Lace Stockings: Agnes’s Silk Stockings to Knit

The fictional story on page 29 [“Agnes and Her Silk Stockings” September/October 2011 issue of PieceWork] is a portion of a novel I am working on called Secrets in the Lace in which Agnes is the main character. After writing the story and taking a workshop with master knitter Nancy Bush, I decided to knit Agnes’s stockings.

The delicate stockings, knitted in a blend of silk and wool, will be perfect for a bride to wear on her special day. They include two garters above the knee, one with elastic and ribbon to secure the stocking, the other with ribbon alone. Due to the fine yarn used, the stockings are intended to be worn for special occasions only.

Karen E. Hooton’s lace stockings inspired by the designer’s short story “Agnes and Her Silk Stockings.” Photo by Joe Coca.

Materials
Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace, 45% silk/55% merino yarn, laceweight, 1,093 yards (999.4 m)/100 gram (3.5 oz) hank, 1 hank of #500 Natural
Needles, sets of 5 bamboo double point, sizes 1 (2.25 mm and 2.5 mm), 2 (2.75 mm and 3.0 mm), 3 (3.25 mm), and 4 (3.5 mm) or sizes needed to obtain gauge
Crochet hook, G-6 (4 mm)
Wright’s Elastic Band, 2¼ yards (2.1 m) 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm)
Ribbon, about 4½ yards (4 m) 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm)
4 buttons, ½ inch (1.3 cm)
Waste yarn for holding garters and for provisional CO

Finished size: 8 inches (20.3 cm) from heel to toe, 25¼ inches (64.1 cm) long from top of garter to bottom of heel, 15 inches (38.1 cm) around top of stocking, 7 inches (17.8 cm) in foot circumference

Gauge: 9 sts and 11 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in St st, using smallest needles

—Karen

Karen E. Hooten lives near a little fishing town in Scotland. Her article and project on broomstick lace appeared in the November/December 2009 issue of PieceWork. The character in her story mentioned above was named after her paternal grandmother, Agnes Clapperton Souter. Karen thanks her husband, Peter, for his support of her endeavors.

To knit your own pair of lace stockings, download a copy of the September/October 2011 issue of PieceWork. For more lacy socks, check out Nancy Bush’s “Knitted Socks with Fancy Cuffs.”