Pattern for knitted Traditional Garter Ties

[Bill]

Hello All!

My talented wife is willing to knit a set of traditional garter ties for me but we cannot find a pattern. Does anyone know where to find such or is willing to share their own how to?

Also how do these compare to the sort you find in the shops?

My sincere thanks for your kind help with this.

Slainte'
Bill

[sydnie7]

Hello All!

My talented wife is willing to knit a set of traditional garter ties for me but we cannot find a pattern. Does anyone know where to find such or is willing to share their own how to?

Also how do these compare to the sort you find in the shops?

My sincere thanks for your kind help with this.

Slainte'
Bill

Arlen posted one recently, it's dead simple. Someone may beat me to the link but I'll paste it here in a minute.

Here you go:

Arlen's thread on garter ties

[longhuntr74]

Let me first say that I don't know the first thing about knitting...except that I went on Youtube and learned how to cast on, do a standard "garter stitch" and bind off. With that knowledge, I was able to make myself a pair of knit garters. Arlen posted a link to a blog on another XMTS thread that shows how he makes the fringe at the ends.

I just finished my first pair this morning and am wearing them as I type this. I think they work just fine. They present a somewhat ribbed appearance with the type of stitch I used...if your wife is uber-talented, I'm sure she could put some sort of diamond pattern into them or whatnot if she wanted to get creative...but you don't really see the garter anyways (except the fringe)...so I'm not sure it really matters. Functionally, I like them as much, if not more than the purchased kind.

I used average craft store yarn...wool is probably preferable...and that's what I'm using on my second pair...but the first was a skein we just had laying around. I think it might be acrylic. Size 6 needles. Number of loops will depend on the thickness of the yarn, but I used 8 and that gives me a garter that is about 1.25" wide when not under tension...it narrows down to about 7/8"-1" when stretched. I compared length by counting ridges...111 of them...which I believe amounts to approximately 225 rows or thereabouts. Basically they should be long enough to wrap around your leg twice with about 6" remaining on each end to allow enough length to tie it.

[piperdbh]

I prefer garters that are knitted in the round. Use double-pointed needles, cast on enough stitches to make a 2" circumference, and knit until the garter is long enough, the bind it off. Sew the two ends closed, add fringe if you want it, and then make another one.

[sydnie7]

I prefer garters that are knitted in the round. Use double-pointed needles, cast on enough stitches to make a 2" circumference, and knit until the garter is long enough, the bind it off. Sew the two ends closed, add fringe if you want it, and then make another one.

Here's a possible alternative. I haven't tried this method yet but looks as if it should work just fine, and be a bit less fiddly than classic in-the-round knitting at that small size.

i-cord instructions

[piperdbh]

Here's a possible alternative. I haven't tried this method yet but looks as if it should work just fine, and be a bit less fiddly than classic in-the-round knitting at that small size.

I agree about the "less fiddly" part. If you use just three stitches for I-cord, I'm afeared the garter would feel like a rope around your calf, and not in the rodeo sense.

[sydnie7]

I agree about the "less fiddly" part. If you use just three stitches for I-cord, I'm afeared the garter would feel like a rope around your calf, and not in the rodeo sense.

I certainly wasn't suggesting such a narrow cord! The link was merely for the method, not the finished width.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The knit garters you buy commercially are knit flat, which I think would help alleviate the "rope around your calf" feeling that piperdh alludes to. I'd say about 1.25" to 1.5" would be a good width to aim for.

Just tell your wife it's like knitting a really tiny scarf. :-)

My wife, who is the knitter in the family, is asleep at present, but without waking her to ask, I would suggest the appropriately named garter stitch be used.

[Ryan Ross]

The knit garters you buy commercially are knit flat, which I think would help alleviate the "rope around your calf" feeling that piperdh alludes to. I'd say about 1.25" to 1.5" would be a good width to aim for.

Just tell your wife it's like knitting a really tiny scarf. :-)

My wife, who is the knitter in the family, is asleep at present, but without waking her to ask, I would suggest the appropriately named garter stitch be used.

I concur. That's certainly how I make mine.

...though I've been meaning to try a pair as Dvid described, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Also, I'm forever trying to figure out how to make things cooler (less warm), and having a tubular garter seems like it would increase the warmth. Perhaps just the thing for winter!