The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-15

lit for wildness and wooliness with
the effete east these days. You'll find
all the feminine wits on Fifth avenue
have gone wool gathering and now
have their hands full In limousines,
|taxis and on tops of the busses, socks,
|mufflers and chest protectors are
growing for soldiers and sailors.
| even encountered several stroll
ing ladies with their knitting all
ready for business in one hand, not
even under cover of hand bag.
They held it thus in the open so they
could take advantage of any little
stop-overs and waits for traffic to
take few stitches, en- PEASANT as it
were. Most woody enthusiasts have
their mufflers muffled or their chest
protectors protected in one of the
gay cretonne knitting bags when not
in active use.
The array of these bags is posi-
lively fascinating! So much so that
even the most rabid of anti-knittins
would be glad to yank hank of
yarn and a pair of needles and get
busy just in order to bag a bag.
They are evolved from the bright
est bits of cretonne and figured linen
trimmed in cords, tassels or galOon
and varicolored satin apples, fringes,
festoons and frills. Some more or
nate, are of silk and satin trimmed
in French ribbon flowers. Attached
- cf;n oto
most handy for those who walk while
they work.
All the wool gathering isn't being
done for the military or the marines
though, by any manner of means. 1t
takes three skeins to make regula-
tion army or navy muffler, but it is
hard to gauge just how much it
takes to trim and fringe miladys
dress of jersey cloth, serge or georg-
cite crepe. To be a really success
full frock it must have wool embroid
cry around the hem, the cuffs, the
neck, the pockets and the belt. There
are yarn tassels too and yarn fringe
to finish well and woody.
Wood doesn't even stop at outer
garments but invades the realm of
lingerie. 1t is a far cry from the
wooden lingerie of 1917 to the aes-
thetic red and grey wooden union
suits our parents used to make US
don when we were young and help
less Today envelope chemises,
nighties and combinations of salmon
pink, purple or turquoise blue Georg-
cite crepe are embroidered lavishly
in yarn, of divers hues. This modern
list underwear is certainly right up
to scratch. .. ..< 49,.
Shocks and slip over blouses of
Georgette crepe are also fulsomly
darned Even some of the smartest
new bathing suits have the habit with
cunning little yarn fringes around
their abbreviated skirts and bobbing
yarn tasSels on the pockets and top
ping the smart and rakish bathing
caps. 1t is to be hoped, however,
that a generous cake of wool soap
will accompany each wool embroid-
cred mermaid when she goes in. for
her dip. ..-....... ...
Dame Fashion is actually trying to
pull the wool over our eyes as is ev-
idenced by the new yarn embroidered
and bordered wells lthat float in the
breeze from our close little hats.
Then there are the hats them
selves. Of course they are numbered
among the woody ones, and parasols
revel in rayeled yarn fringes, and
unfurl their knitting new under the
sun.
Collar and cuff sets of Georgette
crepe. button holed around their
edges in bright toned wool are most
effective aid jabots, wool garnished,
are neck and neck with the latest
summer modes. Jabots of all sorts,
by the way, are very much to the
front and spill their frilly froth of
lace and cascades of chiffon crepe
over the smartest of tailored lapefs.
OF finely pleated organizes. batiste and
Irish crochet, Cluny or Fi1et edge
they are chic though the filmy lace
ones are the loveliest of all
But to return to our muttons or
rather the outside of them which is
the wool We mustn't forget the yarn
embroidered negligees, house gowns
and robes intime in our resume OF
yarn decKed wearing apparel. They
are all quite exotically and eroticaliy
woolly.
From all of which it is plain to be
seen that 1917 reversion of Mother
Goose's famous ditty is badly needed
now, to run about like this:
Baa, Baa. black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes, kind master; three bags full.
One for. the soldier,
TIE sailor the same ...
And one, very large, for the fashion
able dame