Selfknitted hose

[Kristof]

The black cotton canvas for my first kilt is on it's way, the TAoK too. To do something useful in the time I'm waiting, I started to knit some black hose. I knit socks and other things for a while, so I'm quite fast in knitting. The first is already done:

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The pattern is actually irish and free on this website: http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTtoirneach.html

[tulloch]

Great job. I am not far behind in starting kilt hose.

[Pleater]

A more traditional way to knit ribbed hose is to alter the number of stitches in each line of stitches, rather than put all the shaping into the back.

I have a pattern , if it is of any interest.

I have used this pattern for long socks since I first tried it. I use
English DK yarns. The first, complete pattern is for cabled tops and the
alternative top with a colour pattern is at the end. .

I still have the original 'Bestway' pattern no 2305, price 3d!! for
men's sports stockings, showing a gent in riding britches with fairisle tops
to his socks, and a dashing young fellow on a bicycle with cabled topped hose adorning
his legs.

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 - unstretched 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.


This is an alternative top given in the same pattern for a fairisle
pattern

The colours suggested are fawn and brown
Cast on as for the cable top stockings and knit 4 rounds of K1P1 rib
Now join on the brown wool and work the fairisle band

!st round 1 B (3F 2B) to last 4 st 3F !B

2nd round 2B (1F 4B to last 3 st 1F 2B

3rd round 1F (3B 2F) to last 4 st 3B 1F

4th round as 3rd

5th round 2F (1B 4F) to last 3 st 1B 2F

6th round as 5th

7th round F

8th round 4F (2B 8F) to last 6 st 2B 4F

9th round as 8th

10th round 3F (4B 6F) to last 7 st 4B 3F

11th round as 10th

12th round 2F (6B 4F) to last 8 st 6B 2F

13th round as 12th

14th round 1F (1B 1F 4B 1F 1B 2F)to last 9 st 1B 1F 4B 1F 1B 1F

15th round 1F (2B 1F 2B 1F 2B 2F) to last 9 st 2B 1F 2B 1F 2B 1F

16th round 3B (1F 2B 1F 6B) to last 7st 1F 2B 1F 3B

17th round 4B (2F 8B) to last 6 st 2F 4B

Now repeat the 17th back to the 1st round inclusive completing 34 rows of
fairisle. Fasten off the brown wool and continue in F only
K 1 round plain then work as from the end of the cable pattern, just
after it says 'change to no 10 needles'.

Proceed in K1P1 ribbing until work measures 8 and 1/2 inches - to end of
pattern as given for the cable socks.

If you draw a chart of the pattern you will see it is a garland under a
diamond with an X inside it and a second garland at the top. Nothing
very spectacular, but any design which fits into the repeat could be used.

[thurl]

Those are great. I am in the process of doing a swatch of different hose/stocking tops from "Designs for Knitting Kilt Hose" by Veronica Gainford. Thank you for sharing.

[The Wizard of BC]

kristof, I love your hose. Well done.

May I suggest for your next pair that you increase the number of stitches you cast on. This will keep the individual stitches from having to stretch so much going over your calf.

If you find that the sock fits at the calf but is baggy at the ankle you can take care of that by increasing the number of ribs. Each rib you make acts like a fold in a piece of paper. The folds will be narrow at the ankle and spread out at the calf.

Here are some hose I make on my circular sock machine. There is no decreasing needed in these due to the ribbing.



And in this shot you can see that the ribbing allows the stitches to spread over the calf without causing holes yet still fit snug at the ankle.

[Kristof]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your comment! I tried to knit with a knitting machine once and found it very complicated.

I actually like the decreases. They make kind of a handmade look. But you are right, I should have made one rib more ... next time! I knit nearly a pair of socks per week, so there will be a next time for hose, too :-) I anyway have to go and buy more yarn, 'cause even with 150 g (5.30 oz) the second hose (can someone please tell me the singular and plural of those kilt socks? My school english include this word) doesn't have a foot. I came to the decreases after the heel flap, but now I miss a few meters of yarn :-(

[Kristof]

Now that I bought another skein, I started the second hose again from just beneath the top part and added one rib, but kept the decreases. The actual design isn't touched, but the stitches don't stretch that much. I also fitted the decreases better two my leg. I opened the first hose, too and already added stitches for the rib. Work in progress with learning by doing :-)

[auteurusa]

Great job on those hose. I am about to start making my second box kilt (this time including tartan) yet I couldn't resist the urge to pick up a pattern for knitting two hose at a time on one circular needle. Your work is inspiring.

[auteurusa]

Pleater,
Thanks for the pattern. You make me want to learn to cable with my circular needles.

[usonian]

Very nicely done, and I'm envious of your speed! I made that pattern (well, I actually did simple ribbing on the cuffs after trying and frogging the original pattern several times) but it took me a several months at least. I've decided that any hose I knit from now on are going to be cuffless, so that I can knit the cuffs separately and have the option of mixing and matching all kinds of options.