Fig. 29 Knocking-over the loops.
FIG. 29—KNOCKING-OVER THE LOOPS.
NARROWING AND WIDENING
Fashioned stockings are those which are shaped during the production of the stocking fabric.

The machine producing these stockings knits the stocking blanks flat, and these are afterwards converted to tubular shape.

The making of a stocking to shape is performed during knitting, either by narrowing or by narrowing and widening.

By “Narrowing” the number of needles in work is decreased.

By “Widening” the number of needles in work is increased.

Fig. 30.
FIG. 30.

Taking the narrowing operation first... a stocking blank may be shaped as desired, according to the number of courses worked between the narrowings (sometimes called fashionings).

If a fully-fashioned stocking be examined the “fashion marks” can be plainly seen. These marks are formed during manufacture by the transfer of stitches to adjoining needles, thereby reducing the number of needles (and width) and resulting in the carrying by some needles of a double stitch.

This thickening of the stitches forms a pattern of tiny stitches—or marks—on each side of the leg seams. First they are to be seen in the “flare” below the welt of a fully-fashioned stocking. These narrowings indicate the change in the width of the hose where it has