Kilt Hose I've Knit

[DWFII]

a) Are the diamonds and rakers the same size at the top of the hose as at the ankle? I don't have any official argyle hose to check.

b) I have not tried to knit argyle yet I would wonder about using larger needles as you need to increase the size. I would think that this would work if the increase was not too large. String and the other experienced knitters will have to comment on this.

Thanks for the links...have seen those and have them bookmarked.

I think the diamonds and rakers are the same size top to bottom. Looking at the Three-hundred-dollar-plus examples available on the web at various sites, they seem to be. It makes sense...to me at any rate--it's what makes the argyll so hard to do as an over-the-calf hose. It makes sense because you want to match your tartan as close as possible and the sett of the tartan doesn't change size top to bottom.

Of course finding marled yarn...fingering weight with perhaps some nylon mixed in and in the colour you want...is another whole ball of wax.

Increasing needle size was my wife's solution as well.

[Friday]

Of course finding marled yarn...fingering weight with perhaps some nylon mixed in and in the colour you want...is another whole ball of wax.

".is another whole ball of wax." If you knit with a ball of wax don't your hose melt after being worn a while?

Could you make your own marled yarn? One trick I have learned is to take fingerling weight yarn and re-ball the yarn with a toilet paper tube in the center. The center tube from toilet paper fits down over the center of my yarn ball winder nicely. Once the various colors a wound in to separate balls you do once more ball.

To wind a two color marled ball you pass yarn from one color through the center tube on the other color. The top yarn must feed from the outside of the ball, the lower colors should feed from the center of the ball. As the lower yarn feeds from the center vary little twist is imparted. As the lower yarn feed through the center of the upper ball the upper ball yarn, feeding from the outside, it will wrap the lower yarn.

Depending on the mix of color wanted there could be two balls of one color (red) and a third ball of a single color (black). I would play with the order of the balls of yarn to find out the different effects. One Red ball (center feed) passing through the center if the Black ball (outer feed) passing through the center of the second Red ball (outer feed) could give one marled effect. Where having one Red and the Black ball of yarn sitting side by side and center feeding through the center of the second Red yarn (outer feed).

[thistlelass]

Thanks for the links...have seen those and have them bookmarked.

I think the diamonds and rakers are the same size top to bottom. Looking at the Three-hundred-dollar-plus examples available on the web at various sites, they seem to be. It makes sense...to me at any rate--it's what makes the argyll so hard to do as an over-the-calf hose. It makes sense because you want to match your tartan as close as possible and the sett of the tartan doesn't change size top to bottom.

Of course finding marled yarn...fingering weight with perhaps some nylon mixed in and in the colour you want...is another whole ball of wax.

Increasing needle size was my wife's solution as well.

You can increase the size of the needle, but, I would be careful there in terms of keeping gauge and the overall look of your stitches when switching to another sized needle-you wouldn't want to go significantly larger or you'd have stitches that would appear more open-correct me if I am thinking in error on that point fellow knitters.

Jaggerspun has a very nice tweedy yarn that could be mixed with another yarn to make marled,but then you'd have to realize you're making a heavier weight yarn and that might not be the greatest way to go for Argyle. I really have never seen a commercial marled sock yarn that would be good for kilt hose. I've personally spun my own marled yarn and if I were going to make Argyle Hose for Tom, I'd consider spinning the yarn as a laceweight and plying it to make a marled yarn. Still, if you're having someone knit for you there is where the expense comes in. It would take quite some time to spin enough of each color needed for a pair of kilt hose, not to mention the time it would take to knit! Yeeeeow! It boggles the mind-At least $400 is what I'd charge-if not more. It's the lucky fellow who has a pair of handknit Argyles.~

Just found this link to Jamison&Smith Spindrift yarns from UK-this is Shetland 2ply which would work for kilt hose I think. Looks like some nice marled yarns in there, plus just about any solid you could ever want.
http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/kni...iftcolours.htm