true tartan hose (not diced+lines)

[artificer]

Very interesting question, OCR. and cool eBay find.

Here they are, in the 1860s:



BTW I looked through a handful of vintage Highland Dress catalogues from the 1920s through 1950s and all the "tartan" hose they show are the familiar diced+single lines type.

This is a bit off-topic, but has ANYONE seen a modern re-creation of the positively stunning stag's head hose on the right in the above image?

I know RockyR was looking for a set several months back. I wonder if he found any?

ith:

[Elf]

This is a bit off-topic, but has ANYONE seen a modern re-creation of the positively stunning stag's head hose on the right in the above image?

ith:

Apologies if this is carrying a tangent too far. Yes, I have also been captivated by the stag-head hose. I have charted a trial pattern and devised a working method based on clox. However, it seems best to knit the alternate rows left handed. I expect it to take at least three years to learn that, and another year to get photographs. Patience grasshopper.

[artificer]

For what it's worth, I was quoted GBP 425.00 (plus VAT) for custom knitted hose in Macmillan hunting tartan... It makes you appreciate just what a bargain the machine made diced or argyle hose are.

I'm so glad I wasn't drinking my tea when I read this.

Apologies if this is carrying a tangent too far. Yes, I have also been captivated by the stag-head hose. I have charted a trial pattern and devised a working method based on clox. However, it seems best to knit the alternate rows left handed. I expect it to take at least three years to learn that, and another year to get photographs. Patience grasshopper.

It's all Greek to me, but I look forward to the eventual pix.
ith:

[room2ndfloor]

Apologies if this is carrying a tangent too far. Yes, I have also been captivated by the stag-head hose. I have charted a trial pattern and devised a working method based on clox. However, it seems best to knit the alternate rows left handed. I expect it to take at least three years to learn that, and another year to get photographs. Patience grasshopper.

Wow! You charted the stag's head pattern? Are you knitting it in intarsia or stranded (carrying the unused color in the back)?

I agree that you'd do best to knit the alternate rows left-handed so that you could see immediately that you are still working in the pattern.

Even Lady Gainsford said in her book that the argyll/tartan hose were very complicated. She gave line by line instructions, but did not chart them. Her shepherd's plaid hose are actually stranded.

The stranding method makes the hose double-thick, double-warm, double-heavy. People often do not understand that "those strings in the back" are a necessary part of the pattern. They get careless when putting the hose on and snag toenails on the strands.

[creagdhubh]

Very interesting question, OCR. and cool eBay find.



This is a bit off-topic, but has ANYONE seen a modern re-creation of the positively stunning stag's head hose on the right in the above image?

I know RockyR was looking for a set several months back. I wonder if he found any?

ith:

I spoke with a company in Scotland some time ago in regards to having the exact same pair of hose knitted, just to see what they would say, and they agreed to doing so.