historically accurate knitting?

The picture is from a museum, farmhouse, 18th century.

Knitting machines didn’t exist until the 19th century, right? In any case, this certainly isn’t hand-knitted, and the yarn is also machine-made. Besides, the cotton is finished, which didn’t exist until the late 19th century.

Somehow that doesn’t fit the time period. What do you think—how should we imagine a farmer’s sock in the 18th century?

I checked again—the exhibits date from the 19th to the early 20th century.

Hi!

I’d find it pretty strange if the sock were made of cotton at all. Back then, socks were only knitted from pure wool. And that wool certainly wasn’t nearly as smooth—and especially not as shiny—as you describe.
I think the exhibition took the “easy way out” and used a modern-day sock. I also believe that, historically speaking, if the stocking were “authentic,” it would have to have one or two patches here and there.
Were you able to touch the stocking, or was it displayed in an “open space”? If so, it seems very likely to me that they didn’t display an original. Or was it behind glass?

Best regards

The display is based on historical accounts and isn’t authentic.

My photos behind glass are unusable; the photo here is of a sock in an open space. Of course, I didn’t touch anything anyway.

The material was just a guess on my part—it doesn’t look like wool.

During the Industrial Age, there were already cheap mass-produced goods that, in theory, people in rural areas could afford.

But I also think this is far from historically accurate. Does anyone happen to know of any books or museums where you can see historically accurate knitwear? I’d love to see the yarn, stitch pattern, and knitting pattern for it.