Wendy Keith Designs - Kilt Hose

[MacCathmhaoil]

Sometime ago I had ordered new kilt hose from Wendy Keith Designs and having had them for a while I now feel able to provide an objective review of these hose.

My choice of Wendy Keith was prompted by three factors.
Firstly I had noticed a style of hose being worn by HRH Prince Charles on numerous occasions with basket weave cuffs, a look I quite like. Upon investigation I discovered that the hose I liked had been provided, under Royal Warrant, by Wendy Keith. Secondly the colour choices of the yarns were more to my liking than the colour palettes of some other manufacturers and most importantly they are knit by artisans in their homes. Personally I am a big supporter of artisanal crafts of any type and will when able, support an artisan over a larger corporate entity!

The first thing one notices is the quality feel of the hose and when you look at the stitching they truly are a work of art. The hose have a very nice feel due to the yarns and are extremely comfortable to wear, especially when spending hours on your feet. I have also been unable to find any signs of wear after multiple uses, I think it safe to say they look as good today as the day they arrived!

I realize that not every one can afford to spend £90. on every pair of kilt hose, I certainly am not in the financial position for such but look at it more of an investment of sorts. I know the initial cost was steep, I also know that they will outlast hose of less quality and look very nice while doing so. There are a number of other purveyors of fine bespoke kilt hose out there such as Almost Unwearoutable who's prices are significantly less (£55. Vs. £90.) but the colours they had available were not exactly what I was looking for!
In my humble opinion while Wendy Keith Designs hose are £90. they are well worth the investment, extremely comfortable, durable and of obvious quality. All in all I have to say I'm hooked, I now have a change jar set on my dresser collecting loose coinage for my next pair(s)!
image.jpg
image.jpg

[frank_a]

Great review and wonderful looking hose. May your change jar fill quickly!

Frank

[Grizzly]

Darn you those are gorgeous. Um.........£90 you say? mmm..........I wonder if the council would mind if I didnt pay the council tax next month.

[BCAC]

VERY nice kilt hose but my Scottishness will not let me pay £90 for socks. This is also the reason that I don't own any Argyll hose.

[MacCathmhaoil]

Darn you those are gorgeous. Um.........£90 you say? mmm..........I wonder if the council would mind if I didnt pay the council tax next month.

Go for it! You may end up homeless but think how nice you'll look. LOL!

[Lime]

Those really are beautiful kilt hose; I do like the cuff similar to Almost Unwearoutable's "Aln" design but a little bigger.

I wonder if the council would mind if I didnt pay the council tax next month.

Try Jan/Feb: best of both worlds!

[Pleater]

The 'entrelac' pattern is very elastic, when I tried the technique as a jersey I found that my estimation of the number of squares required was rather too many and resulted in a garment which looked far too much like a tea cosy.

Although it is considered rather classy now, the method of knitting was originally devised as a way to use any small scraps of yarn to make something useful and warm, and taught to children in the 'poor schools' so they could make simple garments and blankets - a bit like the way that patchwork quilts are now upmarket 'craftwork' when originally they were a way to use every scrap of cloth plus an old blanket to make something to keep the cold at bay.

I find that there is absolutely nothing more comfortable that you can put on your feet than well fitting hand knitted hose. With shop bought there is almost always that joining line across the top of the toes, in most cases hardly noticeable unless you have been wearing ones without it.

I knit hose with a right and left foot for total perfection of fit.

Somewhere I have a pair of hose I knitted before I left home when I was 18. Me being 62 now does illustrate just how long well made hose can last - they are no longer pristine and do show signs of wear, but they have gone many a long Pennine mile and along the South Downs, which can be hard going on the bare chalk, but they are still wearable - I suspect that they will see me out.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[MacCathmhaoil]

Anne very interesting regarding the pattern, it is one of my favourites and you are certainly correct regarding the feel of well made hand knit socks, these are a delight to wear. I find that as I get older I more appreciate the comfort of things such as these, when I was younger it was more important that things looked a certain way. I think with these I have managed to have both. I do confess to having, one more than one occasion, wearing my heaviest hand knit kilt hose in the winter when not kilted, simply to keep my old bones warm! They are socks and leg warmer's all in one, helps on those -40 mornings when the wind is howling.

[Friday]

The 'entrelac' pattern is very elastic,

It is also amazing how fast entrelac knits up, especially when you learn to knit backwards.

Great hose.

[Pleater]

A photo of them actually being worn would give the full effect - though they do look rather good.

As a knitter of hose for some 45 years now I must say that if you want the top quality and hand knitted, then you either need to pay that sort of price or accept lesser quality, or the use of slave labour. If I had to pay myself for what I make I don't think I could afford it.

There are some reductions when buying in bulk, but just the yarn for a pair of blue and white hose cost me 13 pounds, though once I finish them I don't envisage having to make them again.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: