All of this sock/stocking talk reminded me of Arne and Carlos working on their Norwegian folk costumes and knitting their "stockings" which were essentially white cabled knee socks. I don't remember whether these stockings stayed up by themselves, but the costume called for woven garters, which of course A&C made themselves. Arne was having trouble with the weaving, and I'll never forget Carlos grinning from ear to ear because he'd finally found a handcraft that he was better at than Arne.
I also adore Arne and Carlos. I think it would be brilliant if Roxanne and A&C stuck their heads together and made a video. Arne would for sure have some interesting background information about those Norwegian socks that Roxanne reversed engineered.
@@prairiepatch I've learned a lot from the Norwegians! Norwegian purl, Arne's short row heel which is my go-to (although the Quail's Nest tutorial is more helpful on that than Arne's own), and I improved my DPN technique just by watching Arne knitting a sock. Also, Inge at Knitting Traditions knits some kind of traditional heel in her socks that she said she learned from her grandmother.
Hi Roxanne. Referring to your question about worsted weight “sock” yarn. I live in New Brunswick, Canada, the traditional industries are forestry and fisheries. Before I started to knit, I only saw this heavy type of sock knit, always top down, heel flap and gusset. They are often worn alone in boots or around the house, some will wear a lighter sock inside. The yarn of choice for “work socks” in NB is Briggs & Little, it is easily accessible and “affordable”. Most often used, is the Tuffy line, it has a nylon content for longevity. There is Heritage which is also a worsted weight 100% wool. B&L is a woolen spun yarn, the mill produces many weights. I believe I’ve heard you mention you bought some B&L, don’t remember which product. My mother-in-law and other knitters will often mend or cut off foot or portion of foot and reknit that part. They are considered a utilitarian item of clothing, the reknit part often doesn’t match the rest. When I started knitting (2010) and used fingering weight, they were referred to a “fine” socks. These were considered “fancy work” by my mother-in-law.
I find this so fascinating! Weldon’s books/pamphlets have so many objects to make ! I’m enjoying the “Sock/Stocking” journey - history, words/language, etymology…so intriguing! Thanks !
The warm- knee was used for my grandma in winter in order to keep warm her son’s legs because here boys were not be able to use long trouser until they were older, around 14 years old. But winter socks and summer socks were the same pieces , she didn’t have much money. And sometimes she connected socks and pants througth the piece of the knee with some stiches that she removes when she needed. It was very expensive knit ties enought when children weren’t babys. So warm-knee piece was the solution. I don’t know if in your country it was the same. That is only anecdothal😊 Thank you so much for your video. I love it.
I remember my grandmother referring to her underwear as drawers. Also, my grandfather wore dresses for the first years of his young life and I think drawers would be very welcome to keep him warm. They were born early in the 20th century. Not definitive, anecdotal.
My Grandfather was born in 1898 it wasn’t until the World War One period that the custom of putting boys in dresses and not cutting their hair short was abandoned. Except for babies in 1984 my son wore nightgowns and looked quite fetching in my baptismal gown. It certainly facilitated changing his diapers at night that first year. he was very young when he got his denim overalls with the snaps up the inseams. Thank you for inspiring my time travel trip to see my son back in the past. I don’t remember my grandmother talking about drawers but I know what people meant by the term. I remember my grandmother referring to her girdle as a foundation garment in the fifties it was long very long and had lacing. I thought it looked uncomfortable compared to the stretchy girdle that Mum wore. Now that I am a bit older and wiser 😮Gram’s garment has a lot going for it 😂
The book, Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, might interest you. It’s a novel which includes how the Oxford English Dictionary was put together and how each word was researched to find the earliest reference in written form, yet so many words relating to women were left out. It has nothing to do with knitting but I really enjoyed it, and liked learning about the work that went into creating a dictionary. So if your looking for some non-knitting reading, I recommend it.
It is also fun to read the historical fiction The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, which chronicles Dr. William C. Minor(the madman) and Prof. James Murray editing OED first edition. Also nothing about knitting but for etymology nerds (like us apparently) a really good read.
Loved all of your research. My grandmother knit all of her own undergarments. Very like the photos in your book. She also always wore what she called a bed jacket. Usually a pink colour. It was really like a sweet cropped cardigan that had a tie at the top. She would sit in bed in the morning with a cup of tea and her bed jacket on.
Hmm, not sure what happened to my original comment - it has disappeared. There is a booklet available from the Nottingham Framework Knitters Museum that states that Stocking Frames were the first technological innovation in the fabric industry and it happened during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It also mentions Mrs Montague, the queens silk woman. The booklet is Framework Knitting by Marilyn Palmer, published by Shire Library. It has a list of Further Reading that looks interesting. The booklet was very inexpensive and available from the museum online shop.
Bad Sheep Yarn in North Pole AK has worsted and bulky superwash with nylon. I love their yarn, fun color ways and very soft. Arcane Fiber Works out of Canada has a good selection as well.
I have Weldon's Practical Crochet. It has many different leaflets of lace patterns in a hard copy book. Since I don't like to crochet it sits on my shelve with my other antique books . It was given to me.
So this is interesting because in Italian, in the inventory of Elelonora di Toledo, they refer to both stockings (pretty, knee-high or taller foot/leg coverings) and socks (utilitarian, thick wool, usually stopping at the knee), and the two might be layered together for extra warmth. She died in 1562, so in Florence at least they had that division earlier than 1580.
I haven't been able to find any worsted weight sock yarn with nylon. I agree with you that I want a sturdier yarn reinforced with nylon or other synthetic so that they last longer. One solution might be to use two strands of fingering weight sock yarn held together to get the durability that knits at 5 sts/inch. Doing so would definitely broaden the variety of yarns available.
Well, firstly, thank you! I wanted to watch this since I can just hear my mother having said ‘in your stocking feet’ vs with your socks on! Funny. Anyway, what fantastic books you got your hands on !!!
Trunk hose for men in the 1500s were the outer wear-the pants of the time, or in this case, the shorts. They started out at the knee and got shorter over time. The nether hose were the stockings that went under.
I had no idea people thought you could knit socks with no nylon! I was always taught even tho 100% merino yarn may be fingering weight doesn't make it acceptable for socks as it isn't sturdy enough for them . This opened my eyes that some people may knit socks without nylon!
I can totally agree with the queen. Since my feet are a bit odd, until I learned to knit my own socks I always had to put up with at least one sock, or shoe for that matter, that didn't quite fit or feel right. Making my own, I can make a left and a right foot sock that fits and feels good 😊
I never thought a simple question about the difference between sock and stocking would bring you to do so much research, but I better understand my confusion now. 😉Thank you Roxanne for all the clarifications.
Words, etymology, 'how did they call it back then?' That's what interests me since I was young. In the first place in my 'mother tongue', Dutch, but also other languages. Now I write 'mother tongue' I think it has to do with my mother, she was always very precise with words (her hobby was crossword puzzles and cryptograms)
Silk woman is an English term for a woman who imported silk and metal threads, worked them into embroideries and/or braids, fringes, and other types of passementerie. There is written evidence for the existence of śilkwomen'in Paris (France) in the fourteenth century,
Ah! So what Weldon's calls a "series" is what we would generally refer to as an "issue" today. That is, a single multi-page booklet available in a given month containing a SERIES of patterns. Thanks for clearing that up. I was having trouble following their nomenclature because I was thinking "series" referred to multiple booklets.
Hi Michelle, my reply seems to have disappeared, so here’s hoping it sticks this time! I have made thicker socks using raggsock yarn from Midwinter Yarns and they have lasted pretty well - have a look at the website under chunky or kits.
Stocking vs sock I never hung a Christmas sock. Am guessing it's because a Christmas Stocking is supported by a hook. It fits your definition. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
If you're looking for sock patterns from the 60s or 70s, you may want to check out "Patons Beehive Booklet Colour Series No. 1" and Knit Picks has several worsted weight, superwash yarns that I have nylon.
You might want touch with the local society for creative anachronism. They do a lot with medieval and pre-medieval cast Bing the majority of people in that particular organization tend to really get into the historical aspects.
You've mentioned the short-row technique that was used in the late 1800s but I can't remember your ever saying what it was. Could you give us a hint or do we have to wait for your how-to video? I promise I'll still watch it even if I know what it is. 😁
Thanks for another interesting podcast, Roxanne! I just wanted to mention how good you look in purples and reds, and your hair is looking so pretty. I hope you and your family have an excellent Christmas Holiday! Very best wishes!
I clearly remember my grandmothers calling nylons, stockings. My mom called them hose and what we call socks, my mom said slipper. Funny how different era's refers to items.
I prefer wool when knitting, however I also like nylon in socks. I have a couple pairs of socks that are around 30+ years old. There is minor felting on the foot, but are still great for wearing. Drawers used to be a common term for underwear. I haven’t looked up the etomology of the word.
You’ll find quite a lot of helpful info about hose/stocks/socks/stockings in the new book “The Typical Tudor - Reconstructing Everyday 16th Century Dress” by Jane Malcolm-Davies and Ninya Mikhaila, drawn from inventories and wills of the era. Their previous books “The Tudor Child - Clothing and Culture 1485-1625” (2013) and “The Tudor Tailor - Reconstructing Sixteenth-century dress” (2006) also touch on these topics, but the Typical Tudor has the most info relevant to the transition from cloth hose to knitted, and the terms used.
YT wouldn’t let me place my cursor to edit, but there are many extant items also shown in all books to further describe and explain the research. The books are all available through the Tudor Tailor etsy store
Oh yes! And Sally Pointer, who apparently provided several knitting patterns for the book. She has a UA-cam channel and a Facebook page, and her own website.
Roxanne, you showed the knee warmers and mentioned arthritis, I wonder because they rode horses and rode in buggies that was partially an accessory. Have you come across that in any of your research? Thanks
If stockings went up to the knee, and combinations went down the thigh, there could have been a gap of exposed skin that a knee warmer could help eliminate. Nothing I have read so far has explained the reason for them. They're a small project though, so that might have been part of the appeal.
It's funny how words and meanings change through the times. My Grandmother called waist high; hoes. Thigh level; stockings, and Knee high; socks. She grew up through the depression era.
Hi Rox. Check out “The History of Knitting Before Mass Production” by Irena Turnau. It is a general history book, similar to Rutt but has a more European flavour. It’s a very interesting book.
I wonder how different the evolution of knitted socks/stockings were in colder places like Norway (or other northern or eastern european countries with a knitting history.) 🤔
I noticed the needle size for the Gentlemen's Cardigan in the Weldons book said to use a size 16 needle in one place. Are the needle sizes equivalent to what we use today? Or were these steel needle sizes? Just wondering. Thanks.
UK needle sizes go in the opposite direction that US sizes go. A US and UK size 7 (4.0mm) is where they bump into each other. A UK size 14 is a US 0 (2.0 mm). UK 15 is US 00/1.75mm, UK 17 is US 000/1.5mm; UK 16 is somewhere between a 00 and 000.
I wonder if the difference between hose and stockings didn’t have more to do with gender. I’ve often seen hose male leg coverings in historical text referred to as hose or hosiery, but rarely if ever stockings. Conversely, women’s leg coverings often referred to as stockings, but not so much hose until the early part of the 20th century. Even today, you can find male socks referred to as hose in some cultures. Just a thought to add to the conversation.
Kilt hose are usually worn with “flashes” (often elastic garters or bands with a clasp) beneath the turned-down cuff. It’s my understanding that these once consisted of woven strips of cloth which were tied where the calf narrows just below the knee. The ends of those traditional strips are reproduced now by 2 notch-ended ribbons that hang down the outside of each calf, hence “flashes” of colored fabric.
I wonder if anyone at the American Duchess company would know about stocking/sock history. They make reproduction historical shoes and stockings. They seem to employ clothing historians. As a side note, I always just thought of stockings as fancy socks. I thought of hose as thigh high or waist high tight, full leg coverings. Language is funny.
I think historical knitters are a more likely resource of truly indepth information - the stockings American Duchess reproduces are basically the ones made by machine at the time (and made by machine now). Which is, I'm sure, also an interesting area of study, but a bit perpendicular to a knitter's interests. :-)
So interesting. It’s always difficult to find information on clothing and generally, woman’s activities. Want to study tools, metals, war ?..there’s tons of books.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
All of this sock/stocking talk reminded me of Arne and Carlos working on their Norwegian folk costumes and knitting their "stockings" which were essentially white cabled knee socks. I don't remember whether these stockings stayed up by themselves, but the costume called for woven garters, which of course A&C made themselves. Arne was having trouble with the weaving, and I'll never forget Carlos grinning from ear to ear because he'd finally found a handcraft that he was better at than Arne.
The point of garters is to keep the stockings from falling down, so it sounds like they wouldn't have stayed up on their own.
I also adore Arne and Carlos. I think it would be brilliant if Roxanne and A&C stuck their heads together and made a video. Arne would for sure have some interesting background information about those Norwegian socks that Roxanne reversed engineered.
@@prairiepatch I've learned a lot from the Norwegians! Norwegian purl, Arne's short row heel which is my go-to (although the Quail's Nest tutorial is more helpful on that than Arne's own), and I improved my DPN technique just by watching Arne knitting a sock. Also, Inge at Knitting Traditions knits some kind of traditional heel in her socks that she said she learned from her grandmother.
Hi Roxanne. Referring to your question about worsted weight “sock” yarn. I live in New Brunswick, Canada, the traditional industries are forestry and fisheries. Before I started to knit, I only saw this heavy type of sock knit, always top down, heel flap and gusset. They are often worn alone in boots or around the house, some will wear a lighter sock inside. The yarn of choice for “work socks” in NB is Briggs & Little, it is easily accessible and “affordable”. Most often used, is the Tuffy line, it has a nylon content for longevity. There is Heritage which is also a worsted weight 100% wool. B&L is a woolen spun yarn, the mill produces many weights. I believe I’ve heard you mention you bought some B&L, don’t remember which product.
My mother-in-law and other knitters will often mend or cut off foot or portion of foot and reknit that part. They are considered a utilitarian item of clothing, the reknit part often doesn’t match the rest.
When I started knitting (2010) and used fingering weight, they were referred to a “fine” socks. These were considered “fancy work” by my mother-in-law.
I find this so fascinating! Weldon’s books/pamphlets have so many objects to make ! I’m enjoying the “Sock/Stocking” journey - history, words/language, etymology…so intriguing! Thanks !
The warm- knee was used for my grandma in winter in order to keep warm her son’s legs because here boys were not be able to use long trouser until they were older, around 14 years old. But winter socks and summer socks were the same pieces , she didn’t have much money. And sometimes she connected socks and pants througth the piece of the knee with some stiches that she removes when she needed. It was very expensive knit ties enought when children weren’t babys. So warm-knee piece was the solution. I don’t know if in your country it was the same. That is only anecdothal😊 Thank you so much for your video. I love it.
I remember my grandmother referring to her underwear as drawers. Also, my grandfather wore dresses for the first years of his young life and I think drawers would be very welcome to keep him warm. They were born early in the 20th century. Not definitive, anecdotal.
We have a photo of my grandfather (b. 1905) and his older brother wearing dresses, and hair curled. That was how they dressed kiddos back then! :-)
My Grandfather was born in 1898 it wasn’t until the World War One period that the custom of putting boys in dresses and not cutting their hair short was abandoned. Except for babies in 1984 my son wore nightgowns and looked quite fetching in my baptismal gown. It certainly facilitated changing his diapers at night that first year. he was very young when he got his denim overalls with the snaps up the inseams. Thank you for inspiring my time travel trip to see my son back in the past. I don’t remember my grandmother talking about drawers but I know what people meant by the term. I remember my grandmother referring to her girdle as a foundation garment in the fifties it was long very long and had lacing. I thought it looked uncomfortable compared to the stretchy girdle that Mum wore. Now that I am a bit older and wiser 😮Gram’s garment has a lot going for it 😂
The book, Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, might interest you. It’s a novel which includes how the Oxford English Dictionary was put together and how each word was researched to find the earliest reference in written form, yet so many words relating to women were left out. It has nothing to do with knitting but I really enjoyed it, and liked learning about the work that went into creating a dictionary. So if your looking for some non-knitting reading, I recommend it.
It is also fun to read the historical fiction The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, which chronicles Dr. William C. Minor(the madman) and Prof. James Murray editing OED first edition. Also nothing about knitting but for etymology nerds (like us apparently) a really good read.
Loved all of your research. My grandmother knit all of her own undergarments. Very like the photos in your book. She also always wore what she called a bed jacket. Usually a pink colour. It was really like a sweet cropped cardigan that had a tie at the top. She would sit in bed in the morning with a cup of tea and her bed jacket on.
Hmm, not sure what happened to my original comment - it has disappeared. There is a booklet available from the Nottingham Framework Knitters Museum that states that Stocking Frames were the first technological innovation in the fabric industry and it happened during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It also mentions Mrs Montague, the queens silk woman. The booklet is Framework Knitting by Marilyn Palmer, published by Shire Library. It has a list of Further Reading that looks interesting. The booklet was very inexpensive and available from the museum online shop.
My father was born in the early 1900's. I remember him wearing a type of garter right above knee to keep his dress socks up
Bad Sheep Yarn in North Pole AK has worsted and bulky superwash with nylon. I love their yarn, fun color ways and very soft. Arcane Fiber Works out of Canada has a good selection as well.
I keep getting FB ads and didn’t trust them to be a good spot since so many FB ads are scams. How good to know they are real!
@@kathosim501 Arcane is amazing, they yarn is lush, and has a great twist to keep from splitting stitches. Great colorways.
I have Weldon's Practical Crochet. It has many different leaflets of lace patterns in a hard copy book. Since I don't like to crochet it sits on my shelve with my other antique books . It was given to me.
So this is interesting because in Italian, in the inventory of Elelonora di Toledo, they refer to both stockings (pretty, knee-high or taller foot/leg coverings) and socks (utilitarian, thick wool, usually stopping at the knee), and the two might be layered together for extra warmth. She died in 1562, so in Florence at least they had that division earlier than 1580.
I haven't been able to find any worsted weight sock yarn with nylon. I agree with you that I want a sturdier yarn reinforced with nylon or other synthetic so that they last longer. One solution might be to use two strands of fingering weight sock yarn held together to get the durability that knits at 5 sts/inch. Doing so would definitely broaden the variety of yarns available.
Passementerie: decorative trimming such as tassels, braid, and fringing, used on furniture and clothing (eg. military uniforms)
The sweater you are wearing looks lovely. Such a gorgeous color.
I have not seen that sweater before. Nice on you.
Well, firstly, thank you! I wanted to watch this since I can just hear my mother having said ‘in your stocking feet’ vs with your socks on! Funny. Anyway, what fantastic books you got your hands on !!!
Trunk hose for men in the 1500s were the outer wear-the pants of the time, or in this case, the shorts. They started out at the knee and got shorter over time. The nether hose were the stockings that went under.
I had no idea people thought you could knit socks with no nylon! I was always taught even tho 100% merino yarn may be fingering weight doesn't make it acceptable for socks as it isn't sturdy enough for them .
This opened my eyes that some people may knit socks without nylon!
Fascinating! Thank you for sharing what you’ve learned so far.
What a wonderful book - Weldon’s ❤
I can totally agree with the queen. Since my feet are a bit odd, until I learned to knit my own socks I always had to put up with at least one sock, or shoe for that matter, that didn't quite fit or feel right. Making my own, I can make a left and a right foot sock that fits and feels good 😊
So interesting! I love the color of your sock, and glad the pattern is coming along
I never thought a simple question about the difference between sock and stocking would bring you to do so much research, but I better understand my confusion now. 😉Thank you Roxanne for all the clarifications.
So interesting and informative!!! Thank you, Roxanne. Best wishes for the Christmas holidays.
Thank you for the update and congratulations on your first pass at the sock pattern. Hope your brother gets good use out of his socks.
Words, etymology, 'how did they call it back then?' That's what interests me since I was young. In the first place in my 'mother tongue', Dutch, but also other languages. Now I write 'mother tongue' I think it has to do with my mother, she was always very precise with words (her hobby was crossword puzzles and cryptograms)
Silk woman is an English term for a woman who imported silk and metal threads, worked them into embroideries and/or braids, fringes, and other types of passementerie. There is written evidence for the existence of śilkwomen'in Paris (France) in the fourteenth century,
I agree. Love wool. But socks need a little strong and springy, so nylon it is! It has a job!
My husband's grandmother recopied these types of densely typed patterns onto cards.
Ah! So what Weldon's calls a "series" is what we would generally refer to as an "issue" today. That is, a single multi-page booklet available in a given month containing a SERIES of patterns. Thanks for clearing that up. I was having trouble following their nomenclature because I was thinking "series" referred to multiple booklets.
Another enjoyable casual Friday.
As for the Aran weight sock yarn (with nylon),I’ve struggled to find any in the UK also.
Hi Michelle, my reply seems to have disappeared, so here’s hoping it sticks this time! I have made thicker socks using raggsock yarn from Midwinter Yarns and they have lasted pretty well - have a look at the website under chunky or kits.
Stocking vs sock
I never hung a Christmas sock. Am guessing it's because a Christmas Stocking is supported by a hook.
It fits your definition.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I always considered socksto be a sturdy everyday wear and stockings to be more delicate for special occasions, church, etc.
As I understand it, Queen Elizabeth I preferred silk knitted stockings over wool knitted hose.
Great episode! I always learn so much.
very interesting. Thank you for sharing
Your magenta sweater is gorgeous! I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve heard that some knitters use wool with silk or even mohair for added strength.
Yep, adding a second strand of yarn for the heels was often recommended in old patterns.
If you're looking for sock patterns from the 60s or 70s, you may want to check out "Patons Beehive Booklet Colour Series No. 1" and Knit Picks has several worsted weight, superwash yarns that I have nylon.
You might want touch with the local society for creative anachronism. They do a lot with medieval and pre-medieval cast Bing the majority of people in that particular organization tend to really get into the historical aspects.
You've mentioned the short-row technique that was used in the late 1800s but I can't remember your ever saying what it was. Could you give us a hint or do we have to wait for your how-to video? I promise I'll still watch it even if I know what it is. 😁
Thanks for another interesting podcast, Roxanne! I just wanted to mention how good you look in purples and reds, and your hair is looking so pretty.
I hope you and your family have an excellent Christmas Holiday! Very best wishes!
Just call them all 'hose'. We used to have shops called hosieries which supplied all manner of foot/leg garments!
Oh you've just mentioned hose 😊
I clearly remember my grandmothers calling nylons, stockings. My mom called them hose and what we call socks, my mom said slipper. Funny how different era's refers to items.
I prefer wool when knitting, however I also like nylon in socks. I have a couple pairs of socks that are around 30+ years old. There is minor felting on the foot, but are still great for wearing. Drawers used to be a common term for underwear. I haven’t looked up the etomology of the word.
For my thicker farm work socks I like wool with about 25% nylon.
You’ll find quite a lot of helpful info about hose/stocks/socks/stockings in the new book “The Typical Tudor - Reconstructing Everyday 16th Century Dress” by Jane Malcolm-Davies and Ninya Mikhaila, drawn from inventories and wills of the era. Their previous books “The Tudor Child - Clothing and Culture 1485-1625” (2013) and “The Tudor Tailor - Reconstructing Sixteenth-century dress” (2006) also touch on these topics, but the Typical Tudor has the most info relevant to the transition from cloth hose to knitted, and the terms used.
YT wouldn’t let me place my cursor to edit, but there are many extant items also shown in all books to further describe and explain the research. The books are all available through the Tudor Tailor etsy store
Wonderful! Thanks so much for that lead! :-)
Oh my, i can’t wait to look at these. Thank you for the reference.
Oh yes! And Sally Pointer, who apparently provided several knitting patterns for the book. She has a UA-cam channel and a Facebook page, and her own website.
Roxanne, you showed the knee warmers and mentioned arthritis, I wonder because they rode horses and rode in buggies that was partially an accessory. Have you come across that in any of your research? Thanks
If stockings went up to the knee, and combinations went down the thigh, there could have been a gap of exposed skin that a knee warmer could help eliminate. Nothing I have read so far has explained the reason for them. They're a small project though, so that might have been part of the appeal.
@@RoxanneRichardson Thanks for all your research. Its most helpful.
It's funny how words and meanings change through the times. My Grandmother called waist high; hoes. Thigh level; stockings, and Knee high; socks. She grew up through the depression era.
Interesting. In German a pair of trousers is called "Hose" (pronunciation of the character "e" is different though)
Hi Rox. Check out “The History of Knitting Before Mass Production” by Irena Turnau. It is a general history book, similar to Rutt but has a more European flavour. It’s a very interesting book.
Thanks so much, Nick! That looks like a fabulous source!
I wonder how different the evolution of knitted socks/stockings were in colder places like Norway (or other northern or eastern european countries with a knitting history.) 🤔
I imagine it's directly related to when knitting came into their particular culture and became widespread.
I noticed the needle size for the Gentlemen's Cardigan in the Weldons book said to use a size 16 needle in one place. Are the needle sizes equivalent to what we use today? Or were these steel needle sizes? Just wondering. Thanks.
UK needle sizes go in the opposite direction that US sizes go. A US and UK size 7 (4.0mm) is where they bump into each other. A UK size 14 is a US 0 (2.0 mm). UK 15 is US 00/1.75mm, UK 17 is US 000/1.5mm; UK 16 is somewhere between a 00 and 000.
@@RoxanneRichardson Wow, knitting a man's cardigan on needles that size would take some time!
@@mirandarensberger6919 The size 16 was for the ribbing. The body of the sweater is worked on a size 12, which is a US 2/2.75mm. Still pretty fine!
I wonder if the difference between hose and stockings didn’t have more to do with gender. I’ve often seen hose male leg coverings in historical text referred to as hose or hosiery, but rarely if ever stockings. Conversely, women’s leg coverings often referred to as stockings, but not so much hose until the early part of the 20th century. Even today, you can find male socks referred to as hose in some cultures. Just a thought to add to the conversation.
We kiltwearers still call our almost-to-the-knee socks "kilt hose" or just "hose".
Kilt hose are usually worn with “flashes” (often elastic garters or bands with a clasp) beneath the turned-down cuff. It’s my understanding that these once consisted of woven strips of cloth which were tied where the calf narrows just below the knee. The ends of those traditional strips are reproduced now by 2 notch-ended ribbons that hang down the outside of each calf, hence “flashes” of colored fabric.
@@MtMomDesigns The woven garters are more comfortable. Flashes are quick & easy (I've made some myself) but garters are better.
I wonder if anyone at the American Duchess company would know about stocking/sock history. They make reproduction historical shoes and stockings. They seem to employ clothing historians. As a side note, I always just thought of stockings as fancy socks. I thought of hose as thigh high or waist high tight, full leg coverings. Language is funny.
I think historical knitters are a more likely resource of truly indepth information - the stockings American Duchess reproduces are basically the ones made by machine at the time (and made by machine now). Which is, I'm sure, also an interesting area of study, but a bit perpendicular to a knitter's interests. :-)
So interesting. It’s always difficult to find information on clothing and generally, woman’s activities. Want to study tools, metals, war ?..there’s tons of books.
Try contacting Kate Davies ,before she became a knit wear designer she was a professor of historical costumes she may have the answers
I'm sure you know this source, but would the editors of Piecework perhaps know someone who's an expert on the history of knitting?