Method of producing sock including gaiter, and sock including gaiter

Abstract

A method of producing a sock including a gaiter (e.g., knitted integrally in a single garment). The sock further comprises a legging and a foot Upon knitting the legging to a predetermined point and to have a tubular form, first thread used to knit the legging is secured and second thread to knit the gaiter is released. Upon completing the knitting of the gaiter with the second thread, the first thread is released, and a remainder of the sock, including the foot portion of the sock, is knitted with the first thread.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a knitting loom to produce a sock including a legging, a gaiter and a foot portion, the method comprising:
 (a) knitting the legging of the sock with a first thread until the legging longitudinally (i) extends from a starting point of knitting the legging to a predetermined point, and (ii) has a tubular form;   (b) upon knitting the legging to extend to the predetermined point and to have the tubular form in (a), (I) securing the first thread and (II) releasing second thread to be used to knit the gaiter;   (c) knitting the gaiter from the predetermined point with the second thread, while the first thread is secured; and   (d) upon completing the knitting of the gaiter with the second thread, releasing the first thread, and knitting a remainder of the sock, including the foot portion of the sock, with the first thread.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein knitting mesh in the gaiter is tighter than knitting mesh in the other portions of the sock. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adding waterproofing agents to the gaiter.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the sock and the gaiter is formed of the same type of material. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sock and the gaiter are formed of different types of material. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the starting point of the knitting of the legging is a sock handle portion in which a circular opening enables a foot of a user of the formed sock to be inserted therein. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the knitting loom includes a set of needles configured to, upon the legging being knitted to extend to the predetermined point, simultaneously secure the first thread and release the second thread. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein upon the legging being knitted to extend to the predetermined point, the knitting loom is configured to stop feeding the first thread to the needles and to prevent the first thread from being used until the knitting of the gaiter with the second thread is complete, and upon completing the knitting of the gaiter, the knitting loom is configured to stop feeding the second thread to the needles, and to release the first thread, to enable the first thread to be used to knit the remainder of the sock, including the foot portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an end point of the knitting of the gaiter coincides with a start point of the knitting of the gaiter, which is the predetermined point. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined point which is the start point of the knitting of the gaiter is determined based on the height of footwear with which the sock is configured to be worn. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein in a case that the sock is configured to be worn with a boot, the predetermined point is configured to be closer to a sock handle portion, which is a start point of the knitting of the legging, than in a case that the sock is configured to be worn with a shoe. 
     
     
         12 . A sock produced by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The sock according to  claim 12 , wherein the gaiter is coupled along a circular section of the sock at the predetermined point. 
     
     
         14 . The sock according to  claim 12  which comprises gripping means to tighten a circular section of an end of the gaiter. 
     
     
         15 . The sock according to  claim 14 , wherein the gripping means comprise an elastic cord along the circular section at the end of the gaiter. 
     
     
         16 . The sock according to  claim 12  which comprises two coupling means placed substantially opposite on a circular section of an end of the gaiter, substantially on opposite sides of a shoe worn by a user wearing the sock, for coupling beneath a sole of the shoe. 
     
     
         17 . The sock according to  claim 12  wherein the gaiter, or each of the gaiter and sock, is formed of waterproof fabric. 
     
     
         18 . The sock according to  claim 12  wherein the gaiter and sock comprise, along the length, sections in different textile materials, finishings or structure. 
     
     
         19 . The sock according to  claim 18 , wherein the gaiter and sock are knitted, and knitting mesh of the gaiter is tighter than that of the sock. 
     
     
         20 . The sock according to  claim 12  which comprises Cotton, Organic Cotton, Wool, Silk, Polyamide, Polyester, Milk Fiber, Soy Proteinaceous Fiber, Algae fiber, bamboo, Nettle fiber, Maize fiber—PLA, polyethylene terephthalate, fiber mixing of hydrophobic material/synthetic and natural material/hydrophilic, polyester fiber with recesses along the fiber, activated carbon fiber as from coconut shells, polypropylene fiber, regenerated cellulose fiber, Chitin/Chitosan fiber, fiber with functional compounds inside, viscose fiber, light nylon fiber, Fiber incorporating silver or any combinations thereof.