Two Kilts, One Good pair of hose

[Tobus]

I wouldn't worry about trying to match a pair of hose to multiple kilts. I'd just pick a neutral colour that works with everything. I'm partial to shades of green and brown. Olive and British khaki go with everything.

[McMurdo]

I am going to throw this out there, Claret works well, yellow as well as any of the greens mentioned above would work as well. Personally I tend to go toward the less obvious choices these days, Purple with the Scottish Wildcat Tartan for example.

[tweedhead]

Honestly the thing I've been complimented most on in years of wearing the kilt is the hose. Go for a nice rich colour like bottle green or burgundy, both would work nicely with your kilts. Good quality wool hose is worth the investment both for durability/longevity and looks IMO

[AKScott]

Lovat blue, it goes with EVERYTHING.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...lt-hose-71512/

[Pleater]

This is a typical pattern for hose which are fairly plain - they might be on the small size for a modern man, but you can see what you are up against. Is double knitting yarn something available generally? It is very common here in the UK. For jerseys it usually knits at 6 st to the inch (maybe slightly fewer) on 4mm size needles - that information is often printed on the band around the yarn. Socks are usually knitted on smaller needles with more stitches to the inch

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 - un-stretched 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.

[MichiganKyle]

This is a typical pattern for hose which are fairly plain...

For those of us with no knitting experience whatsoever, do you have a recommendation for a primer on how to get started with this? I bought a book on knitting kilt hose, and I am similarly lost in that I don't know how any of this works to be able to even read the pattern.

[gsmacleod]

For those of us with no knitting experience whatsoever, do you have a recommendation for a primer on how to get started with this? I bought a book on knitting kilt hose, and I am similarly lost in that I don't know how any of this works to be able to even read the pattern.

I followed a tutorial (which I can't find now) but there's a bunch on YouTube and also written tutorials (which is what I followed). The first sock was simply casting on, knitting a few rounds then doing a heel flap/gusset. After seeing that, I figured I had a handle on what I needed to do and jumped into my first pair of hose.

Shane