sewing fool

22 December 2005

Handknitted stockings


for two adorable young Virginians of my acquaintance. Their father asked me to create them as companion pieces to his own handmade stocking received in boyhood. They took longer to complete than I expected, despite near-constant knitting, and I learned to cable. (That wavy color-transitioning is actually two-colored cabling, people.) Now they get express-UPSed to arrive in time for the Big Day.

Pattern used, colors modified, originally published by the good folks at Lion Brand. There are some frustrating typos in the pattern, such as "co" instead of "to" and "srs" instead of "sts." This rankles in a hobby that is heavily abbreviation-reliant. (Bad editors! Bad!) Yarn is Lion Brand Wool-Ease, which I found disappointing in that it fuzzed and knotted as it was knit straight from the skeins. It was cheap, but I should have taken the time to wind it into balls. Hopefully its 80% plastic durability will make the untangling aggravations worthwhile.

authored by Reetay Ononlay at Thursday, December 22, 2005

2 Comments:

  • this raises a question i've thought of before, but never got around to asking anyone in authority: when you make christmas stockings, do you make them in a particular size? by design, are they even made to be worn, or are they configured solely as a container for gifts and candy?

    By Blogger yelahneb, at 1/20/2006 9:15 AM  

  • The author replies:

    Silly rabbit. Just as with any other custom-made item, they can be made in any dimensions desired. (I knitted one last year that measured about two by four inches, perfectly sized for a gift card, or the dog's paw.) Perhaps thinking of typical gifts he and his wife might choose, when my friend asked me to make them for his sons he stipulated that they should be large enough to hold a standard-sized DVD case and about as long as an adult human arm from fingers to elbow (the better to reach in & fish around theatrically).

    To answer your first query directly, I am not aware of an industry standard for stockings, which doesn't mean that one doesn't exist, of course. It seems that there is a gentle variation, a range of possibilities, guided by principles of pleasing proportions (taller than wide) and reasonable ease of display.

    Historically, handmade stockings were indeed worn on the person and then hung by the fireplace with care. But much has changed since the Victorian era, especially due to the Industrial Revolution. For instance, "stockings" means to the modern American either holiday gift-sack or naughty sheer nylons held up by firm self-elastic or fancy separate garter belt. Pantyhose were developed around mid-20th century and stockings were the only alternative before that thunderbolt. Silk was the ne plus ultra for stockings and undergarments until the second world war, when the fiber was needed urgently for parachutes and other military applications; nylon was developed by chemists seeking an alternative to silk (which, although strong, warm and versatile, is very labor-intensive, expensive and dependent on finite and esoteric natural resources, like mulberry leaves and worms). Wool and cotton were every-day-wear, wool being warmer and generally worn in cooler climes, but also capable of being finely spun into threadlike yarn and made into very delicate stockings indeed. Surgical stockings, essentially large nylon-blend compression bandages for the legs, are still useful in modern medicine for post-op care and treatment of various swellings and ailments. But I digress.

    Although other peoples in other parts of the globe have different practices and prejudices, I can only speak from my own slender experience. In answer to your second question, modern American Christmas stockings are rarely designed to be both worn and hung. To be worn they must fit closely with great elasticity; usually this means that they are narrow. To be hung it is best that they are wide (the better for filling) and largely inelastic to prevent stretching out of shape. There is also the matter of laundering stockings; many people have little patience for hand-washing and air-drying delicate garments. In addition, many Americans harbor a strange distaste for feet, or perspiration, et cetera, and might hesitate to fill what is essentially a used sock with presents and edibles in combination celebration of a reformed pagan holiday and perhaps-mythical do-gooder.

    Thank you for asking. The consideration of your query and my windy response has been a most pleasurable start to an admittedly late morning.

    By Blogger Reetay Ononlay, at 1/20/2006 12:14 PM  

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