A very cool kilt hose idea from Big Mikey!

**thistlelass** · 11th September 08, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

This is not really true. When you have fancy top hose, generally the top is made as a separate piece and then stitched to the sock base. (I know this is true of the Royal Cuff hose we now offer, and of the Balmoral hose we formerly carried). This means that when and if the sock gets worn out, you can easily remove the fancy top and attach it to a new pair.

I myself have done this. One of the first pair of Balmoral hose I owned got snagged on something that tore a hole in the back leg of one of the socks. My wife said the rip was too bad to repair, so she removed the hand knit top and attached it to a new pair of socks for me. Very easy to do.

I'm just pointing this out because I'm not sure if everyone realizes this or not. And most of the cost of items like this is in the fancy top, not the sock itself. So being able to replace the sock if it gets torn or simply worn with age really helps to extend the life of your investment.

I agree....It's a simple procedure to rescue the cuff if the sock itself is ruined-especially if the sock is handknit...While the cuff isn't sewn on separately as on machine knit hose, on handknit, you can just frog back to the last row before the cuff and pick up the stitches!
By the way, I so admire the hose your wife has knit for you! They're gorgeous!!!

**Darkislander** · 11th September 08, 04:07 PM

Very smart. Congratulations.

**Friday** · 11th September 08, 05:55 PM

Also if you have expensive kilt hose and the feet develop holes you can graft on new feet to the top of the hose.

billmcc · 11th September 08, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Friday

Also if you have expensive kilt hose and the feet develop holes you can graft on new feet to the top of the hose.

Geez, that sounds painful.

**celtic cowboy** · 11th September 08, 10:28 PM

Very cool, I had given this some thought a while back, now that I have seen them, I have now made up my mind on my next thing to try my hand at. I have been making a bunch of trad. garter/flashes with the "Nitting Nancy" and they are great so why not hose tops.....after I finish the new kilt.....and clean off the kitchen table.

**sirdaniel1975** · 13th September 08, 06:06 AM

Absolutely fantastic idea! I think there look really good, and are a more affordable alternative for the DIY'er. I'm already dreaming of all the different color schemes I want.

**beloitpiper** · 11th September 08, 06:32 PM

Aww crap! A new kilt accessory to drool over.

**Glamrockdj** · 13th September 08, 02:57 PM

What a great idea!!

**dwg** · 14th September 08, 01:54 PM

Thanks Big Mikey I found some one in the UK selling the same rings that you have, and I got in the them in the post on Friday I have just made the baby hat to try them out, I will make the hose toppers tomorrow, Thanks for a wonderful idea

Derek

**Friday** · 15th September 08, 06:00 AM

I was looking at some sites on the knitting looms and saw that it is possible to knit a flat piece even on one of the round looms. By knitting a flat piece you could add cables to your toppers. Knit the topper flat and then joint the two ends.

Video

Book

I also noted some information on knitting socks on these looms. Personally I think the size of the stitches from the craft store knitting looms would be a little large for kilt hose. However, someone could take finishing nails a board and make a loom where the stitches would not be as larger and make hose on that.

sock