Highland Schottische Kilt Hose

What to do when June brings a new skiff of snow to the highlands tippety top of the mountains?

Weave in the ends on a pair of super cozy and soft, newly finished Highland Schottische Kilt Hose...

 

With bloomers made a couple months ago (McCall's M4548, modified by shortening waist edge by 3 inches and bottom edge by ? inches.  I'd been toying around with making a pair or two of these for awhile  and now I can't seem to look at fabric without an eye for whether it would make good bloomers or not. I figure they're my own version of "country bumpkin in the city".and if/when I tire of wearing these, they'll serve well as pajama bottoms.

Just remind me not to wear kilt hose while racing C and the boys to the car, but if I do, we'll all at least get a good laugh out of the elephant ankles when we get there.  Looks like a pair of these might be in order, or else a couple of just plain elastic loops slipped under the cuffs?

Pattern: Highland Schottische Kilt Hose, from Folk Socks, by Nancy Bush.   Modified to the length of my legs and feet. 

Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, #207, not really at all what the pattern called for and yes, I know these will start pilling terribly, probably before their second wearing, but it's the yarn I had stashed, and they're just so cushy feeling on.  Seriously, knitting with this yarn while also knitting on these socks made STR feel scratchy in comparison.

Knitting knee socks, of course, takes so much longer than most other shorter socks.  Since these patterns are what I'm drawn to lately, I'm trying to think of them more in terms of how much more takes place, besides the knitting, while making them.  The longer the project, the longer the socks, the more of your life happens along side of them, the more experiences you have and encounter, and the more your life and your knitting become entwined.

During the knitting of this pair alone, I can think of so many things that were happening while I sat and knit: waiting while the boys finished many meal...while they did school work...while they took their baths, while waiting for pictures to upload... while the coffee water boiled...while in the car on the way to Seattle...while watching Superman in our usual, trusty, old-but-less-expensive motel in Ritzville, WA...while waiting for the draw bridge to close at the Ballard Bridge while a big fishing ship went through the canal...while on the ferry...while sitting at the beach in the sunshine...while sitting up into the wee hours one night watching Conan O'Brian at my parents' house wondering if I was going to need to take R to the emergency room for appendicitis (fortunately it wasn't)...while sitting up in the middle of the night after my root canal waiting for the tylenol to take effect so I could sleep...and a few stitches at a time while having a bad reaction to the antibiotic I was taking......  This is by no means an inclusive list.

A new Flickr group just for handknit knee highs: I knit knee highs!

Comments

[Stephanie]

Fantastic knee highs. That denim skirt is, too. Did you make it?

[Elizabeth]

Fantastic socks, although I can barely think of socks, it's 30"c here right now.
Love the gallery pic.

[Michelle]

Bloomers are on my short list of things to do next. :)

[meg]

When Scottish people want to hold up their hose, they use these things called "flashes." Usually, they match your tartan, but some are in solid colors.

[karen]

bloomers ? really ? it's really lovely under your skirt - I love that look - thanks for the inspiration.

and your socks...oh my...I wish I didn't have the "2nd sock syndrom", I tend to knit the firts sock in 2 days and it takes me 6 months for the other one :o/

[suse]

The socks are gorgeous but the bloomers are sensational!

I hope you make many more pairs and show us.

[Cirilia]

I've worked in a yarn store for a number of years and have seen tons of Cashmerino garments and swatches come and go...oddly, the only one in the entire line that doesn't pill that badly is the Baby Cashmerino. The twist just seems a little tighter than all the other weights, and it holds up nicely. Not sure about a sock made out of it, but it's lovely none the less!

[LizzyK8]

We used to use large rubber bands under the cuffs of our knee-hi socks when the elastic was finally shot.

The socks are gorgeous. I certainly admire your willingness to knit the leg "forever". I get tired after about six inches!

Love the bloomers, too. Been playing with the idea of making them for my granddaughter. She can't wear skirts to school unless there is "something extra" underneath.

[shannon]

those are so awesome! i may just have to make some bloomers, too, cuz i can't think of anything cuter than handknit kilt hose and handmade bloomers, s!

[knitman]

I ma impressed. Love the coo lour and pattern.

[kris]

oh wow! they are fabulous! i have an old pair of babycash socks and they really aren't pilling very much, even though the gauge is quite loose, so you might get lucky.

love the bloomers as well with the skirt and socks!

[Lucy]

They are amazing.

[Roobeedoo]

Bloomers?! OMG! What a fantastic way to spice up a denim skirt and knee-highs! I see a new future for my Clessidra's!

[Jennifer]

I'm Krazy about the Kilt Hose. What a work of love.

[Jennifer]

I love the socks.
I am currently in the process of spinning yarn with which to knit this pattern. I will have to think about ways to keep them up.
Thanks for sharing.

[Jen]

Those are gorgeous!

When I lived in Japan it was all the rage among the schoolgirls to wear knee socks around mid-calf. Of course, they don't stay up that way on their own, so the girls glued them to their legs. You could actually purchase sock glue at the drugstore. I'd suggest elastic bands though...

[mary jane]

When I was a girl scout there were garters with yellow tassel things for holding up knee socks, I loved them. In retrospect they were a little military, but could be adapted for a little folk flavor!

[rose]

I love the perspective you gave of not thinking about knitting something fast but rather enjoying the process of time. I forget that too often I think. Beautiful work.

[shobhana]

love the bloomers!