Hose Patterns

[RockyR]

Hey Guys,

Kelly is FINALLY (after years of bugging her) learning to knit hose for me. She's knitted scarves, sweaters, shawls, etc for years, but never hose. She's finally gotten the bug to start knitting again and has been looking for hose patterns.

Does anyone have any patterns for Argyll hose or for Cable knit hose? I would be VERY grateful!

Rocky

[RockyR]

And for the record, if anyone has a pattern for THESE hose (on the right), I would LOVE that one! Kelly's not THAT sure of her ability yet, but I have faith I'll get them (in 20 years):

[artificer]

And for the record, if anyone has a pattern for THESE hose (on the right), I would LOVE that one! Kelly's not THAT sure of her ability yet, but I have faith I'll get them (in 20 years):

WOW! Rocky, if you do every get the stag hose made, you've GOT to post pix!

[Standard]

Rocky, my wife got a book called "Designs for Knitting Kilt Hose & Knickerbocker Stockings" by Veronica Gainford published by Schoolhouse Press (ISBN#0-942018-07-9). My wife says it is a fairly advanced book, but very good. Not sure where she picked it up, at a Highland games I think. Hope this helps.

[Pleater]

Hello Rocky

I have been knitting hose for a long time, and have collected a few fairly simple patterns for when people want to start making them - I can just knit without a pattern so I have lots of half patterns where I have started off with good intentions and then forgotten about doing the writing down.

The pattern I usually send off is a fairly simple rib, and it is quite old so it is out of copyright, but is probably too small for most men today - however, most women knitters could undertake it with few problems and make themselves some cosy hose and then go on to more complex and larger ones with confidence.

It is knitted in English double knitting yarn - for garments that is usually knitted at 6 st to the inch on 4mm needles, but it is done tighter for socks and hose. I just wondered if the same pattern was knitted in a thicker yarn if it might fit a man - the length can be adjusted it is the width which is lacking in the original pattern.

I will see if I can put a copy of the pattern into a later post.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Pleater]

I still have the original 'Bestway' pattern no 2305, price 3d !! for men's
sports stockings, showing a gent in riding britches with fairisle tops to his
socks, and a dashing young fellow on a bicycle with cabled tops adorning
his legs.

Materials, 10 oz of double knitting wool. sets of 4 double pointed needles
UK size 9 and size 10 (3 3/4mm and 3 1/4 mm)

Tension
Over the 5 and 1 ribbing - unstretched 13 st to 2" and 9 rounds to 1"

Measurements
Length from base of heel of sock leg before folding over, 25 inches
Foot length 10 1/2" 11" or 11 1/2" - completly adjustable.

Pattern details
Front cable 4, slip 2st onto a cable needle leave in front of work. K2st.
k2st from cable needle.
Back cable 4, slip 2st onto a cable needle leave at back of work. K 2 st. K
2 st from cable needle

Using no 10 needles cast on 70 st. 21 on 1st needle, 30 on 2nd needle,
19 on 3rd needle. Work 4 rounds of k1p1 rib
Now change to no 9 needles and commence the cable pattern
1st round P1 * k8 p2 repeat from * to last 9 st k8 p1
2nd round as 1st
3rd round p1 * front cable 4 twice p2. Repeat from * to last 9st front
cable 4 twice p1
4th round as 1st
5th round as 1st
6th round as 1st
7th round p1 * k2 back cable 4 k2 p2. Repeat from * to last 9 st k2 back
cable 4 k2 p1
8th round as 1st

Repeat these 8 rows 4 times then do rows 1 to 5 again 37rows
Change to no 10 needles and knit in k1p1 rib until the work measures 8
1/2"
Work 1 round increasing 1 st at each end of the 2nd needle. Turn the
work inside out and start the wide rib k5 p1
Work straight for 5" finishing at the end of a round
next round k2 tog k3p1 work the wide rib to last 6st k3 k2tog p1
Work 6 rounds
next round k4 p1 k2tog k3 p1 work wide rib as usual to last 11 st k3 k2
tog p1 k3 p1
work 6 rounds and decrease in next set of 4kst each side, and continue
until every wide rib is reduced to 4st.
Knit in rounds until the work measures 22"

Divide for heel
K the first 14 st of the next round, then slip the last 15 st from the
previous round onto the same needle. These 29st are for the heel.
Divide remaining st onto 2 needles for the instep
On the heel st only, beginning with a p row, k in stockinet slipping
the 1st st in each row. K for 2 1/4" ending with a p row,
Turn the heel
K 18 sl 1 k1 psso, turn
p8 p2 tog turn
k8 s1 k1 psso turn
continue in this way until all st are reduced to 9 and are on 1 needle.
ending with a p row.

k the 9 st then pick up and k 15 st along the edge of the heel.
With a second needle work in rib across the instep
with a third needle pick up and k 15 st along the edge of the heel and
knit 5 st off the 1st needle.
Keep the instep st in rib and k the st on the other two needles.
work in rounds decreasing one st at the end of the first and the
begining of the third on the 3rd and every following third round until 58st remain.

Proceed without shaping until foot measures 2 1/2" less than required
length. Slip 1st from beginning of 2nd needle onto needle 1 and one st
from the end of 2nd needle onto needle 3.

shape toe
needle 1 k to last 3st k2 tog k1
needle 2 k1 k2 tog through back of st k to last 3 st k2 tog k1
needle 3 k1 k2 tog k to end
work 2 rounds, repeat decreasing until 26 st remain work 2 rounds.
Graft remaining st together.


This is an alternative top given in the same pattern for a fairisle
pattern

The colours suggested are fawn and brown
Cast on as for the cable top stockings and knit 4 rounds of K1P1 rib
Now join on the brown wool and work the fairisle band

!st round 1 B (3F 2B) to last 4 st 3F 1B

2nd round 2B (1F 4B) to last 3 st 1F 2B

3rd round 1F (3B 2F) to last 4 st 3B 1F

4th round as 3rd

5th round 2F (1B 4F) to last 3 st 1B 2F

6th round as 5th

7th round F

8th round 4F (2B 8F) to last 6 st 2B 4F

9th round as 8th

10th round 3F (4B 6F) to last 7 st 4B 3F

11th round as 10th

12th round 2F (6B 4F) to last 8 st 6B 2F

13th round as 12th

14th round 1F (1B 1F 4B 1F 1B 2F) to last 9 st 1B 1F 4B 1F 1B 1F

15th round 1F (2B 1F 2B 1F 2B 2F) to last 9 st 2B 1F 2B 1F 2B 1F

16th round 3B (1F 2B 1F 6B) to last 7st 1F 2B 1F 3B

17th round 4B (2F 8B) to last 6 st 2F 4B

Now repeat the 17th back to the 1st round inclusive completing 34 rows of
fairisle. Fasten off the brown wool and continue in F only
K 1 round plain then work as from the end of the cable pattern, just
after
it says 'change to no 10 needles'.

Proceed in K1P1 ribbing until work measures 8 and 1/2 inches - to end of
pattern as given for the cable socks.

If you draw a chart of the pattern you will see it is a garland under a
diamond with an X inside it and a second garland at the top. Nothing
very spectacular, but any design which fits into the repeat could be used.

[Mike_Oettle]

Artificer wrote: “WOW! Rocky, if you do every get the stag hose made, you've GOT to post pix!”

I definitely second that!
And I’d love to see your work, too, Anne.
Regards,
Mike

[Farlander]

My wife's favorite book on knitting socks is Folk Socks, The History & Techniques of Handknitted Footwear by Nancy Bush. Here is an old picture of some hose from the book:

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The Gainford book is great, my wife uses that one. But she says it is definitely for someone who already knows about sock knitting.

If Kelly is on Ravelry, have her look my wife up. She's JMN on that site. Or she can just email her at joannie@newhousehighland.com. She can tell her where she got some other hose patterns from. Here's my favourite pair of cabled hose she knit for me.

[piperdbh]

I know people don't like to be told to "Google" subjects of interest, but in this case it's the easiest way of finding sock patterns, which can be adapted to kilt hose.
Tartan/Argyll hose are not the easiest or most enjoyable type of hose to make. If the talented Kelly has already made a few pairs of socks and understands heel and ankle construction, then I'd say, "Good luck." If not, then she probably should start with something like this or this.
Sock patterns are more abundant than kilt hose patterns, and they can easily be adapted to make good kilt hose. All the knitter has to do is work out the increases or decreases (depending on which direction he/she is knitting) for the calf, and make the sock long enough.