“How to Knit Initial Letters in Socks and Stockings” was published in Weldon’s Practical Knitter, Twenty-Second Series (1893) and republished in Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 8.

I have used three capital letters from the alphabet instructions to personalize a simple pair of men’s socks (adapted from “Gentlemen’s Plain sock in Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 1) The socks are knitted on double-pointed needles from cuff to toe; the seven rows bearing the initials are knitted back and forth, and the small seam that results is sewn up after the sock is complete. The second photo shows the small hole made when knitting is done “back and forth” while making the monogram.

I used Kitchener stitch to complete the toe; if you wish to finish your sock with a “period-correct” technique, use the Three-Needle Bind Off to close the toe.

Piecework includes the original written instructions for each initial. They are simple to chart on graph paper if desired.