Method of producing snag resistant hosiery article

A method of producing a stretchable hosiery article blank for use in forming panty hose characterized by increased snag resistance in at least certain portions thereof, said method comprising

• mechanically crimping a self-crimping bicomponent thermoplastic yarn, having the latent characteristic of becoming crimped when heated, by arranging the bicomponent yarn in a sinuous configuration including a series of stitch-like bends and heat setting the bicomponent yarn in said sinuous configuration,
• knitting the mechanically crimped bicomponent yarn while forming a normal size greige hosiery blank of substantially one-half the size of a corresponding greige hosiery blank knit of a self-crimping bicomponent yarn which has not been machanically crimped so that the normal size hosiery blank may be processed in the usual manner prior to development of the latent crimp,
• carrying out the normal procedures in producing a panty hose, such as toe closing, slitting, seaming and the like,
• forming additional crimp in the knitted mechanically crimped bicomponent yarn by developing the latent crimp characteristic thereof through the further application of heat to the panty hose whereby at least certain portions of the panty hose are formed of yarn having two distinct types of crimp, one type being imparted to the yarn prior to being knit in the hosiery blank and forming substantially U-shaped crimps in certain stitch loops, and the other type of crimp being imparted thereto after the yarn is knit in the hosiery blank and forming complete coils in certain stitch loops, said two types of crimp imparting substantially increased snag resistance to the portions of the panty hose formed of said bicomponent yarn.