Hi all,

I'm working on researching historic knitting patterns for myself and other
living historians who knit. I've got a decent amount of reference material
especially letters from soliders from several wars (American Revolution to
WWII) requesting hand-knit socks. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of
period socks prior to WWI to get an idea of what they actually looked like.
I've got plenty of pictures of over the knee stockings but no socks - probably
because they wore out thus the need to knit them.

If anyone has or knows where I could find pictures of socks from the mid-1700s
to about 1870, I'd really appreciate it. I figure a sock pattern is a sock
pattern but there are slight variations like cuff size, type of ribbing, how to
turn the heel and what not. I've got one American Civil War sock pattern but
it's a little cryptic so seeing a period sock would help me interpret it.

Also, if anyone knows of any historical reference material on knitting, I'd
appreciate it. I've got the Rutt (History of Handknitting), No Idle Hands -
History of American Hand-knitting, Mary Thomas' Knitting Book (little shakey on
history but neat patterns), Folk Socks (*excellent* info on the history of
socks but alas, only pictures of period stockings), and various period ladies'
magazines like Godey's.

Lastly, I'm also interested in Sanquhar knitting if anyone has any info on
that. The only snippet I have found is in the Rutt book. And yes, I am planning
on a trip to the Tollbooth Museum in Dumfries, Scotland. There was a Sanquhar
knitter at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this past week and I was entranced
by the patterns. They're so neat!

Thanks in advance for the help!

Deb

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