The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-17
DARNING OF HOSIERY.
Footwear of OIden Times Compared
With Recent Fads.

Footwear of OIden Times Compared
With Recent Fads.
In the time of our grandmothers, when
hand-knit hose were the rule and not as
now, the exception, when each fair maiden
was supposed to include pillow slip full,
knit by her own nimble fingers, in her
wedding outfit Tor setting-out, as it was
called in those days) it must have been
considered necessary to keep in good re-
pair what it cost SO much labor to obtain,
and doubtless the damsels of the olden
times were equally expert with their knit
ting or darning needles.
Nowadays, however, we live in an era of
machinery, and the old-fashioned knit
ting-needles have grown rusty from dis
use. Nor is this to be wondered at, since
m achine- knit hose have about reached
perfection, and one can please herself in
the selection of her hosiery according to
her purse or fancy, finding an almost end
less variety, from the coarse wooden hose,
adapted to mems wear under the heaviest
boots, to the dainty silken hose of every
variety of shade and color to match the
costume of the fastidious belle. 1t is not
surprising that knitting needles are super
seded; but as yet no inventive genius has
COI1c lOTWdId W pIcScllb us Will q patent
hose-mender or ready-stocking darner that
has been found practicable. and since the
toes and heels of the present generation
are no less aggressive than those of the for
mer it still remains necessary to repair
their ravages, especially in the case of ex-
penSlve stockings.
Almost every one can darn, but all do
not darn neatly. This should not be as
scribed to the difficulty of the work, but to
the prevalent idea that it is waste of
time to take pains with the stocking menu
ing. A notable housekeeper recently con-
fessed to a reluctance in attacking the
stocking basket, owing to custom of de-
ferring the task to the ''last minute and
not infrequently sitting down on SATURDAY.
evening before pile of mutely reproach-
at the toes" feeling that the last, but bv
no means the least, of the weekly duties
must be accomplished. While we can
fully sympathize with the victim under
these circumstances, we would whisper in
her ear, Don't do it again" That is, do
not acquire the habit, for habit is, of in
Guiding mending of any sort in Saturdays
occupation. 1t may sometimes be unavoid-
able, but the feeling of satisfaction in
variably felt in getting the weeks darning
off ones hands will amply compensate for
any effort in bringing it as near the early
part of the week as possible, and the best
time to give the hose the necessary atten-
| ton is as soon rs the laundry is received
| from the weekly wash. So much for the
time of hose-darning, and now word as
| to the ways and means.
The means are of prime Importance, and
here as elsewhere the mistress of her work
will have full supply of the implements
necessary for its accomplishment. Her
darning bag or basket will contain, with
the various balls of darning yarn, both
cotton and worsted (and silk, if silk or Isle
thread hose find their way to the basket),
half-dozen darning-needles of different
sizes and lengths, medium sized darner,
besides thimble and pair of shears,
the mending basket. The reason for this
| is obvious. When one is sure she has at
hand everything needed for an hours in
| terview with the darning basket it may be
taken to some cozy corner for real enjoy
| ment, with no uncomfortable fear of hay