Hosiery Training

1. Hosiery Training • INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF SOCKS • B McCALLION

2. CONTENTS • INTRODUCTION • HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICATION • SOCK PRODUCTION FLOW CHART • FAULTS AND FAILURES

3. HOWTO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICATION

4. THE SIZE CHART

5. HOW TO MEASURE SOCKSFLAT LEG AND FOOT • PLACE NAIL AT EXTENTION OF HEEL • LINE THAT POINT UP WITH SUITABLE POINT ON RULER • ALLOW SOCK TO FALL NATURALY WITHOUT STRETCHING • MEASURE LENGTH • IF SOCK IS CREASED IT IS ALLOWABLE TO SMOOTH OUT BEFORE MEASURING

6. HOW TO MEASURE SOCKSLATERAL STRETCH • WELT • PLACE FINGERS INSIDE WELT AND PULL APART UNTIL FABRIC STOPS MEASURE DISTANCE ON RULER • LEG AND FOOT • GRIP VERY EDGE OF FABRIC THEN PLACE ONE EDGE ON RULER PULL OTHER EDGE APART AND MEASURE ON RULER

7. HOW TO MEASURE SOCKS LATERAL STRETCH • MATHBIRK LATERAL STRETCH DEVICE • DEVELOPED FOR SOCKS • DEAD WEIGHT RELEASED AND MEASUREMENT RECORDED • DIFFICULT TO MEASURE SMALL WELTS AS SOCKS CAN SLIP OFF • HAS TO BE CALIBRATED TO ENSURE ACCURACY MAINTAINED

8. HOW TO MEASURE SOCKSVOLUMETRIC FIT • SELECT CORRECT BOARD FOR SIZE • PULL SOCK ONTO BOARD UNTIL SMOOTH • ALIGN HEEL PICK OF SOCK PARALLEL TO BOARD MARKINGS • HEEL PICK SHOULD BE ALIGNED TO CENTRE LARGE LINE • IF BELOW THEN SMALL IF BEYOND THEN BIG • QUOTE DIFFERENCE AS +/_ • ALSO IMPORTANT TO ASSESS SOCK IS NOT TO LARGE AS SOMETIMES HEEL SITS ON BOARD WELL BUT IF PULLED WILL ALLOW HEEL TO GO TO FAR UP THE LEG SHOULD ONLY GO TO EDGE OF HEEL

9. HOWTO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICATION

10. PRODUCTION DETAILS

11. UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATION MACHINE DETAILS • SHOULD STATE NUMBER OF NEEDLES AND DIAMETER • PREFERABLY THE TYPE OF MACHINE • IMPORTANT IN DEFINING THE WEIGHT,FIT AND TYPE OF SOCK THAT WILL BE PRODUCED • BEWARE OF GAUGE AS CAN BE MISLEADING BETTER TO UNDERSTAND NEEDLES AND DIAMETER TO DETERMINE LOOK OF SOCK • 96N 4” IS CHUNKY MANS SOCK DESCRIBED AS 6gg 96N 3.25” IS FINE BABYSOCK DESCRIBED AS 36gg

12. MACHINE TYPES • DOUBLE CYLINDER • TWO SETS OF NEEDLES • TRUE RIB CAPABILITY • STITCH INTEREST DESIGNS • PLAIN SOCKS WITH RIB TOP • SINGLE CYLINDER • ONE SET OF NEEDLES • HIGH PATTERN CAPABILTY • SPORT AND TERRY SOCKS • PLAIN SOCKS WITH MOCK RIB

13. MACHINE DETAILS HINTS AND TIPS • THE COMBINATION OF NEEDLES AND DIAMETER AFFECTS FIT AND APPEARANCE OF SOCK.IT CAN AFFECT THE FINAL WIDTH OF THE SOCK AND TO SOME EXTENT ANY DESIGN • A MANS SOCK KNITTED ON168N 4” WILL FIT BETTER THAN SAME SOCK FROM 144N 4” • A 144N M/C WILL KNIT FASTER AND SO IS FAVOURED BY KNITTERS. PARTICULARLY IN FAR EAST • AS A ROUGH GUIDE FOR A PICTURE SOCK • NEEDLES AND DIAMETER BABY 96 – 120N 2.75”-3.75 CHILDRENS 120-156N 3.50”- 3.75 LADIES 144-168N 3.75”-4 MENS 156-168N 3.75”-4

14. TOE SEAMING THERE ARE VARIOUS METHODS OF CLOSING THETOE • OVERLOCKING….GENERALY USED IN CHEAPEST SOCKS • ROSSO MACHINE SEAMING…….CAN GIVE A GOOD SEAM • HANDLINKING…..TRADITIONALY USED FOR TOP QUALITY • CLOSED AT KNITTING………CAN GIVE THE BEST RESULT

15. STEAM BOARDING HELIOT BOARDING M/C • COMBINATION OF STEAM PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE USED TO GIVE SOCK A SHAPE AND SMOOTH APPEARANCE • SOME MACHINES HAVE AUTOMATIC LENGTH CONTROL MOST RELAY ON OPERATIVE TO SET POSITION ON THE BOARD • SOME FACTORIES IN FAR EAST USE FLAT BOARDS UNDER A PRESS • ALSO POSSIBLE TO USE A HOT LEG ELECTRICALLY HEATED FOOT SHAPE

16. HOWTO UNDERSTAND THE SPECIFICATION

17. UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATION YARN DETAILS AS A SOCK IS A FULLY FORMED ARTICLE AFTER KNITTING THEN AN UNDERSTANDING OF YARNS IN USE IS IMPORTANT THEY CONTROL NOT ONLY THE ESTHETICS OF THE SOCK BUT FIT COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE THE COUNTS USED ARE CHOSEN TO WORK WELL WITH NEEDLE SIZE AND MACHINE CAPABILITIES

18. YARN DETAILS

19. UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATION YARN DETAILS WELT • USUALLY THE SAME YARN AS BODY PLUS AN ELASTOMER TO GIVE STRETCH AND GRIP WITH COMFORT LEG & FOOT • FACE YARN CHOSEN FOR APPEARANCE HANDLE CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE • BACKING YARN CHOSEN TO GIVE STRETCH RECOVERY AND FIT USUALLY ELASTOMERIC BUT CAN BE TEXTURED NYLON OR POLYESTER • ALSO IN USE ARE OFTEN PATTERNING YARNS FOR DESIGN HEEL & TOE • GENERALLY AS THE LEG BUT OFTEN ADDITIONAL HEAVIER YARNS ADDED FOR DURABILITY

20. UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFICATION YARN HINT AND TIPS ELASTOMERS WELT • THE BEST ONE IS LYCRA T902C FROM INVISTA • IT WAS A DEVELOPED WITH A SOFTER GRIP FOR COMFORT IT SHOULD BE THE YARN OF CHOICE FOR BABY SOCKS • OTHER ELASTOMERS ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING RUBBER RUBBER DOES SUFFER FROM DEGRADATION IN WEAR AND WILL LOSE ITS GRIP MORE QUICKLY BACKING YARN • LYCRA SEEMS TO GIVES MOST CONSISTENT KNITTED SOCK • HEAT SETTABLE QUALITIES SHOULD BE USED FINAL SOCK TENDS TO COLLAPSE AND LOOK SMALL • ALTERING THE COVERING YARN CAN GIVE BETTER DESIGN CLARITY AND PREVENT GREYING OF WHITES

24. THE SOCK PROCESS HINTS AND TIPS • YARN OR COMPONENTS CHECKED AGAINST INVOICE BEFORE ACCEPTANCE • IF NON CONFORMANCE FOUND AT QC CHECKING THEN REJECTED PRODUCT MUST BE PUT INTO SEPARATE QUARANTINE AREA • KNITTING MACHINE SHOULD HAVE FULL SPECIFICATION ON M/C WITH PHYSICAL EXAMPLE • KNITTERS ALSO CHECK FOR QUALITY.REGULAR CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE TO PREVENT FAULTY WORK • QC FUNCTION INDEPENDENT OF PRODUCTION • NEEDLE PROCEDURE IN PLACE AT KNITTING AND SEWING • PACKERS TO HAVE PHYSICAL REFERENCE PACK • ISSUING OF ALL YARN/ COMPONENTS TO BE BY NOMINATED PERSONEL ONLY

25. FAULTS AND FAILURES FAULTS CAN OCCUR THROUGHOUT PRODUCTION BUT THE DESIGN CONCEPT CAN OFTEN BE THE PROBLEM AS PRODUCTION FEASIBILTY AND EFFICIENCY IS MISSED YARN FAULTS • NEPS AND SLUBS,THICK AND THIN,UNEVEN DYEING,CONTAMINATION UNEVEN FICTION & WEAKNESS CAUSING EXCESSIVE KNITTING FAULTS KNITTING FAULTS • HOLES & LADDERS,NEEDLE LINES,MISPLATING,DROPPED STITCHES, TIGHT LATERALS,UNTRIMMED ENDS,BARRE,UNTIDY FEEDER CHANGES SEAMING • HOLES,UNEVENESS,EXCESSIVE SIZE,LONG ENDS,POOR COLOUR MATCH DYEING & FINISHING • POOR SHADE CONSISTENCY,BAD FASTNESS,POOR HANDLE, CREASING UNEVEN DYEING,DYE SPOTS,METAMERISM BOARDING • WRONG LEG LENGTH,TWISTING OF DESIGN,GLAZING,COLLAPSING OF SOCK