MEN WITH WOMEN’S HOBBIES.

Otaki Mail, 30 January 1922, Page 3

MEN WITH WOMEN’S HOBBIES.

AND JUST AS CLEVER AS THE LADIES, TOO.

It. may seem ungallant to say so, but the fact remains that there are very few branches of work usually looked upon as being especially the province of women in which mere man has not attained the highest point of excellence. Perhaps the best example of this fact was the late M, Worth Certainly no woman could ever design woman’s dress as he could.

Bui, apart from men who follow businesses which are usually in the hands of women, there are many who amuse themselves by sewing, knitting, crochetin". or embroidering in thoir spare time. Nor are these by any means all invalids driven to such occupations to while away tedious hours. Mr Wason, for instance, the giant M.P. for Orkney, whose recent death the whole House regrets, invariably filled his spare time with the homely pastime of knitting. The writer knew a grizzled old Scottish boatswain in the Navy who added materially to his income by knitting shooting stockings for sportsmen. There is also a well-known Herefordshire J.P. who can give points to almost any woman at the. same occupation. The same gentleman, who is himself a very fino shot and a specially skilful fisherman, is also .an adept at embroidery. Some years ago he made and presented to the parish church an altar cloth heavily embroidered in green and .gold, which is the admiration of all who see it. Visitors to Bournemouth a few years ago used to be amused and interested bv the sight of a middle-aged gentleman who would sit by the hour on the pier engaged in crochet work. He \\<ibv no means an effeminate man, having indeed, been a noted football player some thiry years ago.

Ho was tbrealeed with consumption, so was advised to spend the whiter quietly at Bournemouth. He taught himself how to both crochet and knit, and his exertions may be judged by the fact that once a year he sent two dozen woollen shawls made by himself to the rector of an East End parish.