Tartan hose vs plain hose

[svc40bt]

I found these hose at a very reasonable price: £49.50
(American Dollars) ($73.59)

That's a pretty fair price for all wool kilt hose.

Unfortunately, with really big feet, I doubt any will fit me, but if you wear a 13 or smaller, you can find something here.

I think you forgot the link.

[Dixiecat]

As someone who is required to wear tartan hose when wearing a kilt, I feel your pain in regards to the price of such hose. Especially when you have a youngster that tends to grow out of the things fast.

As an experienced tartan hose wearer I can tell you that they don't wear out as quick as you think. Wool tends to felt up first. Granted, a dancer doesn't wash their socks as often as they should, but if you wear a sock liner neither will you.

Knitted hose are easy to repair. Holes can be darned (ask for extra wool when you purchase your hose for darning purposes).

And, I know plenty of dance parents who've sent their child's hose away to have new feet or toes knitted in when their child's feet have gotten too big for the foot of the hose. If your darned soles are in need of renewing this option could work for you.

There's two well known hose makers that dancers frequent, both of which enjoy an excellent reputation. In fact, I know the local well-known kilt maker here in NS orders all their hose from either of these companies, but marks up their price double.

http://www.kilkeelknitwear.com/
(don't be fooled by the 'Tartan Dance Hose' tab, this section has a very interesting lecture on the knitting process and pictures show that they'll make adult non-dance hose)

http://www.familytraits.co.uk/socks_page.html
(don't let the dull web page fool you, many, many people love their Henderson Hose)

[Friday]

xxxxxx

[DWFII]

Matt you are right, however, should we also be slow to tell other how something "needs" to be worn.

...[snip] I don't believe I have the right to tell someone else that that is how they need to wear them.

With all due respect I agree with Matt and the others...Sure, you've a point about lecturing other people out on the street, so to speak...gratuitously, even more so.

But if someone asks...or if you happen to be on a kilt forum (and one which is touted as the most comprehensive authority on all things "kilt" on the web)...it's little nonsensical to dismiss the answer.

Similar to a point Panache made in another thread, if we all took that attitude we soon wouldn't have anything to say to one another...or, perhaps more to the point, we wouldn't dare express an opinion.

Anyway that's mine...your mileage may vary.

[Bugbear]

As someone who is required to wear tartan hose when wearing a kilt, I feel your pain in regards to the price of such hose. Especially when you have a youngster that tends to grow out of the things fast.

As an experienced tartan hose wearer I can tell you that they don't wear out as quick as you think. Wool tends to felt up first. Granted, a dancer doesn't wash their socks as often as they should, but if you wear a sock liner neither will you.

Knitted hose are easy to repair. Holes can be darned (ask for extra wool when you purchase your hose for darning purposes).

And, I know plenty of dance parents who've sent their child's hose away to have new feet or toes knitted in when their child's feet have gotten too big for the foot of the hose. If your darned soles are in need of renewing this option could work for you.

There's two well known hose makers that dancers frequent, both of which enjoy an excellent reputation. In fact, I know the local well-known kilt maker here in NS orders all their hose from either of these companies, but marks up their price double.

http://www.kilkeelknitwear.com/
(don't be fooled by the 'Tartan Dance Hose' tab, this section has a very interesting lecture on the knitting process and pictures show that they'll make adult non-dance hose)

http://www.familytraits.co.uk/socks_page.html
(don't let the dull web page fool you, many, many people love their Henderson Hose)

Thank you for the links. I will take a look.

[Bugbear]

Welcome to XMTS, Jetstream, and thanks for the additional information.

[svc40bt]

Here are a couple more pictures showing how the cuff is designed to match up.

[Pleater]

I am going to have to try my hand at multicolour socks - having only ever made single colour before, but for a long time, but my usual ploy is to add lines of purl stitches to widen the leg, gradually changing a stockinette ankle into a K4P1 rib.

I'll have to redesign to accommodate the shaping somehow.

I might start with the simpler two colour and work up to the multicolour ones.

The colour matching done by the knitwear companies is amazing - I will just have to take potluck amongst my half a ton of different yarns up in the loft. Not joking, I have many large bags of yarn stored up there.

The repair or adjustment of socks is not new - I had a pattern - so old the paper disintegrated, detailing how to make socks which were 'refootable' by knitting the top and sole of the foot separately, then sewing them down the sides and around the heel flap.

I have frequently reknitted a sock when it has been damaged, and have become quite expert at counting up rows and stitches on the still intact one so as to remake the damaged one the same - I usually manage to forget to count during the unravelling of the damaged one.

Anne the Pleater

[Bugbear]

Rex just gave his review of his new Skye Highland Outfitters, custom knitted tartan hose. Very, very tempting... And I think he said they do not have a seam in the back.

At least there are many options.

[orangehaggis]

I have reservations about investing in any pair of hose without at least 20% nylon content. Nylon adds to the abrasion resistance of the sock and helps stave off the felting that another XMarker mention a few days ago. In my experience, felting contributes to foot odour as the felted portion of the sock cannot be washed as thoroughly as the unfelted remainder of the sock. Even 80/20 wool/nylon mix socks will felt with extensive wear. Thankfully this has only occurred with my £13 solid colour hose - my diced hose (royal blue and black if you please!) don't get the wearing my solids get.

Perhaps others with 100% wool hose (solid or diced/tartan) could share experiences of sock wear.

Mark O - Ohio