Knitting kilt hose?

[IsaacW]

Awesome! My wife knits and I keep getting tempted to learn but have too many other irons in the fire! I do love good knit hose and now that she has made me one pair, I want more!

[frank_a]

Yes, it's the Gainford book. I know about crafts that are liberating & frustrating at the same time too. I do leather work in my spare time. We have some deal with Amazon where we can borrow a lot of kindle books for free, & there's a bunch on knitting socks. I've also found a bunch of videos on YouTube. Looks like it's difficult finding good needles?

Thanks all!

Frank

[sydnie7]

Never had any difficulty finding good needles, not sure where that comment would have come from. I'd suggest starting with a size 4 or 5 at first, worsted or DK size wool, then going smaller as you get comfortable/if you want a finer end result. Worsted can result in a rough feel to the sole of the sock, one possible way around that is the "princess sole" in which you purl the sole of the sock so that the purl bumps are on the outside and the smoother knit side is against your skin.

Then there's the choice of heel -- several different schools of thought there. I like the Fleegle heel (find her blog through Google) which is quick and simple. It may not be the most wear-resistant, tho.

Have you checked out Ravelry.com? Lots of free patterns, tutorials, forum boards for advice. The Kilt Hose group there is not too active (as Okiwen has discovered) but lots of regular sock activity and most beginning kilt hose questions are about basic sock construction.

[frank_a]

Never had any difficulty finding good needles, not sure where that comment would have come from. I'd suggest starting with a size 4 or 5 at first, worsted or DK size wool, then going smaller as you get comfortable/if you want a finer end result. Worsted can result in a rough feel to the sole of the sock, one possible way around that is the "princess sole" in which you purl the sole of the sock so that the purl bumps are on the outside and the smoother knit side is against your skin.

Then there's the choice of heel -- several different schools of thought there. I like the Fleegle heel (find her blog through Google) which is quick and simple. It may not be the most wear-resistant, tho.

Have you checked out Ravelry.com? Lots of free patterns, tutorials, forum boards for advice. The Kilt Hose group there is not too active (as Okiwen has discovered) but lots of regular sock activity and most beginning kilt hose questions are about basic sock construction.

Wow! Thanks for all the tips. I have not checked out ravelry.com, but have watched a few YouTube videos on basic knitting. I will check out ravelry.com later today and/or over the weekend. Plus my book should be here today when I get home.

Still a workin stiff, so one thing at a time. Plus been busy with leather belt making this week. Love to make stuff!

Frank

[kiltedrennie]

Yes, it's the Gainford book. I know about crafts that are liberating & frustrating at the same time too. I do leather work in my spare time. We have some deal with Amazon where we can borrow a lot of kindle books for free, & there's a bunch on knitting socks. I've also found a bunch of videos on YouTube. Looks like it's difficult finding good needles?

Thanks all!

Frank

Everyone has their preference when it comes to needles. My wife and I love bamboo knitting needles. Our locally owned kitting supply owner swears by metal needles. I don't think I'd like plastic ones.

[frank_a]

Gee, apparently my post did not post. Anyways, my good wife had a bunch of extra stuff she gave me I can start with, and I got that book today on knitting kilt hose. It will be a while before I get into that!

Frank

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