How do you store your kilt hose?

[Terry Searl]

Some might think being particular about storing kilt hose is not quite as important as storing other items of Kilt attire. Almost all of my Kilt hose are from House of Cheviot and as such with the exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and the British pound I have a considerable investment in what some might consider ......just socks
I spent more on ONE pair of HoC Lewis hose than I did having a favourite sports coat converted into a kilt jacket......but both give me huge pleasure so i consider it money well spent.......I have always believed quality is worth spending extra on and worth waiting for until it can be afforded

[FossilHunter]

Some might think being particular about storing kilt hose is not quite as important as storing other items of Kilt attire. Almost all of my Kilt hose are from House of Cheviot and as such with the exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and the British pound I have a considerable investment in what some might consider ......just socks
I spent more on ONE pair of HoC Lewis hose than I did having a favourite sports coat converted into a kilt jacket......but both give me huge pleasure so i consider it money well spent.......I have always believed quality is worth spending extra on and worth waiting for until it can be afforded

Much to the dismay of my US Navy father, I have never had much of a habit of keeping clothes properly folded and stored.

No issues with hanging things though.

[Taskr]

roll them and stand them, like cans, beside each other in a drawer

[SunriseEarth]

Then I peel back on the hose opening to hold it all together. It wasn't until last night that my wife suggested doing that may stretch out the top of the hose over time since they are all or mostly wool. Is there a legitimate risk of that happening?


Do people just fold them like how they usually come in packaging?

Mine are folded like they came in the packaging. I hadn't considered that it might stretch the tops out too much. Maybe I'll have to use the "roll and stand like cans" method mentioned here.

[KiltedSergeant]

Mine are also folded like they came, which I have always worried might stretch them. I might try Bruce Scott's video method.

They are stored in one of those plastic bins one can buy at Walmart- or any other such store- covered, and hid away under the bed. I have about 12 - 13 pair jammed in, with my four pairs of garters, and a bit of cedar. I might need a larger bin soon, though it needs to be low profile enough to fit under the bed.

[Toxpert]

Lots of pairs bought over 30+ years...the ones for band days wore out long ago and sold off as projects. The remainder, I fold and place into zip lock bags that have the air squeezed out. I have these in a dedicated bin with locking lid. Have never had infestation issues.

[matchlock]

Kilt hose, Lay on each other, then loose overhand knot.
Keeps them together well and won't stretch out the top.

I'm not picky enough to have those beautifully filed sock stacks. Normal use I buy a bunch of exact same dress socks, black blue kaki, don't ever have to worry about pairs or mates until they start wearing out.

[Friday]

I come at this from a slightly different direction since I knit my own kilt hose. For me storing also means displaying my hand knit hose. I am not a great knitter but after all that work your are going to have to look at them even if you do not want to.

After washing I allow my hose to dry flat on a towel until damp dry. I then take a piece of plastic mesh, used as a form for yarn tapestry, to hold the hose open to dry. These come in 12x12 inch (31 x 31 cm) sheets. I roll the sheets in to tiche tube and slide them down the leg of the hose to the ankle. Once released the sheets unroll until they fill the leg of the hose. often a second one is need at the top of the leg. Both hose are hooked to clips on a pants hanger. It is not uncommon for a couple of pair of hose to be drying ant any one time.

My desire is to make some sock blocker for size 12.5 (US) feet and 18 inch calves. I am looking at using gauge 1 or 2 ( about 1/4 inch or 7 mm thick) copper wire to create a blocking form. I am concerned about the flexibility of copper even at this thickness. Not during creation but how easily it will deform when putting hose on and off. Als, how to coat the copper to prevent tarnish/corrosion from staining the hose. If I can work this out I think the copper sticking out of the top of the hose could add to the display of my knitting.

[Grizzled Ian]

I start with my hose turned inside out, from when I take them off to wash them. Once they are dry, I turn the 'foot' of each sock the right way through, so the 'foot' is inside the 'shin'. I do this for two reasons, so that I can stick my foot straight into the 'foot' of the sock when I put it on, and secondly, each is shortened by roughly a third as I continue the folding process.

Next I lay the 'foot' of one sock longways over the other. Then I fold the top of one sock back over both the 'feet', and peel back the top of the other sock down over the complete pair of hose, as is described in the OP. I don't believe there is any great risk of stretching the sock top, because it is quite a bit narrower than either of my shins. In any case, for each pair it's only one sock top at a time that might stretch.

To store my hose, I stand them up in a 10"/25cm plastic tub which I know will take about 24 pairs.

The sock origami is a neat idea, I like it, but - I also like to have my short jeans socks turned in ready to go like my hose.

[Tobus]

To store my hose, I stand them up in a 10"/25cm plastic tub which I know will take about 24 pairs.

I just have to tip my hat to anyone who actually has 24 pairs of kilt hose.