The Amazing Carol Has the First Kilt Hose Completed

[Friday]

It's Jamieson's Double Knitting 100% Shetland Wool -- blue lovat

A first kilt hose in double knit, nice look, but a lot of stitches. At least it was not sock yarn. Looking forward to seeing both completed and shown off.

[tulloch]

What makes it sock yarn? Is it the weight? Number of strands?

[Pleater]

These days sock yarn refers to an English 4 ply weight, which is at the most 2/3rds the thickness of the Double Knitting weight of yarn. Different brands vary in the thickness of DK - to create their own niche as their patterns can't be knitted sucessfully in other brands - at least by amateur knitters.

Usually a sock yarn has a proplertion of Nylon in it, the higher the percentage the harder wearing the sock is.

There used to be a boot sock yarn that was 50 percent Nylon and the rest was crossbred wool - a rather coarse hard wearing wool.

The 'best socks' were made in 3ply yarn and some brands had merino and lambswool options.

I think - though it was bfore my time there were even 2ply sock yarns - but they would be a real labour of love to knit on terribly skinny needles.

Sock knitting is having something of a revival, which might benefit kilt wearers.

Anne the Pleater

[piperdbh]

My red cabled hose are worked in two-ply wool on size US 2 needles. You're right, Anne, they are a lot of work. I've discovered the smaller the yarn, the more comfortable the hose, especially after standing in them all day at a games.

[tulloch]

Hmmm. I will have to look more closely. Yarn is not just yarn. My mother used to knit-in a heavy thread along with the yarn in Kitchner's corner to make them last longer. She was too old to knit by the time I got my kilt so I am learning what I can and I expect to be making my own kilt hose before long. Lots to learn. Now where did I leave that drop spindle??

[Pleater]

Adding a strong thread is one way to make hosen and socks last longer, but it must not be wrapped around the other thread, or it will actually cut through it and so speed the disintegration. It will still hold the structure, though, and enable darning.

Knitting the foot on one size smaller needles and making the sole 'inside out', that is with purl stitches, can make them more comfortable as it puts the ridges on the outside. If you have particularly sensitive feet wearing a pair of thin cotton socks inside the hose can help a lot if you are standing up all the time, and changing them once or twice during the day can also make a big difference to comfort and condition.

I used to do a lot of walking when I was younger and used the cotton sock option. I think it helps just to uncover your feet and also to retie the laces to suit as feet tend to enlarge during the day but often have to endure laces tied to suit the morning size.

Anne the Pleater