The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-20
ABOUT sTOCKIygS

TIC ttIul-Aidt IS Lfgnt fitting rrrts
the feet and lower legs, knit on 49, r
TO be elastic-are Of quite m0,Ir.r t--
The ancient Romans sometime
ments Of this form but they vra-, 4 -t
Of cloth; and they formed ma -.
ordinary dress Of either sex, who ~ %
customed to leave feet OF ankle. r--.
sOnsin delicate health, soldiers r-. .....
and hunters not unfrequeutIy Wool.
wound tightly about the leg from m.
TO knee, but not covering the for+
The art Of knitting-that IS. Of Co..
elastic fabric from single thread ----e e
tO have originated about the vesr---g- 20
we find mention Of il I'M Sartr.,.s va
only applied 70 wool In 1909 Hen p.
France wore 4 pair Of knit -n- ~.
the occasion Of the marriage u frs
the duke Of Savoy. Henry YIN -f-
land, we are told, had 70 corts-. -.
with hose, except when, now and q -
pair Of silk stockings were sent tr t..--
Spain. Worthy master Hrvar
History Of the World, DO think, /. ~. -i
record that, IN 1850, the Prince. -s---.-
not yet Queen, was presented witt. a. -
knit silk hose, after which. saws -f..
cleT, "she would never wear r... e.
again. just about the same ~.
Thomas Gresham, the famous Tr-r.--
chant, who traded in foreign r---. --.-
the founder uf the Royal Exrre--. ~.
Gresham College, presented a usfr al --...-
silk stockings to King Edward VI
Early in the reign Of Elizabeth --. ..
knitting became an important hrrsa--
dustry in England, and one which -t.--
( ernment thought it Necessary t9rr.... -.
foster Tor IN 1859, when Wm. Iaaars...--
ed to obtain patent for his newlg-f--..
stOcking-frame for weaving stocking .---
refused on the grounds that the --...--
made goods would underseT .ra,a r.-.. ~
hand, and so drive them out Of tf--....
The story Of William Lee. Ike ... a..
( many other inventors, Is q sad one. r. z--.-
/ gentleman by birth and a member o., :.
Johns College, Cambridceshi-e- r-- ---.
/ soon expelled for having married ar-srs....
statutes Of the university. Hi, u4.-. /.
livelihood being thus cut off. L. r.r-. IT,
upon what his young wife could earn s-..-
. needles quite likely be also Ha.--.. --.-
tieal knitter. tau events rz,..f. r..
4 theory Of the stitch. and began taa-..-
: for means topr0duce ft rapidly H--r
We are tcld how long i- was AFTER -..
/ first occurred 10 him before lis f--- -
iHE-fuUe was produced T-.
1883 we find him established .- . -..-
weaver near NOTTINGHAM. and. a.. -.....
said, applying for q patent for this .---
ton. This having been refused he t--s
machines 20 France, where DIR was ---
welcomed by Henry " and Dis wise
ter, Sully. He established himself -s
stocking-WeayeT at R0Uen, where De a-.- Fl.
ed number OF his cauntrymer. Tfa-.
cal troubles and religious nar-zar.f.r,
followed the assassination Of Henry il q
1910, broke up his factory ,at Elus1 a--H
undertook TO return 20 England hrt did -
the way. His brother. who seems t- r--
gone Is ith him 20 France. as-aH=-r.. .#-
self as a stccbinE-weaveI 1T nottingham. a-
4 in conjunction with Aston. vlo had t.
one Of Lees workmeu. succeeded -- --
maneutly introducing the stocking r
facture into England. nottingham l5-
ing, as il has since remained. the chief l.--
Of the industry.
Th5 Framework hrit-er's Cd-r-.
was incorporated by Charles u. l-ss. and
their han Is a portrait Of William Lee 7
is depicted As pointing to one 0f BIS t--
as he discoHrses with lis wife. uIa is 'r-
r,1r-fr,rr 1.-r r--.=4a=-..- r.s---a.r. D
The stockin--frame 0f Lee was f1- -
producing the complete article. i mere
wove, OF rather knit. Strai --.- piece 90 s.
fabric, which was cut of iur0rran=r Iar---
and sewed togetherin the form Of stl.t-
It is quite uncertain when 7r hr whom .
machine was invented by whieha % ea----.
circular web Is formed The wer is f--. 8
woven in such a shape that when ta-.
over and sewn together. q perfect 5-1-
is produced It requires no Ii-rl- i---
to fit this web 10 the shape Of the paris q.
covered. The widest part forms -z D
two narrow strips at the base 0f this t--
under and Joined together form .a FRA
while a central strip, twice the Length -.
foot, being turned over at the toe. forms.
top and bottom Of the foot. which i---
TO tie heel and around the edges hv tr-
or scanning. No less Ingenuity is ra1u.-
make seamless stocking out ot q aT.sH
cylindrical web. First, a slit Is made @
way across the web above the heel ~-
the part which Is TO form the fa#- can
curved out at the instep The loops O.
the edges Of This slit are then also taken
by hand-needles, and the space for ttaL
is also fitted in by handwriting TEa
is completed in the same manner. and d
by the joint use Of machinery and hands,
ting a perfectly seamless stocking Is 2
duced