I am with pool... - Random babblings of a fiber-obsessed nutcase

Was hanging out yesterday with a very fine gentleman who was wearing a Utilikilt. We were talking fiber arts and he said something about needing "proper" kilt hose. So I kinda sorta volunteered to make him a pair.

Do you either have a good pattern or a source of a good pattern? Any tips and trips? Can I just adjust my toe-up pattern for a longer leg with increasing to allow for the calf?

Inquiring minds and all that.

He's a very fine gentleman....

*snicker* Oh, man, am I good! I can pass on my obsessions without being in direct, physical contact with someone! *g*

The best book I've found on kilt hose is "Designs for Knitting Kilt hose & Knickerbocker Stockings" by Veronica Gainford, put out by Schoolhouse Press. Good, authentic patterns (the dowager Lady Gainford collected these over the years), good hints and tips - my problem is deciding which one I want to start with!

Nancy Bush has one pair (and it looks nice) in her "Folk Socks" book.

I think you could do your normal sock, but continue it up to the knee and add a turn-down (fancy) cuff. Do the in(de)creases up the middle back (she decreases the middle rib down to nothing;if it's still too big she decreases the 2 purl columns on either side of it (which have, of course, become 1 big purl column after decreasing the knit column.) I'm not sure how toe-up socks work, so I can't help you there - but if you're used to doing them, it should work fine.

Can you tell I've started the research portion of this project? As well as the spinning??

Oh - and utilikilts are *wonderful*! Not quite as nice as tartan ones, but...if it'll get a guy into a kilt on a normal day, then it's all right by *me*!!

Well, remember I'm a sock knitting junkie anyway. Who was it went in search of radioactive sock yarn for you?

I might be getting myself a utilikilt too. Not having a drop of Scots blood in me I don't believe I'm entitled to take on tartan, but I can wear basic black ;)

And of course, many thanks for the book recommendations.

:swoon: I loves me a man in a kilt! *fans self*

Ahem. I believe that MA has a state tartan. I know TX does. Also, if you've ever been military, you can wear the tartan associated with that branch of the service. There's also a Clergy tartan.

As for the "no drop of Scots blood"....I can argue that. You'd be surprised at the names that are associated with the various clans (there's 101+ for MacLellan....MacDuff has even more (those are the 2 clans I am involved in....I did some cursory research on my maternal family and came up with 5 clans right off the bat I am entitled to join.) We had a Norwegian lady come up at one Festival, swearing she wasn't Scottish related At All...and found 3 clans pretty quickly.

I don't have my research book here (it's in the Clan stuff), but if you'd like me to look, shoot me some names. Mother's family, Grandmother's, Paternal line...you'd be surprised.

Not that I'm into this or anything. *g*

*sigh* that was me....don't know what the 'll LJ's doing...