Two Kilts, One Good pair of hose

[Pleater]

So if one was going to try this, how would one start?? I have seen that some folks actually have some kind of machine that makes socks, but apparently that is not necessary? What are the essential pieces of equipment needed?? How do you get the patterns to use the first time?

The old fashioned hand knitting method was using slender rods with a point at each end - refered to as DPN - double pointed needles, but it can be like wrestling a hedgehog if you are not brought up to the idea.
The DPNs allow for knitting round and round, and you can do fancy things on the way around, so as to make columns of patterning, or even use different colours.
There is an option to do complicated things on a flat piece of knitting which is then sewn into a tube to form the leg of the hose, and the foot can be done in the round - not having a seam makes it more comfortable in many cases. It doesn't matter for me as I can do seams so cunningly that they are almost invisible, but I need a good light and magnifying glass these days.
Do you have access to yarn and needles?
If you let me know the thickness of the yarn, or what it says on the band to advise on the normal number of stitches and rows, and the size of the needles I can probably find you a pattern to try out for something simple to start with - I have lots already or I can make one up.

[tuathanach]

Do you have access to yarn and needles? If you let me know the thickness of the yarn, or what it says on the band to advise on the normal number of stitches and rows, and the size of the needles I can probably find you a pattern to try out for something simple to start with - I have lots already or I can make one up.

I do not have any knitting needles and/or yarn, but if I knew what to get, I could probably get them. Do you have specific recommendations as to what I should start with?

Do I dare start out trying to knit a pair of hose, or should I try something simpler first?

(I did buy a pair of Janette Murray hand-knit hose from USA Kilts, but I hear that they are no longer going to be carrying those. Pity. The pair of hose was not cheap and it took quite a while to get them from Scotland, but I do like them and wouldn't at all mind having another pair or two. Of course, if I could make them myself, that would be even better. I would just have to find a good local source for wool yarn.

I did take a look at the knitting machine that Steve has. It is tempting, but it is not cheap and I have seen warnings that many folks who have bought them never succeeded in making hose, so I am guessing that is not a reasonable thing to start with...)

[OC Richard]

Back to the OP, those photos are dark and small even when I click on them, so I can't see either tartan well enough to have an opinion.

If one is primarily a blue/green tartan and one is primarily a red tartan, the traditional Day hose colours such as Lovat blue, Lovat green, ancient blue, or ancient green would be fine.

There's a very nice colour which I've seen called St Andrews blue which IMHO goes nicely with practically any tartan.

Then there's grey and brown. Grey, not being a colour per se can neither clash nor co-ordinate with any tartan. Brown has a similar neutrality.

Cheviot makes a wonderful taupe colour they call Bison that looks fantastic with many tartans especially if you're wearing tweed above the waist.

[ShaunMaxwell]

I'm also a fan of the House of Cheviot Rannoch hose (which are very similar to the Lewis hose). I have a couple of pair in Bracken and Dark Loden which are essentially shades of dark brown and seem to work well with my tartan, which is a combination of red, black and green. In the photo below, I'm pictured second from the left. Tobus (far right) seems to be sporting the same color hose, with his blue/green tartan and to my it works well with either. (EDIT: I think that super8mm – third from the left – is wearing the St. Andrews blue hose that OC mentioned above.)



You can see mine a bit better here:



More colors to add to your collection!

SM

[Pleater]

This is a typical pattern for hose which are fairly plain - they might be on the small size for a modern man, but you can see what you are up against. Is double knitting yarn something available generally? It is very common here in the UK. For jerseys it usually knits at 6 st to the inch (maybe slightly fewer) on 4mm size needles - that information is often printed on the band around the yarn. Socks are usually knitted on smaller needles with more stitches to the inch

Materials, 10 oz of double knitting wool. Sets of 4 double pointed
needles UK size 9 and size 10 (3 3/4mm and 3 1/4 mm)

Tension
Over the 5 and 1 ribbing - un-stretched 13 st to 2" and 9 rounds to 1"

Measurements
Length from base of heel of sock leg before folding over, 25 inches
Foot length 10 1/2" 11" or 11 1/2" - completely adjustable.

Pattern details
Front cable 4, slip 2st onto a cable needle leave in front of work.
K2st.
k2st from cable needle.
Back cable 4, slip 2st onto a cable needle leave at back of work. K 2
st. K
2 st from cable needle

Using no 10 needles cast on 70 st. 21 on 1st needle, 30 on 2nd needle,
19 on 3rd needle. Work 4 rounds of k1p1 rib
Now change to no 9 needles and commence the cable pattern
1st round P1 * k8 p2 repeat from * to last 9 st k8 p1
2nd round as 1st
3rd round p1 * front cable 4 twice p2. Repeat from * to last 9st front
cable 4 twice p1
4th round as 1st
5th round as 1st
6th round as 1st
7th round p1 * k2 back cable 4 k2 p2. Repeat from * to last 9 st k2 back
cable 4 k2 p1
8th round as 1st

Repeat these 8 rows 4 times then do rows 1 to 5 again 37rows
Change to no 10 needles and knit in k1p1 rib until the work measures 8
1/2"
Work 1 round increasing 1 st at each end of the 2nd needle. Turn the
work inside out and start the wide rib k5 p1
Work straight for 5" finishing at the end of a round
Next round k2 tog k3p1 work the wide rib to last 6st k3 k2tog p1
Work 6 rounds
next round k4 p1 k2tog k3 p1 work wide rib as usual to last 11 st k3 k2
tog p1 k3 p1
work 6 rounds and decrease in next set of 4kst each side, and continue
until every wide rib is reduced to 4st.
Knit in rounds until the work measures 22"

Divide for heel
K the first 14 st of the next round, then slip the last 15 st from the
previous round onto the same needle. These 29st are for the heel.
Divide remaining st onto 2 needles for the instep
On the heel st only, beginning with a p row, k in stockinet slipping
the 1st st in each row. K for 2 1/4" ending with a p row,
Turn the heel
K 18 sl 1 k1 psso, turn
p8 p2 tog turn
k8 s1 k1 psso turn
continue in this way until all st are reduced to 9 and are on 1 needle ending with a p row

k the 9 st then pick up and k 15 st along the edge of the heel.
With a second needle work in rib across the instep with a third needle pick up and k 15 st along the edge of the heel and knit 5 st off the 1st needle.
Keep the instep st in rib and k the st on the other two needles.
work in rounds decreasing one st at the end of the first and the
beginning of the third on the 3rd and every following third round until 58st remain.

Proceed without shaping until foot measures 2 1/2" less than required length. Slip 1st from beginning of 2nd needle onto needle 1 and one st from the end of 2nd needle onto needle 3.
Shape toe
needle 1 k to last 3st k2 tog k1
needle 2 k1 k2 tog through back of st k to last 3 st k2 tog k1
needle 3 k1 k2 tog k to end
work 2 rounds, repeat decreasing until 26 st remain work 2 rounds.
Graft remaining st together.

[McMurdo]

Back to the OP, those photos are dark and small even when I click on them, so I can't see either tartan well enough to have an opinion.

There's a very nice colour which I've seen called St Andrews blue which IMHO goes nicely with practically any tartan.

These are St. Andrew's Blue from House of Cheviot, just to give you an idea.




Claret as I said works well with most everything, these were hand knit.



Surprisingly these hose work as well with many different tartans, these are from House of Cheviot the colour is Thistle.

[MichiganKyle]

This is a typical pattern for hose which are fairly plain...

For those of us with no knitting experience whatsoever, do you have a recommendation for a primer on how to get started with this? I bought a book on knitting kilt hose, and I am similarly lost in that I don't know how any of this works to be able to even read the pattern.

[Pleater]

Try googling a vidio tutorial on making socks - You tube perhaps? There's a lot of interest in making socks these days so there ought to be help out there.
I've been knitting for over 60 years now and it is difficult to remember the problems.

Anne the Pleater

[gsmacleod]

For those of us with no knitting experience whatsoever, do you have a recommendation for a primer on how to get started with this? I bought a book on knitting kilt hose, and I am similarly lost in that I don't know how any of this works to be able to even read the pattern.

I followed a tutorial (which I can't find now) but there's a bunch on YouTube and also written tutorials (which is what I followed). The first sock was simply casting on, knitting a few rounds then doing a heel flap/gusset. After seeing that, I figured I had a handle on what I needed to do and jumped into my first pair of hose.

Shane

[Pleater]

I do have a sock pattern which is a copy of a typed out sheet which was in a book I bought - I suspect it is a 'knitting for the troops' pattern.
It is a shorter sock and in a finer yarn. It is intended for English 4 ply yarn as far as I can tell. The tension is the gauge at which it is knitted, which is tighter than it would be (more stitches to the inch) than for a jersey, but the title says it all...

SOCKS THAT ARE SIMPLE TO KNIT
Materials 4oz of wool
A set of four UK No. 12 knitting pins (2.75mm)
Tension The knitting is worked at about 8st to 1” and about 11 rows to 1”
Measurements 14” from top to heel with the measurement of the foot as desired.

Method
Cast on 72 sts (24st on each of 3 needles) and work in rounds of K2 P2
rib for 4" and then continue in plain knitting for a further 2 and 1/2
inches

Shape the leg
1st needle. K1 S1 K1 psso k to end
2nd needle K
3rd needle K to last 3st K 2 tog K1

Knit 7 rounds straight then reduce as above on next round. Repeat these 8
rows until 62 st remain (19 24 19 st)
Continue knitting without shaping until the leg measures 11" from the
cast on edge.

Divide for the heel
The two stitches between the leg decreases will be the centre of the heel
arrange 14 st on each side of them, making 30 st on the heel needle.
Divide the other 32 st on to two needles for the instep.

Work backwards and forwards in stocking stitch on the heel st for 29
rows ending with a knit row, and turn the heel thus:

Next row P19 P2tog turn
Next row S1 K8 K2tog turn
Next row S1 P8 P2tog turn
Repeat the last two rows until all the st are worked up leaving 10st,
and ending with a K row

Now pick up and K16st down the side of the heel flap.
With the second needle knit across the 32 st of the instep and with the
third needle pick up and knit 16 st up the other side of the heel flap
and knit across 5 of the heel st (21 32 21)
K 1 round without shaping.

Next round
1st needle K until 3 st remain. K 2 tog K1
2nd needle K
3rd needle K1 S1 K1 psso K to end

K 2 rounds without shaping.
Repeat the last 3 rounds 4 more times (16 32 16 ) Now continue in plain
knitting until the foot measures 2" less than the required measurement
from the back of the heel

Next round
1st needle K until 3st remain K2 tog K1
2nd needle K1 S1 K1 psso K until 3 st remain K2 tog K1
3rd needle K1 S1 K1 psso K to end

Next round K without shaping

Repeat the last 2 rounds until 24 st remain (6 12 6 )
Slip the two sets of 6 st onto the same needle then either graft the st
together or cast them off on the wrong side.