Tartan hose vs plain hose

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Why? I have always heard that this is clothing, not a uniform (military excepted). Perhaps this is where the wearer find his hose and flashes most comfortable, perhaps it is later in the day and after walking all over Stone Mountain his hose have slipped a bit. Perhaps he prefers to wear his kilt at the top of the knee and not the middle or bottom of the knee.


Will the kilt police please direct me to the manual of wear that dictates these requirements and cite the page/paragraph where these requirements are listed?

Hey, Friday, go back, re-read my post, and take a second look at the photo.

I didn't say anything about how far up the leg hose should be worn.

What I pointed out was that he was wearing hose that are too short to begin with.

The design on the cuff needs to meet up with the design on the leg of the hose, not have a 3 inch three gap as is the case with the hose in the photo.

So, go back, re-read my original comments, look closely at the photo, and I think you'll understand what's being discussed.

[svc40bt]

Generally, tartan hose are custom made to fit the wearer and to match the colors of the kilt. That is the main reason they are so expensive. I got mine second hand at an excellent price, but the original owner posted various measurements so I could be sure they would fit. These included the length of the foot, the height from the heel to the top of the cuff and the calf circumference they were designed for. When folded the pattern continues onto the cuff. Here is a close-up showing what MoR is talking about.



At least on mine, the outside of the top, that is behind the cuff is solid, while the argyle pattern is on the inside of the top. There is also a constriction where the fold for the cuff occurs. I don't have a picture, but I can take one this evening if anyone is interested. There is quite a bit of engineering in a pair of tartan hose.

[Phil]

Yes here's mine



which shows the pattern in the cuff almost merging into the remainder of the hose as I think MOR is trying to point out. I find my tartan hose are a little shorter than some of the other styles anyway and I wonder if that gentleman has pulled his up a bit too far at the back although I don't actually see any matching pattern on the rest of the hose even if the cuffs were longer.

[Bugbear]

I'm glad MacMillan of Rathdown pointed it out because I have learned a great deal from the discussion. Oddly enough, he was saying at the same time that the tartan hose were fine to wear with daywear as shown in the picture other than the length issue. That happened to also be another useful piece of information.

And yes, cajunscot , that term being used carelessly bothers me too.

[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.

[Bugbear]

See now, Pleater, that's the other thing. Out here in the sizzling desert, it probably would work out better to have some kind of footless hose being worn with short cotton-ish socks; that was kind of talked about earlier.

If you could figure out how to keep them in place, like a thin strap under the foot, I think they would work out, and also be long lasting. If there were a way to extend a flap of the hose, I'm thinking about tartan hose, down over the instep for the formal shoes, I don't know that anyone would ever notice. Perhaps a thin strap around the very end? Something to keep it all in place, or just wear shoes that have a tongue...

[Pleater]

I used to wear cotton socks inside my boot hose, as I found that it was more comfortable to be able to change the thin socks during the day as it cooled my feet off and kept the long hose fresh - also swapping them over between feet was good.

It would be easy to make a part sock, leaving out the heel flap but making the instep - either just the top of it or a ring to go around the foot - essentially a heel-less toe-less foot. A length of dark elastic would hold the just the top of the instep variant in place, stop it twisting or sliding out of place.

Cotton is easy to dye, though, so someone competent in the craft could make the colours and knit tartan socks in cotton.

Anne the Pleater