This may be an imperfection in manufacture due to a defect in machinery or thread. In certain methods of manufacture, the point at the corner of the gore is not all manufacturers desire, and this point is frequently a starting point for ladders (see photograph, Fig. 66). A defect of this type would be a legitimate cause for complaint from a retail customer.
FAULTY SEAMING. FIG. 67.
Ladders running from the back seam (see photograph Fig. 67) are usually due to faulty seaming. Stockings are examined for defects, but sometimes this particular trouble would not show itself until the affected stocking was actually in wear. Should a complaint of this type be made—ladders starting in the fabric at the first wearing—it is fair to presume the customer has a just grievance, and the satisfaction of this particular customer should be made the first consideration.
FAULTY SUSPENDERING. FIG. 68.
Ladders will be caused if stockings are too tightly suspendered (see photograph Fig. 68 shows a hose suspender fixed in the shadow-welt (the portion below the welt). The suspender should be secured in the welt, not below it, the welt being that portion of the top of the stocking which is specially manufactured of heavier material in order to take the strain. Retail customers’ complaints due to faulty suspendering should be courteously, yet firmly, dealt with, and the sales staff should demonstrate the cause of any accident directly attributable to this, which in itself is sufficient ground for the refusing of consideration of compensation.
FILAMENT.
A fibre filament is a single strand of indefinite length. (A thread can be formed by a single filament—known as mono-filament—or by several filaments run together to form a thread.) The fineness of filaments varies according to the various fibre-spinning processes. Taking a “Bemberg” Rayon yarn, for example, the fineness of the filaments is due to the stretch spinning processes. The denier of the “Bemberg” filament is 11⁄3, and the number of filaments in any particular denier in “Bemberg” can be determined by dividing the denier by 11⁄3, i.e., 120 denier has 90 filaments.
Hosiery designed to be worn with the welt above the knee. This is customary, but periodically a demand arises for a knee-high hose, in which the welt must necessarily be below the knee, and for the securing of which, a thread of lastex yarn is knitted into the fabric.
This is seen on that side of the stocking fabric which is usually worn next to the skin. The surface is smooth, even, and softly dull. Grain texture is made full use of in the knitting of a stocking inside-out (referred to as “Reverse-knit”).
Considerable attention is being given to these by hosiery manufacturers, and rayons of this type will fill a very important role in the future of stocking making. The property of high tenacity is imparted during the spinning process, a special stretch technique being applied to the filaments while these are in a plastic state. By the use of this spinning under tension, exceptional fineness of filament denier yarn is obtained. To give an instance:- In the production of one type of yarn, 160 fine filaments are twisted together to form a 20 denier yarn of exceptional strength. High-tenacity rayons require special processing (part of their elasticity being lost) and experiments are already being made in the introducing of new features in the knitting of these yarns into stockings, such features being special twist, variation from the standard number of courses per inch, and the use of a type of fashioning which, employing fewer narrowings, results in an increased width. This additional width minimises the loss of elasticity, so that the hose does not suffer by comparison with ordinary hosiery, but has, indeed, the very considerable advantage of greatly increased strength.
