A taste of new custom kilt hose

[The Wizard of BC]

Here is just a taste of some of the Kilt Hose I have recently made on my Circular Sock Knitting Machine.

Elegant, simple and Classic. Riptide cuff over Birch leg



Neutral without being boring. Slate cuff over black leg.



I am simply in lust with these two colors.

Yes, this is a real Olive color like the socks from WWI. Ginger cuff over Deep Olive leg.

[Mathew MacKillop]

Hi Steve,

Are you able to offer these for sale at this point? I can't stop looking at that olive pair, and seeing as finances will soon be much better, I was already considering ordering a few pairs of Lewis Hose from you, but these are mighty nice, too...

Do you have options to make them suitably thick for a Montreal winter, or would you estimate that they are already up to the task?

Thanks!

Mathew

[The Wizard of BC]

I guess you would say that I am in full production mode if you consider that these are totally custom made.
The yarn is an 80% superwash Merino wool with 20% nylon for strength. Superwash means that these hose can go in the washer and dryer without shrinking. I have washed the olive pair four times in cold water with the hose in a mesh bag. I don't usually dry my hose in the dryer but hang then to dry.

I currently have 8 colors of yarn. I can mix and match colors all you want. If you would like a different rib pattern I can do that also.

Sorry, I can't do cables or argyles yet. I know how to do them and have but I'm not good enough yet to sell any.

I do need three measurements. On this sock you can see the measurements I would need.



These are measured from a good fitting pair you have already worn.

1 - Length of the leg from the top of the turn over to the point where the leg meets the foot. This point is formed by the heel.
2 - The circumference of your calf at its largest point.
3 - The length of the foot from the point formed by the heel to the point formed by the toe.

Your normal shoe size would also be helpful.

[Mathew MacKillop]

Excellent. Those measurements will be taken, and you'll be hearing from me in January. What colours do you have on hand? And what will these marvelous socks cost?

[The Wizard of BC]

I currently have enough yarn for 4 pair of hose in each of the following colors.

Birch - This Ecru but add more brown. See above
Slate Gray - The light gray above.
Charcoal - A Darker gray
Black - The darkest in the above photos
Riptide - The blue cuff above
English Ivy - A nice mid green. About the lighter version of Black Watch Green
Ginger - This is the 'gold' cuff of the olive sock above
Auburn - A real nice brown
Deep Olive - The color you and I like

I also have a little of a dark red, almost a brick color and a darker blue called abyss. Perhaps one pairs worth of yarn in each of these two colors.

And of course if you have a favorite color let me know. I have the swatches from this custom yarn dyeing company.

Price is $52.00cad per pair in solid color or $58.00cad per pair in two tone. Plus shipping and tax if applicable.

[Dughlas mor]

Great looking hose, and the price seems quite reasonable. Steve, you must be getting good with that machine!

[The Wizard of BC]

Well, let's just say that I am doing better than I was two months ago.

I opened a commercial account with a company that does custom dying of yarn. I then bought a lot of their yarn. And for two months I could not get this stuff to work in my machines. I tried everything. Even taking all the yarn and washing it in hot shampoo with Lanolin.

These machines are fascinating and a lot of fun to work with but they are old world Steam Engine technology. They need constant adjustments and they need to be oiled. When was the last time you needed to oil something? Do you even know the difference between petroleum based automotive oil and refined fish oil? I didn't.

The next thing I am going to work on is perfecting my cables and starting to learn to do argyles.

I have also acquired one of the original WWI patterns that these machines became famous for. Some sources say that these machines made the vast majority of the socks, mittens, scarves, mufflers and other knitted goods that were sent to the troops in WWI.
So for those reenactors having a pair of socks, made on one of these machines, using the same vintage pattern, may be a cool thing.

Right now though I am having fun mixing the colors and cranking out these socks.

[The Wizard of BC]

Oh, and a little explanation about why the price is so high.

Each pair of these socks has $24.50cad of yarn in them. I have been absolutely amazed and shocked at what knitting yarn is going for these days.

Each pair take me about three evenings after work cranking. If I were to sit down non-stop I could crank a pair of these in about four hours. Then another 2 hours to hand kitchener the toes closed.

For those who don't want to do the math that is a $5.58 per hour labor rate. But hey, if I wanted to get rich I never would have become a kiltmaker.

[Mike S]

Your prices are fully in line with the House Of Cheviot and other hose of comparable customization in design. Nice offering.

[Dughlas mor]

"I make things by hand" and "I make tons of money" are two statements you aren`t likely to hear coming out of the same mouth.