During my working life at Atkins I was responsible for knitting many items of fully fashioned goods… men's half-hose (Col. Clive would never wear circular knit half hose), stockings in worsted, cotton, artificial and pure silk, ladies briefs and outerwear.
They were gentlemen's half-hose cottonsilk mix, black with maroon clocks and parti-coloured toe and heel.
These single-stitch machines knit a flat web which could be widened or narrowed for ‘shirts and drawers, ladies stockings, men's half-hose, gloves, mittens, and caps, all full-fashioned.’