What this?

[Jack Roberts]

Merry Christmas everyone! Well I was sifting through the Costumers Manifesto

and came across this picture.

Now look closely at the sides of the stockings, what is line and the diamond thingy? Is that a seam of some sort? Just happened to notice it and wanted to see the experts have to say.

[Jack Roberts]

Heres another one with the same thing.

...and yet another, but slightly different.

[CrazyCholeBlack]

Those my dear, would be clocked stockings.

In the most basic sense clocking is the decoration (embroidered or made with purl stitches) in the area on the side of the stocking where the heel gusset connects. They were a sign of wealth and no commonly seen on the common

Mara Riley has a good page on stockings in the 18th C. Not specifically GAoP but one of the items that doesn't under go a dramatic change between 17-19th Centuries.

http://www.marariley.net/knitting/stocking.htm

Consider that your holiday present

[Jack Roberts]

Ah ha! Very cool, so pretty much for the fops and such.

Thanks for the info.

Good to know I'm not the only one on the Pub first thing Christmas morning.

[Cheeky Actress]

Amanjiria,

'Clocking' a stocking means embroidering the ankle of the stocking where a 'gusset'/wedge has been added to give it shape. Here are a few examples from the Textile Museum in Barcelona - these are an example 18th century pale pink silk stockings with delicate, fine metal clocks.

Nice detailed example...

[Capt. Sterling]

Oi Jack, I have a nice pair from Williamsburg and several more photos of originals... I'll bring em to RF4 for you to look at...

[Sjöröveren]

Jas. Townsend & Sons has a sort of clocked stocking available for $9.50/pair. Not nearly as fancy as the ones in Barcelona, but they aren't behind glass either.

[Dutchman]

colonial williamsburg has both regular and winter weight clocked. I think the winter ones are around $20. I have not worn them but maybe cap'n sterling can enlighten us on their durability.

[William Brand]

Ah ha! Very cool, so pretty much for the fops and such.

Thanks for the info.

When he says 'fops' he means gentlemen with a well turned ankle.

[Silkie McDonough]

Turned ankle? Need a compression bandage?

[michaelsbagley]

Turned ankle? Need a compression bandage?

Or we could sick Misson on him to remove the offending appendage...

More to back on topic though, if Sterling is kind enough to post about the clocked stocking in Williamsburg, I would be very interested in knowing the fibre content... (Wool or cotton? something else?)

[Silkie McDonough]

I have tried Cotton, Wool and Silk ...I vote silk, then light wool, then cotton. My feet object to the cotton by the end of the day. Silk allows room for gel soles also!

I would also like to see more of the embroidery also.

[blackjohn]

Oi Jack, I have a nice pair from Williamsburg and several more photos of originals... I'll bring em to RF4 for you to look at...

I'm curious, are those faux clocks, and just on the outside ankle? Or are they the real mccoys and/or clocked on both sides?

[Dutchman]

im going to be spending some time there over the next few weeks. I'll fondle the goods and report back as they have more than socks.

[blackjohn]

Please do. I haven't paid much attention to Williamsburg ever since I stopped doing RevWar. I do remember they had a very nice bookstore there at the main hq. But I had a lot of fun back in that town, back in the day. Someone should convince them to do a 1720s themed weekend.

[Quartermaster James]

Besides clocking, were other decorations or fancy weaves, such as ribbing or chevrons used in this period?

[Dutchman]

my appologies, forgot about this post. real mcoys on the outside. nothing on the instep side.

[blackjohn]

Fake clocking on the outside. No fake clocking on the inside. That's too bad. But thanks for checking!