What color socks?

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

WOW, thank you so much Karen. I will start researching blue army stockings as well as some period stocking dyes. I already own a pair of Ben Tart cotton socks, are the Federal "tube" socks similar? Again thank you so much.

All the Best

[KarinTimour]

Dear Mr. Peli:

1. With dread in my heart, I can see a new sock myth being born.

Mr. Peli, I know you would never do this, but I have learned through long experience, that there are those among us who read only the first line of a post, letter, book, etc. but who are too busy or can't be bothered to "read to the end." Unfortunately, they are often the first to go on and repeat their half-understanding as Gospel Truth.

So, let me state, for the record, that I NEVER said that some Federal Issue socks/stockings were tube socks (that is, socks made without heels). I have seen World War I patterns for tube socks, intended for hospital use with invalids, NOT for soldiers on active duty in the field. An interesting side discussion is whether the Sanitary Commission or soldier's aid societies were making socks without heels for hospital wear in our period. To the best of my current knowledge, Federal issue socks/stockings were all made with heels.

2. I don't have a pair of Mr. Tart's cotton socks. I have respect and affection for him as a researcher, artist and craftsman who is devoted to producing wonderfully authentic items.

3. Keep in mind my caveat above regarding the fact that most socks made on machine for the reenacting market have short-row heels and toes. The reality is that producing them with hand-made heels and toes is cost prohibitive. It's a "best we can do, given the realities of labor costs" issue.

4. For the interested consumer who wants to evaluate socks on your own, I offer the following information:

a. The earliest I have been able to date a short-row heel or toe on a sock, whether hand- or machine-knit is 1872. I would be extremely interested and grateful to anyone who can find documentation earlier than this.

b. For those of you who want to know more about Federal Issue Stockings, please look up the chapter I wrote on this topic which John Tobey was kind enough to include in The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium, Volume II.

c. For that article, he was kind enough to share the Quartermaster's Specs for what a Federal Issue stocking was to be:

Stockings: Of all pure woolen yarn; made with 3 threads, doubled and twisted; to have narrowed or fashioned toes, and to be of three sizes: 9-1/2, 10-1/2, 11-1/2 inches long in the foot, and 14 inches long in the legs, for all three sizes; every dozen pairs to have 5 pairs of the smallest, 4`pairs of the medium, and three pairs of the largest size in it, and to weigh 3 pounds.

--taken from George Crossman, Extracts taken from the Quartermaster's Manual Relating to Clothing & Equipage (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1865 unpublished galley proof, page 10 as quoted in The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium, Volume II, page 59, Edited by John E. Tobey, published by The Watchdog Quarterly, Inc. Warren, Michigan, 2006)

d. There are pictures of two pair of Federal Issue Stockings in Lord's Encyclopedia -- both without ribbing on the legs.

If all of the above is true for all Federal Issue stockings, then we know:

1. They were made of wool.
2. They have a sock leg that is 14 inches long.
3. They don't have ribbing in the sock leg.
4. They didn't have short row heels or toes.
5. They come with feet in three sizes -- 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 inches long in the foot.
6. They are to have "narrowed or fashioned toes." I interpret this to mean that they couldn't just have a tube with the end sewn shut with a sewing machine, there had to be a knitted toe in them
7. Using my extremely limited algebra skills, if we've got 12 pair of socks that collectively weigh 3 lbs, and 5 pair are the shortest length, 4 pair are the medium length and 3 pair are the longest length, we can derive the weight of a pair of correctly made wool socks. By my calculations, it looks like a 9.5 inch pair of socks should weigh in at 3.6 oz, a pair of 10.5 inch socks should weigh in at 4.1 oz and a pair of 11.5 oz socks should come in at 4.6 oz.

Hope that's helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

OK, thank you for clearing that up. I did not mean "tube" socks as a litteral translation, just that the legs were made flimsy and without shape or structure. And no, Ben Tart's socks are not flimsy. They are made very well and I also own a jacket and a pair of mule ear trousers from him. I do not think tube socks would work well for field service.

So, I now knoe that Federal Issue socks: are made of pure wool, have 14 inch legs, do not have ribbed sock legs, and came in 3 sizes/ weights. WOW, that's very specific information, thank you. Now, are these socks dyed, or just natural wool off the sheep? ( I don't mean Right off the sheep, just after shearing and carding)

All the Best

[KarinTimour]

Dear Mr. Peli:

Thank you for being so interested in socks!

With regard to Federal issue stocking legs -- I didn't mean to imply that they are either flimsy or without structure. I strongly suspect that they were a pretty straight tube of wool. In Hardtack and Coffee they are referred to has having the shape of stove pipes, and I suspect that's because they had no shaping -- simply staight tubes of wool.

Regarding color, before the war I"m pretty sure that they were most often blue -- again, that's how they got the title of the "blue army stocking" or the "blue yarn stocking" with the association of being made for a soldier. We do know that the Federal Army was advertising for socks to be made of gray and blue gray. We know from soldier complaints (and reports of socks that fell apart) that contractors were making socks with a good percentage of shoddy, so there must have been socks that were flecked with mulitcolored flecks, no matter what the background color was. As Curt has previously pointed out, sheep come in just about every variety of shade from very light cream to dirty black, and I"m certain that at least some contractors were getting stocking yarn that hadn't been dyed at all, just the color of the sheep from which it came.

Perhaps I'm overreaching, but I"m wondering if you're thinking of trying to dye your Ben Tart socks blue? If so, I'd advise against it, as dyeing is a process best left to experts (of which I am not). I"m sure Mrs. Lawson can offer an expert's perspective. If I"m reading too much into your question, and this isn't what you're thinking about, please forgive me.

In any case, thank you again for being so interested,

Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Oh, no, not trying to dye anything here, just interested in the subject. Well, thank you for all the information, I really appreciated it.

All the Best

[KarinTimour]

Entirely my pleasure, thank you for asking.

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: KTimour@aol.com

[lojafan]

Great read! I didn't thnk I'd be hooked on a thread about socks! Very well done.

[KarinTimour]

Dear Mr. Gale:

Thank you for your kind words. If you'd like to read more about socks, I wrote an article entitled "Reenactor Sock Myths" which was printed in both The Camp Chase Gazette and The Citizens' Companion, late last summer. I think it was the July/August or the September/October issue. That article breaks out the eight most common things that reenactors incorrectly believe about socks of the 1860s. It also has big, clear pictures of the most common period heels and toes. Each picture is reproduced twice -- once with graphics superimposed on the photograph, so that a non-knitter can see the same "earmarks" I look for to identify which construction methods were used to make each. Next to it is the same picture without the graphics superimposed, so that you can look from one to the other and train your eye to recognize them in the future. Also included are short-row heels and toes (most common post-war heels and toes). Please also remember that the demand for socks is great. The time and cost to make the heels and toes by hand, and with a small enough yarn makes them prohibitively expensive for most buyers. It's better to have the entire regiment have socks than to have two guys with period correct ones and everybody else marching with without socks, just barefoot in their brogans.

If you're interested in learning more about Federal Issue socks (which were not socks, but half-hose and more properly referred to, as the quartermasters did "the Federal Issue stocking"), read the chapter I wrote for The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium, Second Edition, edited by John Tobey.

Thank you for following this thread, it's a thrill to share this research with people who care about "what really was."

Sincerely,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[BenjaminLDavis]

Karin ~ this was a very interesting read, thank you. I learned a great deal.
I now know what colors I will be looking for in future when I comes time to
resupply wool socks! (And, more importantly, why!)

PS - I always get praise for those shooting mits you made for me; they are
still the best I have seen.

[KarinTimour]

Dear James:

It was a pure pleasure to make them for you, I"m so glad that you're enjoying using them in the field!

I've also looked up the exact back issue of The Camp Chase Gazette that has the "Reenactor Sock Myths" article in it -- it's July/August 2011. Back issues are available by calling them: 800-624-0281. The price is $5.95 plus $2.00 shipping. They are there from 8-5 EST, M-F.

And for those of you who haven't yet had enough sock information, I also wrote an article about Civil War socks in a magazine about historic needlework. It's entitled "Patriotic Toil: Knitting Socks for Civil War Soldiers" and was printed in the March/April 2009 issue of Piecework magazine. The paper copies have already sold out, but you can order a digital back issue from them for $9.99. Their website is www.interweavestore.com. You want item number EP5051.

I have no financial interest in either magazine, nor do I get a fee for any back issues sold. I just like writing about Civil War socks and they gave me the opportunity.

Hope that's helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com