead of being gently scoured with silver sand. On no account should soda be used, as this is harmful to the metal and forms a black depisit. When choosing an enamelled saucepan it is most advisable' to obtain one of excellent quality, as the inexpensive kinds are very liable to chip. This is less likely to happen, however, if when new they are filled with cold water and brought slowly to the boil and left simmering for 15 minutes before being allowed to cool down and become quite cold before using. They require careful handling as, once chipped, the iron underneath soon rusts. If a saucepan does become damaged in this way, the flaked part may be filled with ordinary cement mixed into a smooth paste after dislodging any loose pieces. Smooth the level surface, and provided it is not roughly used it should remain in service for many months. When cleaning enamelled sauce-

pans coarse abrasives should be avoided, as not only is the polish likely to be badly scratched and its appearance spoilt, but the enamel will eventually have a tendency to crack. <

Copper saucepans heat their contents rapidly and retain the heat for a considerable time, but it is essential that they are kept brightly polished, otherwise salts of copper will form on a tarnished surface, which is, of course, poisonous. The cooking of food in these saucepans is quite safe, however, if they are properly cleaned with silver sand and soap. Afterwards a little paste may be applied, made with whitening and water, to give a brilliant polish. It is essential to keep iron saucepans free from rust, especially if the tinning shows signs of wear, and therefore they are best washed in soapy water to which soda has been added. Burnt saucepans must on no account be filled with water containing soda, as that makes them liable to burn again. Fill with salt and water, stand till next day, then bring slowly to the boil, when the burnt particles can be easily removed. NEEDLEWORK. SAFETY FIRST. How easy it is to get a nasty burn when taking things out of the overt 1 . Even the largest cloths are apt to leave a part of your hands exposed, sometimes. Why not make yourself a pair of even gloves? All you need is some really thick material (a piece of an old, discarded tweed coat would be just the thing), and about 2 feet of fairly wide tape. The first thing to do is to make two bags of double thickness, the closed ends, of course, being rounded. When these have been sewn up strongly they can be turned right side out and pressed. Join the two gloves together with the tape. This not only prevents one getting mislaid, but will also be useful for hanging them up in a handy place near the oven. If you want the gloves to look really smart you could bind the "wrists” with something bright to match the colour scheme of your kitchen. GENERAL. NEW RUGS FROM OLD WOOL. What can be done with jerseys grown thin at the elbows, socks out at heel, shawls that have seen better days, and other knitted garments which are only partly worn? This is often asked by the thriftyminded, reluctant to consign to the rag bag a garment containing any unworn material. Some day the jersey will be provided with new sleeves, the socks with new feet, is the excuse for keeping them; but when that day might appear to come a little nearer it is realised that new wool always looks a little different from old wool, and so once again the garments are laid aside. What an accumulation may be collected in this way. A solution of the problem of how to dispose of such a collection was given me recently when a lady of over eighty showed me a number of rugs which she had made from old wool. For these rugs any kind of hand knitted garments can be used, regardless of colour or thickness of wool. The knitting is first opened out, and, naturally, the wool is then very crinkly. To make it smooth ft is wound round and round an aluminium or earthenware hot water bottle, which is then filled with boiling water and left standing until cold. When unwound, the wool is quite smooth. If the wool is 4 or 5 ply fingering, 3 strands are taken together and wound into a ball. Sometimes it is necessary to put in a fourth if the wool is finer and three do not maintain the same thickness

as before. If a thicker wool is used, it is built up with finer wool to the same thickness. Then the knitting begins: 54 stitches are cast on, using No. 7 needles, and 220 rows of garter stitch are knitted, making a long strip. Then two more similar strips are knitted. These three are then laid side by side and crocheted together, using 4 ply wool and making a double crochet into the strips alternately. This results in a very flat seam. A simple border is crocheted round the edge, the stitches being made directly into the knitting and spaced out as one finds it suitable—2 treble stitches, 1 chain and 2 trebles into one hole, then 1 chain, 1 double crotchet into another hole, 1 chain, repeating this method right round. The finished rug measures sft Bin by 4ft. The mixing of coloured wools presents no difficulty, for if different wools are mixed in the balls, almost any colours can be persuaded to blend. The rug may be made in a patchwork pattern. When light coloured wools are used, the rug makes a very useful and warm blanket, or it will prove most satisfactory as a motoring wrap. HINTS. When hearth and tiles do not look clean and bright after, washing, try treating them in this way: Dissolve 2 pieces of lump sugar In the juice of a lemon. Dip a soft cloth into this and rub the tiles all over. Dirt and stains will disappear and the tiles will dry with a, shine that will last a long time. A kitchen table will stand hard usage if yqu cover it with zinc. It will hold its juvenile look for years, and even after time has left scars they may be masked with paint. Turn the zinc under at the edges and nail on, leaving no raw edges to cut the hands upon. Not even hot kettles mark zinc. Add a little vinegar to washing and rinsing waters when cleaning colours. This prevents the dyes from running, and also revives them.