Another pair of Gairloch pattern kilt hose

[Distaff]

Finally settled on 104 stitches to the round.

I've got 3+ inches of 2x2 ribbing on two socks. Time to chart a pattern that is a little more interesting than rib, and have decided I won't worry if it looks a little like a gansey. In fact for convenience, I'll probably lift something straight out of Gladys Thompson's book (just as soon as I can find it!).

Happy knitting and DIYing, everyone.

[Tobus]

Finished up a pair of regular socks over the holiday weekend for wearing to the office, using leftover yarn. Didn't have enough of this for another pair of kilt hose, but that's OK. I wear regular socks more than kilt hose, and I need to thin out my yarn stash a bit.

[Distaff]

Love those! Browns, greens, and blues are my favorite color combinations.

I have my pattern "set," and am 7 rounds into it on the first sock, and at 26 rounds past the cuff on the second. Central diamond is from Gladys Thompson p.110, Scottish fleet. Flanked by a six stitch cable on each side, and then some moss stitch 2 X 3 ribbing (common, but I don't know if it has a name).

Heads up on GT: Gorgeous patterns, but always chart for yourself. Her book has mistakes, and charts that don't even match the photographs. Also, for anyone new to cables, check You Tubes on avoiding flair at the top and bottom. You should start and end with at least one stitch fewer, but most books and charts won't specify that because (my guess) it makes the written instructions overly complicated. Add the extra stitch in the middle, on your first twist. Suzanne Bryan has a good YT on it.

My preferred needle for this ended up being a fixed Hiya 40" circular, US1, 2.25mm, NOT sharp. I have a second one on order; my 60" is just too much cable. Magic loop can be arranged with 2 or more loops for pattern divisions, if you have enough cable. I find this easier than using straight DPN's, or working with a bunch of individual circs hanging off the project (which is how I've knitted almost everything previously).

Also, switched to combination knitting, and those pearls are MUCH easier. I don't "think" I've accidentially crossed anything yet. Less fiddly yarn tensioning around the fingers, too. Just more relaxing overall.

Glad I took such a long break from knitting - the process feels fresh again.

[Tobus]

Hey - a thought just occurred to me. I wonder what it would look like to knit a monochrome Gairloch pattern.

The finished sock would show the Gairloch pattern, but in texture instead of colour.

If you don't try it, I will!

OK, I gave this the old college try on my current pair of toe-up socks. Once I got past the heel, I started the monochrome Gairloch pattern in knits & purls. After about 8 rounds, I could tell it just wasn't going to give me the effect I was looking for. So I frogged it back to the heel and continued in stockinette.

It was worth a try, but the pattern just didn't pop like I wanted it to. And of course with all those purls, the gauge went all loose and the pattern was really widened out, without any equivalent lengthening to keep it fairly square. I think it might work slightly better if I were using smaller needles for a really tight gauge, but I'll have to come back to that idea later, on another project.

[Distaff]

You'll eventually get it right if you keep at it (assuming you like it enough - I think most people just pick something rewarding, and specialize in that).

Find some charts featuring knit and purl texture motifs from photos of old ganseys and such to train your eye on what works and what doesn't. And, even with that you will have some more trial and error with your actual projects.

One of the few advantages of texture over color is that can be easier to fix mistakes several rows down - just ladder the single column of stitches. In my limited experience, that doesn't work at all with color mistakes.

Yarn also makes a big difference in getting a pattern to show up well. Heavier Aran weights work. Frangipani (fingering/sport?) comes in visually flat, not heathered colors, and is a round yarn with five small plys, and yes, it is typically knit tight (8-9 stitches/inch). On the other hand, you will not get a good K and P contrast with say, a fuzzy 2 ply Shetland in a natural colorway.

The cheap acrylics we can get in the states at Walmart are a good choice for effectively rendered texture motifs (My husband has two young grand daughters).

[stickman]

Man oh man you are doing really good. All your hose are high quality, keep up the great work.

[Pleater]

OK, I gave this the old college try on my current pair of toe-up socks. Once I got past the heel, I started the monochrome Gairloch pattern in knits & purls. After about 8 rounds, I could tell it just wasn't going to give me the effect I was looking for. So I frogged it back to the heel and continued in stockinette.

It was worth a try, but the pattern just didn't pop like I wanted it to. And of course with all those purls, the gauge went all loose and the pattern was really widened out, without any equivalent lengthening to keep it fairly square. I think it might work slightly better if I were using smaller needles for a really tight gauge, but I'll have to come back to that idea later, on another project.

I was just thinking 'smaller needles required' when my gaze reached where you came to the same conclusion - apparently I knit at a really tight gauge when making hose, but it is probably why I have some which are half a century old in parts - they were damaged and repaired
The old fisher ganseys were made from dark coloured yarns with 'damask' patterns of knit and purl stitches, but the way the yarn was spun worsted fashion rather than woollen, and the small diameter needles made the designs stand out.

Anne the Pleater

[12stones]

I would love to learn to knit, but I have to control my ADHD and limit the number of hobbies I have (which is already too many). Great job on these!!

[Tobus]

Over the weekend I finished up another pair of short socks for office wear. I needed to use up some yarn to make room in my yarn stash bag. I have several other kilt hose projects I'm itching to get started on. Anyway, I decided to practise the duplicate stitch technique on this pair of office socks. It's essentially embroidery, weaving in yarn with a tapestry needle through existing knit stitches on the parent knit material.

While it feels like cheating as opposed to Fair Isle style knitting with two colours, duplicate stitching is useful for decorative bits that aren't practical to knit in from the beginning. One of my upcoming projects will rely on this, so it was just a bit of training on my part.