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COTTON SOCKS / COCHINEAL
Tender’s rib cotton socks are knitted and hand linked in England from raw unbleached cotton, with nylon for durability, then dyed or left in their ‘unborn’ natural state, in which case they will shrink to fit with the first wash.
Traditional hosiery (like these socks) is knitted as a long continuous tube of many socks, which are then cut apart into individual socks. These are then linked, which means that the open sock has the two sides knitted together, leaving a flat, seamless, join at the toe. Linking requires the operator to loop every corresponding stitch of the top and bottom of the sock, by hand, onto a knitting machine.
Tender’s socks are made with a loop-back, or terry, double knit sole. This makes them especially comfortable, and appropriate to wear with lighter shoes or even heavy boots.
Please note that the colour in natural dyed socks may transfer for the first few wears- we recommend washing cool, with similar colours, and not wearing with light coloured shoes until the socks have been washed a few times.
COCHINEAL
Cochineal was prized in Central America in the 15th Century, and was tithed by the Aztec and Mayan rulers. The red of British Red Coats was dyed with cochineal, as were hunting pinks worn while riding.
The Launceston Examiner ran the following piece on Friday 3rd January 1890:
Formerly cochineal was the substance used to impart the necessary tint to the treble-milled cloth [of hunting coats], which was almost as impervious to dye as it was to water; consequently, white edges, which vexed the soul of the hunting man, were seen; and this, and a slight change in the colour, led to the introduction of chemical dyes …Whatever may be the result of fashion’s decree, however, it is to be hoped that the scarlet coat may last as long as fox-hunting.
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