Stretching Kilt hose?

[ChromeScholar]

My future mother-in-law decided to "be nice" today and washed some of my clothes. I know she meant well, but she threw my brand new black wool kilt hose into the regular wash, then ran them through the dryer. Anyone know of a way to stretch them back out so they fit?

[BluesDoxieGa]

You can make some sock blockers by tracing your foot and calf onto a couple of pieces of foam core board and cover with wide tape. I used the wide clear carton tape. Then wash your kilt hose by hand, roll in a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, and slip onto your sock blockers and allow to dry. That should stretch them back out.

[Ian.MacAllan]

Back in the dim distant era before the introduction of drip-dry wash-and-wear clothing many of the national chain mid-range clothing stores (e.g., Sears, Penneys, Wards) normally carried pants stretchers and less frequently stocking stretchers. I don't recall having seen them advertised since the mid-1960's. Probably your best bet is garage sales or estate sales or auctions of household goods. I wish I could be more encouraging but I really doubt that anyone but us hoarders (and few of us) will have them any more.

The only other suggestion I can make is to rejoice that it wasn't a few tanks, but I'm sure you have already figured that out. And of course it is possible to install an entrance lockset on a closet door to discourage a recurrence. Sorry to be so unhelpful, but there really is something worse than locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen: waiting until all the horses and all the machinery have been stolen.

.

[Riverkilt]

I did the dirty deed myself, but all mine felted up and wouldn't stretch back. I just gave mine to the local thrift store to sell as children's hose, then ordered up a replacement pair of Lewis kilt hose.

Ron

[Arlen]

I've had good luck with getting them wet, putting them on and making sure they are stretched to just above where you normally wear them then wandering about in them till they dry.
But that's not very comfortable.

[ChattanCat]

SOL ? - had to add some extra text because it was too short

[mbhandy]

I have done that and had a pair shrink. I rewashed them by hand rinsed real good then on the last rinse I added hair conditioner the tail and mane kind you can get in the pet department at wall*mart and then stretched them out (length and with) and hung to dry. they were fine.

MrBill

[Barb T]

It really depends on whether the hose have "felted" or not. The heat and the friction of a warm washer and dryer open up the little plates that line each wool fiber. The plates interlock between fibers and then clamp shut when the fibers chill and dry. Hopefully yours aren't felted. There's nothing you can do to stretch out felt.

[ChromeScholar]

It looks like I may be out of luck.

[ChattanCat]

It looks like I may be out of luck.

SOL - Buuuuumer!