Kelly said,
> An example can be seen on website at www.backwardglances.net under
> Civil War items.
> (See Carolann - your class has stuck with me!!! And I have accumulated a
> great deal of supporting documentation that this type of stockings is by
> far the most common for our time period)
Mid-19th century is different than 18thC. From what I can tell,
stockings cut from knit yardgoods were only in use for a short time.
If you have infrmation about this for 19thC, I am very curious! From
what I can tell, cut and sewn was not at all common for the 19thC.
The 1790s saw some very complex knit patterns in use that could be
made "sideways" from the way stockings were normally frame knit.
Also around that time was the use of the thread carrier, which made
it faster (and cheaper) to knit yardgoods rather than the pieces knit
to shape. "Cut ups" were a very cheap stocking, and their economic
impact was the cause of Luddism of 1812, and the smashing of stocking
frames by people who were put out of work.
As machinery developed further, stockings were still knit to shape
and also the circular knitter was used (examples are seen from the
1840s, with darts to shape them).
The cut & sewn stockings of the 18thC (Bjarne's era) were actually
made from woven cloth.
Making stockings from silk knit fabric (for 18thC) is a good fake,
however the seam allowances need to be treated carefully. The
1790-1810 cut-ups did not last long and were considered to be poor
quality goods because of this.
I did find a decent silk knit in New York a few years back,
unfortunately not in white. I managed to use color remover on a few
of the pastels to some limited success, and it could of course be
dyed darker colors.
Having examined quite a few 18th frame knit stockings, I am picky
about the fabric. Most modern knits are made to be very stretchy,
and the 18thC stockings are not. There are silk jersey knits out
there, but I only found the one that was not very stretchy.
Bjarne said,
> There is a pattern in Costume Closeup from Colonial Williamsburg I could
> use.
That's from a frame knit silk stocking, and the pattern was done
while on the frame as the stocking was knitted. It can be faked with
a duplicate stitch. That technique fell out of use around 1750,
which is why I asked what era you were aiming for.
It all comes down to whether the stockings are supposed to be
specific to an era or appropriate to a particular event or oufit, and
exactly how particular and detailed anyone wants to be about it.
-Carol
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