Tartan hose vs plain hose

[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

[fluter]

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.

I don't know about your sizzling climate, but I'll just observe that my feet think that wool is orders of magnitude cooler than cotton. Wool wicks, it breathes, it rules in the heat & humidity.

Your feet's mileage, as they say, may vary.

[Friday]

I don't know about your sizzling climate, but I'll just observe that my feet think that wool is orders of magnitude cooler than cotton. Wool wicks, it breathes, it rules in the heat & humidity.

Your feet's mileage, as they say, may vary.

I wonder that in concert with the wicking / breathing features of wool if it would help to go up a needles size of the leg and make a less dense knit? This would open up the hose leg and aid in air flow.

[Bugbear]

I wonder that in concert with the wicking / breathing features of wool if it would help to go up a needles size of the leg and make a less dense knit? This would open up the hose leg and aid in air flow.

I have a pair of thigh-high, brown wool stockings that have a more open weave, and that is the issue. I don't have a problem with regular cotton socks in the heat.

The problem with the loose weave is that they do not photograph well, and may show through to the leg. So, you have to put on a pair of regular, thin brown dress socks that are high enough to cover your leg up to the cuff. That makes the situation worse as far as the heat though.

What I ment was wearing the cadadh over the sock, of what ever materiel, for several reasons including the heat and the wear and tear on the foot of the hose. Also it is kind of a neat idea, to me, to have hose in my actual tartan.

I did find Matt's instructions on how to make footless cadadh, so when I have a kilt made in my tartan, I will keep that in mind; even if I end up having tartan hose knitted.

[Friday]

The problem with the loose weave is that they do not photograph well, and may show through to the leg.

Depending on the size of the needle used for the foot of the hose, going up one needle size would open the weave only a little. Depending on the pattern, how much stretch would be required to go over the calf up one needle should not show. But then everyone's knitting gauge may very.