Reproduction of stockings knit by Christiane Goeltenboth, probably for her wedding in 1890. Original stockings were knit at 12 sts/in using cotton yarn. My reproductions are using a standard wool/nylon yarn at 9 sts/in, so stitch counts are adjusted accordingly.

The original stockings have similar, but different lace patterns at the top.

The decreases used for calf shaping, foot, and toe shaping are mirrored (standard stockings would have just used k2tog). These decreases took me awhile to decipher. I originally thought they were double decreases, using a technique where 2 sts are placed on a cable needle and held to the front (for left leaning) or to the back (for right leaning), with the next two sts worked with those on the cable needle using a 3 needle join techinque. Eventually, I figured out that what seemed to be going on was a k2tog in one round, followed by a left or right leaning single decrease in the next round. For the first round, work the three sts as k1, k2tog, then on the next round, work an skp(or ssk) for the left leaning result, and a k2tog for the right leaning result. The decreases lean toward the seam line

The seam line down the back of the leg spans 2 sts of seed stitch, and continues along the foot. Rather than the standard angled gusset lines, the stocking works the decreases as they were worked on the leg, over the course of two rounds, with plain rounds between the decrease rounds. This avoids that angled line on either side of the instep.

The toes are worked similar to a standard wedge toe, with decreases worked at each end of the instep and sole, with two sts between the instep and sole decreases. The decreases are lean toward the edges, not toward the center