Abstract: The stretch-cotton panty portion of the panty hose includes the combination of stretchable textured thermoplastic yarn forming the outer face and nonstretchable cotton yarn on the inner face. The stretchable and cotton yarns are so knitted as to retain substantially the full stretchable and smooth conforming fit characteristics of lightweight sheer stretch thermoplastic fabric together with the soft sanitary moisture absorbing characteristics of cotton without appreciable bulk, rigidity, or heaviness. The cotton on the inner face is knitted by plating a lightweight cotton yarn on the inner surfaces of selected noncontiguous courses of the stretch thermoplastic yarn.

Abstract: This tube sock is of a medium or dress weight so that the sock may be comfortably worn with dress shoes and includes very long and fine terry loops in the heel and sole area to provide the sock with cushion and comfort characteristics of the type normally provided in heavy weight athletic type socks. The sock is knit on a fine gauge machine of the type normally employed in knitting ladies' sheer hosiery and panty hose, usually provided with 400 needles. The sock is knit on every other or alternative needles so that it contains only 200 wales instead of the normal 400 wales usually contained in ladies' sheer hosiery articles. The terry loops formed in the heel and sole area are formed on dial instruments projected outwardly over an idle needle so that unusually long terry loops are formed of a fine cotton yarn which are three to five times as long as the stitch loops formed of the body yarn.

Abstract: The outwardly turned two-ply waist band is integrally knit with the upper end of the single-ply panty portion of the panty hose to simulate the appearance of a sewn on elastic waist band of the type usually employed in panty hose and the like. The outer lower edge of the waist band is provided with a tab or free edge portion which covers the connecting or transfer stitch loops joining the lower edge portion of the outer ply to the inner ply of the waist band.

Abstract: The panty hose, or other type of lower body garment, includes a pair of legs and a panty portion with a crotch patch or insert in the crotch area. The crotch insert is formed by severing a predetermined length from a strip of fabric having a width substantially corresponding to the desired width of the crotch insert so that the insert is substantially diamond-shaped with two of the sides being defined by the diagonal cut lines and the remaining two sides being defined by opposite side edges of the strip. The severing of the strip of fabric to form the diamond shaped crotch insert takes place at the location where the panty hose are formed to eliminate the problem heretofore and encountered in handling crotch inserts of the type which are die cut from wide widths of fabric.

Abstract: The panty portion of the panty hose is knit of stretch and spandex yarns to provide compressive force against the body of the wearer. The panty portion includes an attractive pattern of relatively opaque areas and open lace areas with alternate courses being knit of spandex yarn and intervening courses being knit of main and auxiliary stretch yarns. The spandex yarn is knit in every wale of the opaque areas and is selectively knit and tucked in the open lace areas. The main stretch yarn is knit in every wale of both the opaque and open lace areas while the auxiliary stretch yarn is knit in plated relationship with the main stretch yarn in the opaque areas and is floated in the open lace areas.

Abstract: The panty portion of the panty hose is knit of stretch and spandex yarns to provide compressive force against the body of the wearer. The panty portion includes an attractive pattern of relatively opaque areas and open lace areas with alternate courses being knit of spandex yarn and intervening courses being knit of main and auxiliary stretch yarns. The spandex yarn is knit in every wale of the opaque areas and is selectively knit and tucked in the open lace areas. The main stretch yarn is knit in every wale of both the opaque and open lace areas while the auxiliary stretch yarn is knit in plated relationship with the main stretch yarn in the opaque areas and is floated in the open lace areas.