Seamless Stockings
Circular knitting machines were invented in the mid 19th century the one in the picture dates
from about 1920. However, early circular knit stockings were not popular because they bagged at
the knees and ankles. This was due to the knitting process which could not alter the width
of the tube, therefore there were the same number of stitches around the ankle and the thigh.
Nylon improved the fit of seamless stockings due to it's thermoplastic properties.
The nylon thread was hooked onto a circular knitting machine which had 400 needles and the tube
was made, with thicker thread being added for the welt and reinforcment at heel and toe. It took
about 15 minutes to make a single stocking.
When the stocking was removed from the machine the toe was linked together and then the stockings
were 'boarded'. This process invloved the stockings being stretched over flat leg shaped boards
and heated. The nylon shrank slightly and took on the shape of the leg which it retained even
after washing. This process is also called semi-fashioning. Semi-fashioned stockings became
popular among the younger generation in the mid 1950s.
RHT, demi-toe and sandal foot are all types of seamless stocking.
