Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

[Matthew.Rector]

I ran across this interesting tidbit about knitted socks.

Zouave Gazette of the Nineteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteers.
Vol. I No. 1
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Wednesday, October 30, 1861.

Socks for Soldiers-The Sanitary Commission has published an engraved pattern for army socks as a guide for inexperienced knitters. As soon as we can obtain a copy of the engraving we shall publish it. Experienced knitters will find a sufficient guide in the following directions. The yarn should be at least No. 15, 24 stitches in each needle, leg 13 inches, a quarter of the feet 10 ½ inches, one half 10 inches and one quarter 9 ½ inches. The weight should not be less than 4 ounces per pair. If the loyal ladies and loyal girls of Kentucky have any correct appreciation of the amount of good contained in the use of a pair of good socks, they will not permit knitting needles to remain idle.........

The article continues on for a brief period discussing the patriotism involved with knitting socks for Union soldiers, also alluding to the fact that doing so displays your support and loyalty for the Union.

[Spinster]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

These directions are a fine illustration of "common knowledge" of the period--its assumed that an experienced knitter knows the proper way to make the back of the heel, turn it, taper the foot and close the toe. And that an inexperienced knitter only needs to see the picture to figure it out. A far cry from today's commericial available knitting directions.

Rather like another period pattern I have for a fine lacy stocking. After a hundred or so rows of detailed row by row directions for the complicated lace pattern, the directions then say "proceed in pattern, turn heel, finish stocking".

What's even more striking to me is the "four ounce" weight. We've knitted over 150 soldier's items in the last year--mostly socks, but also various hats, gloves, and mufflers. Some from period patterns, and some from photographs. We determine our prices by weighing the finished item---and almost invariably, it weighs right at four ounces.

Also remarkable is just how much one can accomplish when proper thought is given to avoiding idleness. There's always some project by each chair in the living room, another in the bottom of my workbag, and another in the passenger seat of my car--(no, not while I'm driving, but for when I'm stopped at the train crossing. ) Once a month, we gather everything up, finish them, match the sizes and block the socks. I imagine women of the period used a similar approach in turning out goods for the war effort.

[markj]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

Indeed. The pattern in question is one of several that appeared in both Northern and Southern papers in the fall of 1861. "Once-Upon-A-Pattern" sells a "Sanitary Commission" pattern likely very similar, if not identical, to the one mentioned in the Zouave Gazette:

http://www.onceuponapattern.com//p424.html

I might humbly add that "yours truly" also furnished "Once-Upon-a-Pattern" an 1861 "soldiers mitten" pattern that I found in an Indiana newspaper and this is also carried on Janice's site.

http://www.onceuponapattern.com//p398.html

The so-called "1864 Macon Telegraph Confederate Sock," with which many forum contributors are familiar, is actually a misnomer: this pattern was originally published in the Northern papers and was "borrowed" by their Southern counterparts. I've found it it the Madison IN "Daily Courier" as least as early as 12 October 1861.

Regards,

Mark "Blows His Own Bugle Whenever He Can" Jaeger
:tounge_sm

[KarinTimour]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

First off, Matt, thanks for posting this pattern!

Mark, you wrote:
The pattern in question is one of several that appeared in both Northern and Southern papers in the fall of 1861. "Once-Upon-A-Pattern" sells a "Sanitary Commission" pattern likely very similar, if not identical, to the one mentioned in the Zouave Gazette.

To many people, a sock is a sock is a sock. To me, a gun is a gun is a gun. In fact, one of my 2005 New Years resolutions is to learn to tell Enfields and Springfields apart (all help gladly accepted). If you ask me "what type of arms did they have?" I'll say "lUuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh-- brown ones?" Probably the majority of readers on this forum can tell an Enfield from a Springfield at a glance, and then can further narrow where the gun was manufactured by markings on it.

Most people learned to knit socks by being taught in person by someone who already knew how -- and taught them the method that THEY had learned from their mother/grandmother/aunt. So it's likely that people were making socks almost identical across three or four generations.

However, I'm fairly obsessed wth period knitwear, and particularly obsessed with socks. And since one absolutely positive way of dating a sock is to make it from dated directions, I've been out looking for patterns and originals for several years now.

As you correctly point out, the fall of 1861 saw a lot of newspapers printing directions. And it is also true that newspapers often reprinted items from other newspapers, verbatum.

But there are some important differences between the 1861 Indiana pattern that Mr. Rector has printed, the 1865 Sanitary Commission pattern that you reference from Ms. Jones and the 1864 Macon Daily Telegraph & Confederate pattern of 1864. I think you once sent me the Madison, Indiana pattern, but I've had a computer mishap since then and lost quite a bit of stuff, so I can't speak to it in this post.

First off, the Sanitary Commission had several patterns for socks, and they differed quite a bit in terms of yarn weight, number of stitches, heel and toe construction.

The 1861 pattern that Mr. Rector references was written by someone who had seen or read about the 1861 Sanitary Commission pattern, which was very different from the 1865 Santiary Commssion pattern.

While Mr. Rector's pattern, the 1861 Sanitary Commission pattern and the 1864 Macon Daily Telegraph and Confederate are similar, there are small but (at least to me) important differences between these 1861 and 1864 socks in the size of needle to be used for making the sock, the number of stitches to be cast on in making the sock, the weight of yarn to be used, the length of ribbing, the length of the sock leg, the length of the sock foot and the way that the toe was constructed. They all use the same heel pattern.

The 1865 sock pattern differs from these three in that it has a different heel construction entirely, a different toe construction, uses a different needle size and yarn weight.

Again, as Miz Terre points out, most of these patterns assume that you are a fairly accomplished sock knitter, and just need some general guidance.

Are they all period socks? Most assuredly. Are they different, each from the other? I would say "yes," but others would say "not enough to really matter."

Personally, I love finding something new -- some new sock pattern or an original I've not yet seen.

Thanks for the thread,

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

[Matthew.Rector]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

I must admit that I am one that is not so familiar with the differences in socks (and knitting in general) but knew we had some sock connoisseurs "in the ranks." I’m unsure if the Zouave Gazette ever published the etching they mention in this article. I do, however, believe that they took this article (or information) from the Louisville newspaper. So there is an opportunity for further research I believe. If I find anything further I’ll be sure to share the info.

[markj]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

For your perusal and edification (see attachments).

Yours, &c.,

Mark "Couldn't knit if his life depended on it" Jaeger

[markj]

Re: Socks for Soldiers (guidelines from an 1861 Soldier's newspaper)

This pattern, as I recall, is identical to the "Macon Telegraph" pattern although it actually originated in the North (probably the East Coast) and spread both west and south. The same pattern certainly appeared in the Indiana papers as early as October 1861:

MOBILE REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, January 1, 1864, p. 1, c. 7
Woolen Socks for the Army.—The following directions, which have been furnished by a lady of much experience, may prove useful to those who will engage in knitting woolen socks for the army. The yarn should be bluish grey, No. 22, and the needles No. 14 to 15:
Set twenty-seven stitches on each needle; knit the plain and two seam rows alternately until the ribbing is three inches long; then knit plain seven inches for the leg, remembering to seam one stitch at the end of one needle. To form the heel, put twenty stitches on two of the needles, and forty-on on the other—the seam stitch being in the middle. Knit the first row plain, the next row seam, and so alternately until the heel is three inches long, then narrow off the plain row each side of the seam stitch for five plain rows, which will leave thirty-one stitches. To close the heel, knit the last seam row to the middle of the needle, knit the seam stitch plain, then fold the two needles together, and with another needle take off the seam stitch. Then knit a stitch from both needles at once and bind the seam stitch over it. Continue knitting in this manner until but one is left and the heel closed. Take up as many stitches as there are rows around the heel; knit one row plain; then widen every fifth stitch on the heel needles. Narrow once on every round at each side of the foot until there are twenty-seven stitches on each needle; knit plain six inches; narrow at the beginning and end of each needle on every third round till you have seventeen stitches on each; then narrow every second till you have seven; then every round until the foot is closed. One pound of yarn, costing from seventy-five cents to one dollar, will furnish four pairs of socks.

I believe another sock pattern that varies from the one above was published by the Cincinnati Sanitary Commission in 1862 and appeared in either the Louisville Daily Journal or the Madison IN Daily Courier. However, I'll have to wade through the vast uncharted regions of my newspaper clipping files to find it.....

Yours, &c.,

Mark "Knitting Needles? I Don't Need No Steeenking Knitting Needles" Jaeger :tounge_sm