SILK (Mussel or fish silk) continued.
stockings made from the yarn are ingrain, no dyeing operation being required. The stockings are used for evening wear, and are in shades of brown and olive which tone with gowns, accordingly.
SILK REELING. Page 14.
SINGLE-HEAD HEELER. Page 45.
SINKERS. Pages 54 and 79.
SINKERS (Dividing). Page 54.
SIZE (Hose and Shoe). Page 145.
SOLE-SPLICING.
This in a stocking is very important, not only from the strengthening of that area of wear by the introduction of a splicing thread for extra reinforcement, but also from the point of view of warmth, some degree of which is thus contributed to the foot tread. This is especially important when nylon is used, this being cold to the foot, and the addition of a thread of another fibre—usually cotton—helps in this respect. The sole portion of a hose made on a 340 needle machine having a diameter of 31", using 30D. nylon, could be plated with the nylon showing on the face of the fabric, while the cotton (usually one thread of 120s. Mercerised) would be next to the foot tread. For wear with the sandal-type shoe, where a greater area of stocking is exposed to view, a 30D. nylon thread could be plated on a 30D. nylon thread, resulting, of course, in loss of warmth, but achieving an attractive appearance. In the production of the feet of seamless hose, it is difficult to plate the foot bottom when a high-twisted yarn is used.
SPINNERET (Rayon). Page 24.
SPINNERET (Silkworm). Page 13.
SPLICING. Page 87.
SPLIT SOLE.
This term implies (that the foot of a stocking is made of a different material in the centre, or instep, portion from that used in the sole portion. The advantage of the split sole is that the parts subjected to the most wear are made from the strongest yarn, while all those parts of the stocking which are not covered by the shoe are made from yarn more attractive in appearance. Generally, a strong, fine, mercerised cotton yarn is used for the sole.
STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES. Page 83.
SUEDING.
This is done by applying abrasive-covered rolls to the face of the stocking fabric. This breaks up the surface, and enhances the softness. This suede finish is usually given to medium-gauge lisle hose.
SUSPENDER BLOCKS.
Some stockings are manufactured with these special blocks, constituting a reinforcement in those areas where the suspenders are attached, such areas being in the back and front portions of the welt. Four of these blocks are used, two being at the front and two at the back, and they extend the full length of the welt (not including the shadow-welt).
THREAD WEIGHT.
The number of threads of silk twisted together and used in a stocking.

The nylon and rayon denier equivalents (to the nearest commercially produced denier) are as follow:-
Silk Thread11½23456789101112
Nylon (Denier)1015203045 70 
Rayon (Denier) 4555657590100125135150
(See Chapter “Sheerness: Denier v. Gauge” for fuller explanation of this.)

THREE-CARRIER. (See “Ringless”.)
THROWSTER. Page 17.
TRAM. Page 17.
TRIMMING. Page 118.
TURNING-OFF. Page 107.
TWISTING. Page 17.
VELON.
This is an entirely new plastic fibre which is coming to the front. It has a high tensile strength as a yarn, and in some respects compares favourably with nylon. Stockings made from this yarn are non-porous, and all soil marks, are, therefore, confined to the surface of the hose. This means that the hose can be easily cleaned by the application of soap and water, and—also due to the non-porous nature of the yarn—they will dry very quickly. Actually, however, it is this very quality of non-porosity which makes the future of velon as a hose yarn very questionable, as—for health reasons alone—it is advisable for hose yarns to be of a porous nature.

Another further point arising from the non-porosity of the yarn is that the stockings cannot be dyed, and it is, therefore, necessary for velon to be colour-pigmented with the fashionable ruling colours during the actual manufacture of the yarn. This means that velon yarn will be what is know in the Trade as an “Ingrain” yarn. Velon is a multi-filament yarn, and can be made as fine as 20 denier—already hose have been knitted from 40 denier velon. Because of the difficulty of splitting the filaments of which the yarn is composed, the stocking has good snag-resistance, and great abrasion strength.

VINYON.
This yarn has properties which may make it a strong competitor of nylon. The fibre is produced from a heat-resistant resin, and the yarn has a high wet and dry strength, is quick drying, and does not lose any elasticity when wet. There is a hope that vinyon stockings may not require pre-boarding. Already, experiments in the manufacture of 30 and 40 denier stockings have been successful. Its high heat-resistance enables dyes to be applied under boiling heat with a minimum shrinkage—this is news of great importance to the Industry.
VISCOSE. Page 24.
WALE. Page 1.
WASHING. Page 147.