Matthew A. C. Newsome

Now that's a PLAID!

2008-04-16T19:07:00.004-05:00

Back in February of this year, we had a discussion on the Scottish Attire e-mail list regarding the merits of the plaid. Now, when the non-initiate reads "plaid" he usually thinks it synonymous with "tartan" (the pattern of interlocking stripes running both vertical and horizontal -- warp and weft in terms of the cloth). However, in Scottish attire, the word has a very different meaning.

Historically, the plaid was simply a wrap, a mantle of sorts. The word derives from the Gaelic for "blanket," and that was essentially what it was -- a large length of untailored cloth. The famous belted plaid, or feilidh-mor, in Gaelic, was a length of cloth that was worn gathered and belted at the waist. It was the lower part of this knee-length garment that would eventually develop into the modern kilt. (See my article on "Generations of Highland Dress.")

Today, when the modern kilt enthusiast speaks of a plaid, he may mean one of several garments, each supposedly meant to represent the upper portion of the old belted plaid. The most common today is the fly plaid; a large square of tartan, fringed on all four sides (and sometimes purled), and typically tailored into pleats at one corner. That corner is affixed to the left shoulder, and the remainder of the plaid is left to hang in the rear (some versions have a means to affix another corner to the belt or back of the kilt, creating a pleasing drape). The fly plaid is typically reserved for evening wear. (click for pic)

However, other plaids include the piper's or drummer's plaids, which are long, heavily pleated, lengths of cloth that are worn wrapped across the chest and shoulder, the longer portion trailing in the back. These are usually only seen worn in modern times by pipers and drummers in full military uniform. (click for pic) (article on how to wear)

Those are the most common incarnations of the plaid in modern Highland dress. Less commonly seen is the form sometimes referred to as a "laird's plaid" or "day plaid," or simply as a "shoulder plaid." This is an untailored length of cloth, about the size of a blanket, which is simply folded and draped over the shoulder, like one would a blanket carried on a picnic. (click for pic) (an older image)

The discussion about the plaid began on the Scottish Attire mailing list when a list member commented that he thought evening dress incomplete without a plaid. When I read that comment, I took it to mean the fly plaid, as it is the most common form of plaid worn today (outside of the military uniform, and uniform of the piper). And taken as such, I objected to the notion that evening dress is incomplete without a fly plaid. I never have much cared for the modern fly plaid. I don't really like the way it looks, and I find it cumbersome to wear. It is supposed to mimic the upper portion of the old belted plaid, and (having worn the traditional belted plaid for many years as a reenactor), I don't think it does the job all that well. I understand that many people like the look of the fly plaid, and they are welcome to their opinion. But I daresay that it should be considered an optional accessory, and not at all requisite for proper evening attire.

My comments drew some other opinions, both in agreement and disagreement with me. The ensuing discussion inspired me to go back and look through my copy of The Kilt & How to Wear It, by the Hon. Stuart Ruaidri Erskine, originally published in 1901, to see what Erskine said about the plaid. Not that Erskine's opinion is authoritative, mind you. But it is always interesting to read a Highland dress perspective from over a century ago. I was somewhat surprised by what I discovered.

In support of the wearing of the plaid, Erskine writes: "Our forefathers were on all occasions very particular to wear the plaid, and would have considered a man as incompletely dressed without it..." and, "Indeed, the plaid is an essential part of the Highland dress, and though fashion may have decreed and encouraged its disuse, yet the genius of the garb obviously requires and demands the addition of this graceful covering, without which -- which is the best proof of its necessity -- it neither looks, nor can be, complete."

But what form of plaid is Erskine advocating? It is not the piper's or drummer's plaid, which he calls a "cross plaid." Of this article, he writes: "...the popular military or cross plaid... would appear to be a really 'comparatively modern' method of wearing this article of the Highland or Celtic dress." And he calls it a "mutilated form of the old belted plaid," and says, "I have nothing but the profoundest contempt for it, and venture to indulge the hope that none of my readers will ever countenance it in the smallest degree, much less wear it. It is one of the most miserable makeshifts -- or rather fraudulent imitations -- in which the age abounds and, apparently, delights."

Of the so-called laird's plaid, he speaks no better. "The present fashion of carrying the plaid loose and over the shoulder is a purely Lowland, or rather non-Celtic one..." (I don't think he is historically correct, but such is his opinion, and so he does not recommend this form of plaid).

What about the popular fly plaid? He makes no mention of it by name at all, but by description we can assume that he has this article in mind when he writes of "the miserable scrap of tartan... which is frequently worn at dances."

So what form of plaid does Erskine favor, and indeed calls "as essential a part of the Celtic dress as the sporran or doublet..."? This is the proper plaid, as Erskine defines it in his own words.

"This plaid -- which can be of any soft, fine material, and whether of
tartan, livery, or homespun it matters not -- should be worn much after the
manner of the old belted plaid; that is to say, it should be worn with a belt,
the sides of the plaid, as in the case of the kilt in its 'primitive form,'
being pulled a little above the belt, and made to turn down over it in as
graceful a manner as possible. When in this position, the plaid (which
must have been previously separated in the middle by the hand, so as to discover
the sporran) will give the appearance of being furnished with rings, which is
just the appearance it gives in old portraits and prints, &c., and is
emphatically, from every point of view, the end to be aimed at. The wings
of the plaid should rest on the sides of the kilt at a distance of a foot or so
from the edge nearest the knee; whilst the two ends of the plaid farthest from
the wearer should be caught up and fastened by a brooch to the left shoulder, in
the traditional manner... I may add that the plaid, when adjusted to the
person, should depend backwards a few inches -- say, three or four -- below the
edge of the kilt."

A footnote at this point here indicates that "two yards by two is a convenient size." The footnote also references the cover of the book, which I will reproduce below, front and back.

I was intrigued by this description, and accompanying illustration. I had read Erskine's book before, and of course seen the cover, but to be honest, had never paid much mind to the construction or style of the plaid that was illustrated. But I had to admit that this plaid has much to recommend it. It alone of all the modern forms of plaid truly resembles the upper portion of the old feilidh-mor. In other words, it actually looks like what it is supposed to represent.

I was curious enough that I told myself that I'd eventually make one and give it a try. And over this past weekend, I did just that, using a two yard length of Carolina tartan, to match a kilt I had recently made for myself. Here is how I did it. I started with two yards of 54" wide (double width) cloth. I believe this is what Erskine meant when he said a length of "two yards by two." Not two yards square, but two yards of double width cloth. I fringed the two cut ends (in Erskine's illustration the fringe looks to be about 4 inches long at least. I stopped fringing mine at about one inch, but this is a matter of personal taste).

One of the selvage edges I tailored into wide pleats, reducing the length from two yards to about 40" (my current waist size is 38"). I only sewed the pleats in about 3". I opened them up to make box pleats, and sewed those open along the bottom of the cloth. The intent here is not to make the pleats match up with the pleats of the kilt -- there simply is not enough cloth to do that. Nor do you have to leave an unpleated "apron" at either side. The idea here is simply to reduce the length of the fabric by means of pleating to something close to your waist size.

Finally, I added four keepers (belt loops) evenly spaced along the pleated portion of the plaid, to keep the belt securely in place. Now it was ready to wear!

Here's how I did it. First, you begin by just putting on the kilt, as usual. I also put my sporran on before the plaid, as I figured it would be cumbersome to try to strap it on underneath all that excess cloth.

I pre-strung my belt through the loops in the plaid, and then belted it securely about my waist. The plaid now hung down over the top of the belt, much like the upper portion of the belted plaid, only quite a bit longer than I was used to!

It is at this point, after you have belted your plaid on, but before you attempt to arrange it any further, that you would want to put on your jacket and/or waistcoat (or vest), if you are to be wearing one. I selected a simply Argyle day jacket for this outfit.

Jacket donned, find the two corners of the plaid and bring them up and behind you, up and over your left shoulder. Pin with a brooch. Viola! You are now wearing the plaid very much as Erskine depicts on the cover of his book.

One of the things that I noticed doing this is that, if you are wearing a jacket with any sort of length to it (such as the Argyle I am wearing), it is important that the edges of the plaid not be worn directly to the front, as the drape of the cloth, when it is brought up to the shoulder, will not be sufficient to give the jacket enough clearance. Pushing the edges of the plaid back a bit fixed this problem perfectly. Here are a couple of alternate views.

I really like this form of plaid! I'm very pleased with the result of my little experiment, and I can say that I anticipate giving this item much wear for both evening dress, as well as more formal daywear events when I want to dress up my outfit a bit. All that was really required to do this was a two yard length of double width cloth (most tartan is available double width these days), and a few hours of sewing.

I'm going to have to start recommending this form of plaid to those enquiring about a fly plaid, and see if we cannot yet revive this style, that Erskine called "extremely recommendable for evening wear, or indeed, for extraordinary occasions of any kind," in favor of that "miserable scrap of tartan!"

Rethinking Irish Tartans

2008-03-16T14:00:00.002-05:00

As St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, I have been getting a lot of requests regarding Irish tartans. It's given me cause to rethink the possible origins of many of them, and indeed, the "Irish tartan" phenomenon in general.

Many are aware that the oldest Irish tartan is the Ulster tartan, dating to the seventeenth century. There is a good article about it here. However, it is important to realize that it would not have been regarded as "the Ulster tartan" at that time. There were no named tartans at that early date, and it would have been considered the same as any other tartan design. It was not known as "the Ulster tartan" until well after its discovery in 1956, buried on a Dungiven farm. A reconstruction of the seventeenth century outfit was made and put on display in the Ulster Museum in 1958. At some point in the 1970s it was recorded by the Scottish Tartans Society as the Ulster tartan, and the name as been associated with it ever since.

Why is this significant? I don't know when the Ulster tartan was first put into production by the tartan mills, but I suspect it was around the same time as the STS recorded the tartan. And I propose that this sparked interest in the creation of other Irish named tartans.

Just look at the earliest known dates for many of the older Irish tartans. The Clodagh tartan was first woven in 1970. By 1979 a story was being circulated that it was an historic tartan that was discovered in a peat bog in southern Ireland (sound familiar?), but that story has never been substantiated.

The Tara/Murphy tartan first appears in the records around 1967, being sold by the Kilt Shop in Edinburgh.

There are many Irish family name tartans that were first recorded by William H. Johnston on a visit to Pendleton Woolen Mills, in Oregon, in 1977 or 78. These supposedly were recorded from their pattern books, and include tartans for the names Forde, Keirnan, O'Keefe, and O'Farrell.

All the other Irish named tartans that we have record for, including the popular Irish county tartans, were designed well after this period, and their origins are fairly well documented. I can find no evidence of Irish named tartans at all from before this time. My theory, therefore, is that the interest in the Ulster tartan, following its discovery in 1956 and subsequent inclusion in the Scottish Tartans Society register, is what created the phenomenon of the Irish tartan.

Laundry Day

2008-02-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

Thought you might like to see what my four-poster bed looks like after my wife washes a load of delicates. One would never guess a kilt wearer lives in this house, eh?

Burns Night -- Franklin, NC

2008-01-30T23:00:00.001-05:00

This is the second picture post from Burns Nights I attended this year. These photos are from the Burns Supper held on January 26, 2008, in Franklin, NC, hosted by the Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum. Again, every intention of a thoughful, reflective post, but I suppose I chanelled the bard all I could in writing my Immortal Memory speech and have nothing left for blogging (at least not at ten till eleven on a Wednesday night!). But, as I said in my last post, it's really all about the kilt pictures, anyway. So here they are!

First up is myself with my trusty sidekick Ronan MacGregor (business assistant at the museum). I'm wearing the St. Columba tartan in a four yard box pleated kilt. Purple Lewis kilt hose, and a nice heraldic themed necktie. Ronan is wearing the Black MacGregor tartan (custom woven for him!) in a box pleated kilt, bottle green Lewis kilt hose, with a black beaver Glengyle sporran from the Ferguson Britt line. Oh, and don't ask me about the sporran I'm wearing. I picked it up about ten years ago from an antiques/military paraphanalia vendor at the Williamsburg Highland Games and haven't seen another one like it since!

Here are the kilted men lining up for the calling of the clans. In front is Wayne Miller, wearing the Bell tartan, in a kilt made by Barbara Tewksbury. Behind him is Arthur Hayes wearing the Clan Hay tartan. Furtherst back is Hal Chapman in the Citadel tartan.

This final snapshot is of Jim and Marian Mathews, new members of the Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum. Jim is wearing his brand new box pleated kilt in Hunting Matheson that I made for him, with matching tartan tie, black Argyle, and black beaver Glengyle sporran. He's really enjoying his new outfit, and looks quite dapper in it (Marian agrees!).

Burns Night -- Murphy, NC

2008-01-30T22:47:00.001-05:00

This is the first of two picture posts from Burns Suppers I had the pleasure to attend this year. I had noble intentions of writing something profound and elegant, but I'm just too lazy, and really it's all about the pictures of kilts, anyway!

These photos are from the Burns Supper held on January 25, 2008, in Murphy, NC, hosted by the folks who put on the Appalachian Highland Games. I was invited back for a second year to give the Immortal Memory speech. This year I was fortunate to be accompanied by my wife, Joannie, and infant son, Alister.

First pic is of Arthur Hayes, the president of the Appalachian Highland Games, giving the "Address to the Haggis." He really does it with great flare!

Next is of myself with friends Rebecca and Henry Scott. The Scotts are the proprietors of Purple Heather Pottery, and make some wonderful hand cast pottery goods featuring clan crests, thistles, Celtic crosses, and other Celtic motifs. We carry their products in the museum gift shop. Rebecca is holding wee Alister.

Lastly, here I am, showing off the new black and white diced hose that my wife knit for me. She had been working on them for the past month and had just completed them the morning of the event. For those curious, I'm wearing the Highland Granite tartan (16 oz, Lochcarron cloth), in a 6 yard knife pleated kilt of my own make. The sporran is a skunk fur Glengyle by Ferguson Britt. Argyle jacket and ghillie brogue shoes are from Lochcarron, and the vest I actually picked up from a supplier of nineteenth century style American clothing.

Geography Lesson

2007-12-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

OK people, enough is enough already. Scotland and Ireland are two completely different countries. They are not even on the same island! While the Scottish and the Irish people both have a lot in common, they nevertheless are two distinct cultures, with their own unique traditions. For example, the kilt and the tartan are both "Scottish things" and not "Irish things."

I point out this quite obvious fact because apparently some people need to be reminded. Like the author of this article in the winter 2007 issue of Knitty. She writes, "In my family, we're all of Irish heritage, and we're VERY proud. In fact, my Dad is so proud he has two kilts that he wears on a regular basis." The article has a nice pattern for knitting a pair of kilt hose, but one has to ask, what on earth does wearing the kilt have to do with your dad's being Irish? (Let alone the fact that, in the picture accompanying the article, he's wearing what looks like a Utilikilt, which is neither Scottish nor Irish, but American).

I don't know if it is a world-wide phenomenon or just here in the States but people seem to think Ireland and Scotland are synonymous. I can't escape it. Sitting down the other night to an hour of mindless entertainment with one of my favorite shows, Psych, when one of the main characters, whose last name is O'Hara (about as Irish a name as you can think of) starts talking about all the traditional Scottish customs that her family observes at Christmas, including Hogmanay (which is New Years, but never mind the details).

Then just yesterday I was going through the drive-through of my favorite Scottish restaurant (McDonald's, of course!) in my kilt and Argyle jacket, when the teen who hands me my McMuffin gives me the thumbs up and yells "Hey, Irishman, alriiiiiight!" as I pull away.

So it is time for a geography lesson. I would draw you a map but I don't have to. Someone has graciously done it for me. Right click this link and open in a new window. Isn't that a great map? Thanks to the folks at EnchantedLearning.com. Now pay attention. Scotland is that northernmost part of the big island to the right (the part that says "Scotland" on it). Ireland, on the other hand, is that smaller island over to the left (the one that says, fittingly enough, "Ireland"). All that empty space in between -- that's water. Two separate land masses. Two separate countries.

While we are looking at a map of the British Isles, I want to point out another thing that may be obvious to some -- they are British! Britain and England are not synonymous. The big island to the right (the one that says "Scotland" on the top of it and "England" on the bottom) is Britain. This means that the English are British, but guess what? So are the Scots. And so are the Welsh. They are all British. So saying things like, "Oh, the Scots hate the British," really doesn't make much sense unless you are accusing the Scots of self-loathing.

Oh, we all know what you mean. When you say, "British" you mean "English." But that's wrong, so stop saying it. The Scots are British too, every bit as much as the English. And the country is called the United Kingdom, being made up of a union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland (Wales is a principality). Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom. The rest of Ireland is not (again, refer to the map).

So, let's review. Britain is the whole big island, the northern part of which is Scotland and the southern part of which is England (and Wales). Britain and England are not the same thing. Ireland is that island off the west coast of Britain. Ireland and Scotland are not the same thing. Simple enough really, but make a flow chart if you have to.

There, now I feel better. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging...

Wee Balmoral Kilt

2007-11-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

Recently I was fortunate to acquire, through Ebay.co.uk, a child's Balmoral kilt from a Scottish antiques dealer. I got it for a steal, really, and it even came with a small photo album showing pictures of the original owner. None of the photos have a name or date, so we don't know anything of the wee chap. I would assume the photos to be from the 1930s. I've included a couple of them below.

When the kilt arrived, I couldn't help but notice that it looked to be just the right size for my son, Josiah, age 3. He was super excited to try it on. (He especially liked that fact that this child's kilt is of the variety that has an attached vest to help keep it up. He loves tank tops and would wear them year round if we let him. It was all I could do to convince him to put on a pull-over to go out in the 40 degree weather!). When I brought out a pair of kilt hose and flashes for him, he was beside himself. "Now I can come to work with you, Daddy!" he beamed at me.

We went out in the yard for a few pictures. (That's one of my other sons, Malcolm, in the background of the second shot). What do you think, is my son a natural in the kilt, or what?

Now I know what some of you are thinking. Isn't the Balmoral tartan restricted for the use of the Royal family? Well, yes it is. It was designed in 1853 by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. Today it is worn by the Queen and several members of the Royal family. According to the Scottish Tartans Authority, the only other person authorized to wear the tartan is the Queen's personal piper. The tartan was originally woven by Romanes & Pattersons, but today the Royal Warrant holders are Kinloch Anderson.

According to the Royal Insight page, however, it was Edward VIII in 1936 who put restrictions in place to "to prevent further commercial manufacture for the public." This indicates that prior to that time it was being manufactured and sold to the public, at least on some scale. Since I sincerely doubt that my wee kilt here was worn by a member of the Royal family (at least if it had been I doubt I would have gotten it at such a low price!), my assumption is that this kilt was purchased originally prior to 1936.

Wearing the Balmoral tartan is not illegal in the UK, though it would be considered in poor taste. If my family and I were to travel to the UK, I'd never have my son wear it there. However, I see no harm in him wearing it to explore his own back yard. He certainly loves wearing it! And he takes to it quite naturally. Now he wants a sporran for Christmas. All I can say is that his father is certainly proud!

Sporrans old & new

2007-11-23T18:42:00.000-05:00

I promised in my last post to give some email on my newly revamped brass cantle sporran. If you remember, this is the sporran that I got about a year ago, seen pictured here. It was a very nice sporran, and I was very happy with it. But I was so impressed with the Ferguson Britt sporrans that we've been offering in the museum gift shop, that I asked the maker if he could fashion a new bag to fit with the metal top, and he was more than happy to oblidge.

I got the result just after the Stone Mountain Highland Games, and am very happy with it. The bag is a bit longer than the original, and is made from a heavier elk hide. The braided tassels are fastened at the two sides and one in the center in true eighteenth century fashion (as opposed to three on the front as in most modern sporrans). Like all Ferguson Britt sporrans, this one is fully lined with elk suede.

I'm such a fan of his work now that I also commissioned him to make me a lighter brown sporran. I have a few kilts that I thought would look better with a light brown, and thought that a sporran in this color would round out my collection. So I commissioned an Invernan style, which is similar to the beaver fur Glengyle that was my first sporran made by Britt. The main difference is the Invernan style has a much wider opening. I call this one my "large mouth bass" sporran. The first pic below shows you the sporran, made with light brown elk hide with dark brown elk details. Then the second shows you just how large the opening is. Believe it or not, I have my wallet, cell phone, work keys, car/home keys, and a bottle of eye drops (from my lasik surgery), and I can still fit my whole fist in on top of all of that!

Obviously, I am extremely happy with my Ferguson Britt sporrans. I've never encountered a better sporran anywhere than the ones made by this master craftsman. The only down side is how addicting they are!

At the Foothills Highland Games

2007-11-03T17:51:00.000-05:00

I've just returned from the 7th Annual Foothills Highland Games in Hendersonville, NC. These are a very nice mid-sized Games that I have been neglecting to attend of late! I was at their inaugural Games in the year 2000, but since that time I've managed to have other commitments every year on that weekend. This year I was finally able to go, so took the chance.

The Scottish Tartans Museum has always had an information booth there, manned by some of our good volunteers. This year we had museum trustees Walter Taylor and Carl McSween, as well as volunteers Al Bullman and Chuck Coburn. With myself that made for five of us -- more than enough to cover the tartan information table and allow time for each of us to walk around, see the sights, and spend time chit chatting with old friends. And the best part is I was back home by supper time!

So here are some pics from the Games. First, yours truly.

It was a cool day. When we arrived at the Games site at 9:00am, I believe it was just above freezing. It warmed up during the day, but the wind picked up, making it feel very cold at times. I took the opportunity to wear my Harris Tweed kilt suit. It kept me nice and warm, though I admit that I had to keep the jacket on all day! I'm wearing my hinged-cantle sporran that I've posted about in this blog before, only I have had the bag completely replaced by one hand crafted by Adron L. Britt of Ferguson Britt sporrans. (More on that in another post). The walking stick I'm holding isn't mine. It was made by Mark Harden, Baron of Cowdenknowes, who has recently taken up stick making! It's a nice model with a bison horn crook and, if I recall correctly, a hazel wood shaft. I'm just holding it for him in this photo. Speaking of Mark...

Here is the Baron himself, wearing his Harden family tartan, and holding another of his walking sticks. Mark was the "chief of the games" at this year's Foothills Highland Games. He and his family appear to have had a great time. Mark is also a member of the Society of Scottish Armigers, and gave a talk on Scottish heraldry. I spoke to him about coming and giving a similar talk at next year's Taste of Scotland festival in Franklin, NC.

The above photo is of Adron L. Britt (left) and Bob Marin (right). Neither of these two characters really need an introduction, but Adron is the maker of the fine Ferguson Britt line of sporrans we are now proud to carry in the Museum's gift shop, and Bob is a kiltmaker (retired) and kilt historian, who taught yours truly how to make kilts. Adron is wearing the Burnett tartan in a feilidh mor and Bob is wearing a plaid in the Marin tartan, a waistcoat in the Campbell, and (though you cannot see it in this photo) a box pleated kilt in the "R. W.'s Fancy" tartan (his personal tartan). (By the way, those are Mark Harden's hands to the right grasping the single malt and pointing commands).

Lastly, a group shot. From left to right: James A. Bullman (my co-author on the Compendium of District Tartans), wearing a fine tweed Inverness cape (that he could have sold nine times over today!), and a 5 yard Kinguisse pleated Roxburgh tartan kilt that you cannot see; Bruce Ball, a friend of Bob Martin's who designed his own Ball tartan and made his own kilt; Marjorie Warren, of Thistle Studio, a very talented tartan handweaver; and yours truly.

I had a great day, spent some good times with friends, and managed to leave only buying a cup of coffee, a meat pie, and two heather plants that will soon be in my garden!

Computer problems

2007-10-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like the Newsome family computer may have to be put down. It seems to have developed a terminal illness a few days ago. It's in the shop now and we are more than likely going to have to get a new hard drive. I will likely be without it for the next few days.

This means that I'm having to check my personal e-mail from work, and my available time to do that during the day is intermitant. I'm trying to get urgent correspondance taken care of, but if you have emailed me over the past few days and have not yet received a reply, that is why. Please be patient. I'll endeavor to get caught up on my correspondance in a few days, when hopefully we will be back on line at Casa Newsome.

UPDATE: 11/02/07
Our computer is back up and running with a brand new hard drive and loads of extra memory, so all would seem to be well (other than having to spend last night reinstalling everything, rather than making kilts as I should have been!). Now to get to those backlogged emails.....

Report from Stone Mountain

2007-10-22T18:19:00.001-05:00

As promised, a post with kilt pics! We have returned from the 35th Annual Stone Mountain Highland Games, a little road weary but none the worse for wear. It was another banner year for the museum. We were able to assist many people in finding a tartan, answered many Highland dress questions, and had a successful sales weekend for the gift shop, as well.

We had many people comment on the quality of our merchandise, telling us that we had the nicest offerings of the varied vendors at the Games. This is always nice to hear! I have endeavored to have the name of the Scottish Tartans Museum associated with quality Highland wear, so it is nice to know that folks notice.

We were so busy on Saturday that I quite literally only left our tent twice (both for reasons of, shall we say, necessity). Sunday was a little less hectic, and I did take the opportunity to walk around a bit Sunday morning and see some of the sights. I got to chat a bit with Larry Long (famous on this blog for his unusual kilt, featured here); Flora MacDonald Gammon and John Dall; the good folks with the Scottish Spinning and Weaving Society (Marge Warren and Betty Johnson); Rennie & Vicki McLeod, of Scotpress; Henry & Rebbecca Scott, of Purple Heather Pottery; the crew of Caledonian Fine Arts, and others. I took my wee son Alister out for a walk and he got more attention than anything. Of course I don't mind being outshone by my offspring!

On Saturday, I did get a chance to talk a bit with Tom Mungall, owner of the Scottish Attire mailing list. He introduced me to his son, Jamie, and later during the day I got to meet a friend of his, and fellow Scottish Country dancer, whose name I cannot recall but who was wearing an Elliott tartan. (He commented on the fact that I was sporting an Armstrong crest shirt, and that we were fellow border reivers). I also ran into a few other Scottish Attire list members, such as Pam Brownlee and Jim Lovelace.

I also met several X-Markers (from http://www.xmarksthescot.com/), including Jim Lovelace (Cawdorian), John Miller (shiner), Turpin Ballard, and several others I just can't recall at the moment. Between talking to everyone, measuring for kilts, and answering questions, Saturday was rather a blur! Sorry I wasn't able to make it for the X-Marks photo shoot -- and I understand that there was quite a dinner gathering Saturday evening.

Lest I forget, I had the distinct pleasure to meet with Kathy Lare, kiltmaker from New Mexico, and her husband. Kathy is quite the elegant and well-spoken lady, and I feel privileged to have made her acquaintance. Everything that Ron MacDonald says about her is absolutely true! (Ron is another X Marks member who must have a dozen of Kathy's kilts -- his photo is on her web site).

Then there were all the friends, familiar faces, and regular patrons that we enjoy seeing each year at Stone Mountain, whose names are too numerous to mention.

Even though the museum tent was a very busy place the whole weekend, we were able to handle it all smoothly thanks to our wonderful help. So thanks to our museum staff, which -- aside from myself -- consists of Ronan MacGregor and Kathy Akins; our spouses who volunteer to help us for the weekend, Joannie, Mary, and Jim; and especially those volunteers who help out even though they are not married to us, Chuck Coburn, Ryan Ross and Bisel McWilliams. We couldn't do it without you (or wouldn't want to, anyway!).

Enough chat -- here are the pictures! Regrettably, I did not have the presence of mind to snap shots of many of the fine folks I met. So you'll have to put up with mainly photos of myself and some of my crew.

Here is a shot of the front of our museum tent. We had some shirt and hat racks out front. At certain times during the day the crowd was so thick I could barely see these racks from the tent! Right inside we showcased some lovely sporrans from the Ferguson Britt collection (including a Japanese Fallow deer, and several skunk, beaver, and raccoon fur creations). These were very much admired. The left side of the tent was dedicated to free tartan searches and answering questions on Scottish history and Highland dress.

This photo of myself with my wife, Joannie, and son, Alister, was from Saturday. Alister was a big hit at the Games. Our other kids all stayed home with the grandparents, but Alister is too young yet to be that far from his mom (and main food source!). He was an angel all weekend.

Of course, as we know, it's all about the kilt. I'm wearing a four yard box pleated kilt in the Armstrong tartan, red kilt hose (I knew I'd be seeing Tom, who didn't disappoint by wearing his own red hose), matching red garters, my beaver fur sporran, one of the new crest shirts from the museum, and a hand knit broad bonnet.

I think red hose look nicest with tartans like the Armstrong, that are primarily blue & green, but with a minor red element that the hose can really pull out. I think with a predominantly red kilt, the red hose risk being too much.

This is Chuck Coburn (left) wearing the Cockburn tartan in a four yard box pleated kilt, and Jim Akins (right) wearing his brand new Confederate Memorial tartan, in an 8 yard knife pleated kilt made by Barb Tewksbury, author of The Art of Kiltmaking.

Here are Chuck and myself on Sunday. My wife, who didn't tell me my tie was crooked, took the picture. I'm in another four yard box pleated kilt, in the St. Columba tartan. I'm wearing it with a light weigh Lochcarron Argyle jacket, tattersal shirt, blue tie (notice the matching garters), and my brand new shepherd's check hose that my wife just finished knitting for me. (The medal I'm wearing is my Guild of Tartan Scholars medal, in case you are wondering).

Chuck is in a blue Harris Tweed kilt that I made for him (also a four yard box pleat). Here's a rear shot to show the pleats.

I'm really thrilled with these hose! They took my wife quite some time to knit, and she was using a new pattern from a book she recently acquired. She finished them just in time for the Games (literally on the drive down). I'm quite pleased with the color and design (I chose a natural cream shade and a dark brown). I had several compliments on them throughout the day, and not a few enquiries about where one could get a pair, or how much my wife would charge to make them (I had to marry her -- get your own talented wife!). :-) Joking aside, she made these for me as a labor of love. When asked how much she would charge to make a pair for someone else, her price quote was "a million bajillion dollars." So start saving your coin -- or learn to knit!

Sunday is always the hardest day, just in terms of stress. We are exhausted from Saturday to begin with. My wife and I got up early to make it to a 7:00 am Mass before heading back onto the field. Then it is all day at the Games, just like on Saturday. Only instead of heading out to dinner after the field closes, we must pack up our tent and drive three hours home. Someone suggested I could retire from this line of work and find another job -- not on your life! :-)

The museum was closed today, as well, for unpacking, re-stocking, and inventory. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will resume normal hours of operation (10 to 5, Mon-Sat). For those of you who may have come by to see us in Franklin over the weekend, we are sorry we missed you. And for those of you who saw us at the Games, we'll see you next year!

Heading Down to Stone Mountain

2007-10-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it has been some time since I posted anything new here. So my readers do not feel neglected I thought I'd jot this wee note before heading down to the 35th annual Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, GA, tomorrow morning. This is the largest Games we (the museum staff and crew) attend during the year, and one of only two that we bring gift shop merchandise to vend at (the other being the Greenville Games in SC).

Normally when we attend this type of event we set up an information booth where we look up tartans, answer questions about Highland Dress, and of course promote the museum. At Stone Mountain we do all of that, of course, but we also provide a selection of items from our gift shop. It's a great sales weekend for us, and the revenues from this event really help to keep the museum funded throughout the winter months, when the tourists are not out in as great a number.

Speaking of tourists, they come to the mountains in force in October! Which is one reason I have been so busy lately. We have had one full day after another at the museum lately. The greater number of visitors we see this time of year, together with preparing to go to Stone Mountain, has me "seeing red!"

Just kidding! The above photo is the result of the Lasik surgery I just had one week ago today. The red you see in my eyes is the result of bruising from the procedure. It's a normal thing that will fade in about another week. I can't even feel it, but I sure do get the comments from our museum guests! I think I might wear my sunglasses down at Stone Mountain so as to not scare the small children. :-)

Seriously, though, the Lasik surgery is amazing. I went from something on the order of 20/1000 vision to 20/20 or better in a matter of seconds. The evening of the surgery I was checking email, watching tv, and even sewing a bit on a kilt. This is one piece of modern technology that really delivers the promised results and I am fantastically happy with my decision. I heartily recommend it to anyone considering it. It actually corrected my vision, as opposed to simply relieving the symptoms of my poor eye sight, which is what my contacts and glasses did. So I'm a happy customer!

Enough about that. We've also been busy at the Newsome household with our newborn son, Alister, who is seven weeks old. Obligatory cute baby picture below.

What with things at the museum being so busy, and things at home being busy as well, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not quite as attentive to my emails and blog posts. Things should quiet down some after the weekend, though. Be aware that the Museum will be closed Friday-Monday this weekend (we take Monday as an unpacking/inventory day), so emails won't be answered till after that time.

And if anyone has sent me an email and is still waiting for a response, please be patient and I'll try and get all my correspondence caught up with after the weekend. In the meantime, anyone going down to Stone Mountain for the Games, please come visit us at the Scottish Tartans Museum tent and say hi!

When I get back, I promise, my next blog post will have a kilt and/or tartan in it!

Hand Knit hose (work in progress)

2007-09-13T06:16:00.000-05:00

So, my wife is a knitter of many years, and though she has some experience making socks (including a nice pair made from wool we purchased on our honeymoon in Scotland that I love wearing during the winter), she has never made a pair of kilt hose. Until now!

She has several books she is referencing, including Designs for Knitting Kilt Hose & Knickerbocker Stockings, by Veronica Gainford (originally published in 1978, reprinted 2006); Knitting Scottish Kilt Hose & Hiking Socks, by Joanne Gibson Hinmon (2000); and Cables Untangled: An Explanation of Cable Knitting, by Melissa Leapman. This last book is not a kilt hose book, but it has lots of great cable patterns that can be incorporated easily into hose.

She recently completed her first pair for me, in a beautiful shade of loden green, with a cable knit pattern from the aformentioned book. I love them and think they are great -- however, they are her first attempt and she sees every flaw, so out of charity to her I won't post the pictures. The pair she is working on now are from the Gainford book, and are in a design called "small shepherd's check." (There is also a pattern for a large shepherd's check, which would essentially be the diced hose we are all familiar with -- maybe my next pair!).

For this pair I selected a nice off white color called "natural heather" and a brown called "mink brown." I think the combination is very earthy and will go well with many of my kilts. As a proud husband, I thought I'd show a photo of her work in progress, along with a quote from the Dowager Lady Gainford.

"A certain young man came to stay in Scotland for some shooting and a highland ball. He arrived wearing machine made stockings with plain ribbed tops. So shocking was this to his host's family, that two daughters of the house got to work immediately with wool and needles, and within twenty four hours had made him a pair with good design, so that he could appear properly dressed. Nothing else would have been thought decent or correct. What the young man thought on this occasion is not revealed." -- from her 1978 forward, relating a story told her by one of the knitters whose pattern appeared in the book.

New Beaver Sporran

2007-09-07T18:43:00.000-05:00

The above lovely critter is my new sporran from the Ferguson Britt collection. It was hand made by L. Adron Britt, master sporran maker. Some of you who have attended some of the Highland Games here in the American southeast may have seen some of his creations.

We are now carrying his line of sporrans through the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop. Click here to see his sporrans. The introduction of his line represents a continuation of our efforts to showcase the finest examples of quality Highland dress. In this case we are especially proud not only to carry the work of a semi-local artisan, but also to make available to our clients the best that hand crafted tradition has to offer. Adron's leatherworking skill is apparent to anyone who has the good fortune to handle one of his unique creations.

The sporran above I just had to have for myself! The fur is beaver from Quebec, which is naturally dark in color (almost black). It is paired here with black deer hide for the all-leather cantle and black elk braids. I've dealt with sporrans in many different furs, including rabbit, seal, badger, fox and muskrat. But I have to say that nothing in my experience compares to the softness of beaver.

When I bought this sporran my initial thought was that it would be reserved mostly for formal occasions. But I've found myself wearing it casually quite often. It helps had a certain "flair" to my standard daily kilt wearing. Maybe it's because it's the newest sporran in my collection... or maybe it's the irresistible feel of the beaver fur. But I find myself reaching for this one most often in the mornings getting dressed.

The Ferguson Britt collection features many different styles of sporrans, all historically inspired. Some are all leather, some incorporate fur. This one is called the Glengyle, and can be had with or without fur -- and he has some nice furs to offer right now, including some unusual varieties such as bobcat, and even (for a limited time) Japanese fallow deer! Most of them sell in the same price range as one expects in a high quality dress sporran. But unlike most commercially available dress sporrans, one can instantly tell that these were made by an artists, and not spat out by a factory.

Below are some thumbnail images showing different shots of my new sporran. I keep saying to people that you just have to see these in person to appreciate the quality of them, so these close-up shots are my attempt to convey that. If this post sounds like a Ferguson Britt commercial, it is! I'm just really impressed with the quality of this item, and when I find something as nice as this I want to pass it on to the rest of the Highland dress community.

The back is made from deer hide.

The cantle is all-leather. I forget how many layers he said are in it, but it is thick! Very solid, and the elk hide braid detail is especially nice.

The inside is lined with elk suede.

And the pouch itself is more than ample. I normally carry my wallet, work keys, home/car keys, cell phone, and spare change with ease. When I need to add my checkbook (with it's thick leather cover), it easily fits in, as well.

All in all, I recommend any sporran from this line to someone who wants something unique, historically inspired, suitable for casual or formal wear, historic or modern, and who can appreciate true hand crafted quality (which is getting harder and harder to find these days!).

One of my kilts on Ebay!

2007-09-06T07:07:00.001-05:00

No, I'm not the seller. But this is a kilt that I have made for someone in the past, which someone informed me is being auctioned off at Ebay.

It's a MacDonald modern, box pelated kilt, made from Lochcarron's 16 oz strome cloth. 42" waist and 23" length. The "buy it now" price is $250.

Base cost for most of my box pleated kilts is $350, so this is a good deal for anyone interested. Auction ends Sept. 10, so anyone interested follow this link.

Another Milestone

2007-08-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

This weathered Gordon box pleated beauty above, made for Turpin Ballard (proprietor of Thorfinn's Sporrans), represents another Milestone in my kiltmaking carier. It's the 200th kilt I have made! It was only September 27th of last year that I posted on this blog of my 100th kilt. At that time, I listed out all 100 tartans (and a few non-tartans) of the kilts I had made. I didn't anticipate that such a list would generate much interest, but a lot of you seem to have gotten a kick out of seeing the variety in the list (or finding where your tartan stood on the list, I suppose).

So, in keeping with that tradition, here is the second "century" of my kilts. As was the case with the first 100, the great majority of these have been box pleated kilts made from heavy weight cloth. There were a few five yard knife pleated kilts and a couple of lady's skirts thrown into the mix, but most of these were four yard box pleaters.

101. Galbraith ancient
102. Hay hunting ancient
103. MacDonald modern
104. Scott hunting ancient
105. Paisley ancient
106. County Kerry
107. Lamont weathered
108. MacKenzie modern
109. Red Gordon weathered
110. Gunn ancient
111. German National
112. Lovat Blue tweed
113. Charcoal tweed
114. Dunlop modern
115. MacNeil modern
116. Ferguson ancient
117. Federal Memorial
118. Rob Roy (movie tartan)
119. Grant Hunting ancient
120. Grant Hunting ancient
121. Grant Hunting ancient
122. Grant Hunting ancient
123. Peeper
124. MacKinnon Hunting ancient
125. MacPherson Hunting (Harris Tweed)
126. German National
127. Carolina modern
128. MacKenzie modern
129. Fitzgibbon
130. Cuming Hunting modern
131. Hunting Stewart, regimental
132. Sackett
133. Irvine ancient
134. X Marks the Scot
135. Hunting Brodie weathered
136. Black Watch, regimental
137. MacGregor modern
138. Drummond of Perth modern
139. Maxwell modern
140. Lovat Blue Harris Tweed
141. Fraser of Lovat
142. Henderson weathered
143. MacDonald weathered
144. Carnegie ancient
145. Moncrieff ancient
146. Ross Hunting weathered
147. Maxwell modern
148. Ulster (brown)
149. MacCormick
150. MacCormick
151. Lamont ancient
152. Hamilton modern
153. Hamilton modern
154. MacDonald of Glencoe
155. Bryce
156. MacGregor weathered
157. Harris Tweed (blue, green & tan check)
158. Harris Tweed (lovat green)
159. Iowa
160. MacLaren ancient
161. Fitzsimmons
162. Harris Tweed (blue, green & brown check)
163. US Bicentennial (US St. Andrews)
164. Austin/Keith ancient
165. County Fermanaugh
166. Sutherland modern
167. Isle of Skye
168. MacDonald of Clanranald ancient
169. Lamont modern
170. MacFarlane hunting modern
171. MacLean of Duart modern
172. Campbell ancient
173. Saffron
174. Lamont ancient
175. Blue Alba
176. Boyd modern
177. Watson ancient
178. Watson ancient
179. Matheson modern
180. Watson ancient
181. Watson ancient
182. Davidson modern
183. MacKenzie, regimental
184. MacDonald of the Isles hunting, modern
185. MacDonald modern
186. MacGregor ancient
187. County Limerick
188. MacKenzie modern
189. Ulster (brown)
190. MacGregor ancient
191. Smith modern
192. MacIan/MacDonald of Ardnamurchan modern
193. Duke of Rothesay Hunting
194. Stuart of Bute
195. Greene
196. X Marks the Scot
197. Henderson muted
198. brown Harris Tweed
199. blue Harris Tweed
200. Gordon weathered!

Update on a National Register

2007-07-10T05:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post here! All I can say is that I've been busy making kilts for folks, so that's a good thing if you have ordered a kilt from me -- a bad thing if you enjoy reading my blog! Seeing as my kilt clients pay me more than my blog readers, you'll forgive me for not being that attentive to this little corner of the internet of late...

In any case, I felt the need to post about the latest update on the proposed national tartan register in Scotland. The Scotsman newspaper has an article on the subject in today's edition:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1072292007

It seems that things are moving forward, and I was pleased to see the Scottish Tartans Authority (STA) getting good mention. (They also make mention of "a smaller list ... in Dunkeld" which I assume is this one.) STA director of operations, Brian Wilton, is quoted extensively.

Many are under the impression that one of these other tartan databases is the "official" one, but the reality is that these two, and all prior to them, are private entities with no government sanction whatsoever. The purpose behind having a government register is really to give some clarity to the situation that currently exists with multiple tartan recording bodies. It may not put an end to them all, but at least once would be able to say, this one is the recognized National Register, and any others are not.

However, I always thought it would be somewhat daft of the Scottish government to attempt to create a new register altogether. Why reinvent the wheel? Unless neither of the two current recording bodies are doing a competant job (here we are talking about the STA and the Scottish Tartans World Register -- the Scottish Tartans Society ceased to maintain their Register some seven years ago), there is no need to create a third. My feelings have been that the government would be better served selecting one of the existing bodies and giving it their "blessing" as the official National Register.

And I think the International Tartan Index, maintained by the STA, is the obvious choice. Why do I say that? It has nothing to do with favoritism or personal opinion, just pramatism. The ITI currently contains over 4500 unique tartan designs. (Some may note that new tartans are being assigned numbers upwards of 7000 -- this is because when a tartan is removed from the ITI for whatever reason, be it a record that is in error or a duplicate entry, that number is not reissued; hence the oft-cited lower number of 4500 tartans, give or take). The STWR claims on their web site to have some 2600. So the ITI is the more complete of the two databases.

Also, the ITI would seem to be the industry standard. In my line of work at the museum, I am in contact with most major tartan producers in Scotland, and the bulk of them record their new tartans designs with the STA, and rely upon the STA for tartan information. If the government wants to sanction a tartan register, you want it to be one that the folks that make tartan actually use.

Lastly, to the best of my knowledge the STWR is operated by a single couple. And though they may be doing a wonderful job, it's just the two of them. And none of us will be around forever. Whereas the STA is operated by a board of governers made up of a cross-section of those both in the tartan industry and in tartan academia, with a membership body existing in the UK, USA, and elsewhere. It would seem that they have the structure in place to ensure continued existance well into the future.

All of this is simply my opinion, for what it's worth. I wonder if any Scottish MPs read my blog?

I will end by just commention on how painful it is to read the comments people feel the need to post on The Scotsman's web site any time they run an article on tartan. It just goes to show that ignorance is still rampant regarding this subject. The first comment I read posted after the article this morning stated that the Court of the Lord Lyon was the official government register of tartan. Of course this is not the case, as you can read on the Lord Lyon's web site.

However, you cannot blame the person for their ignorance. I recently found a book on tartan published in 2005 that still made the claim that in order for a tartan to be "real" it must be recorded by Lord Lyon, and that you could be charged with a 25 pound fine if you are caught in Scotland wearing an "unofficial" tartan -- seriously!

With any luck, having a National Register may put at least some of this nonsense to rest.

Gatlinburg Games & New Sgian Dubh

2007-05-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I attended the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Highland Games. These are some of my favorite. A nice, mid-sized games with friendly people, and since I've been going there for about ten years staight, I know the layout and the area pretty well. Good to see familiar faces. Also good to see some of my kilts getting good use. I ran into two gentlemen sporting kilts I had made for them over this past year. The one pictured below is in the Moffat tartan. (That's Pat McCabe behind him, star of my "Sharp Dressed Man" blog post).

This next picture shows the Buchanan Old tartan, weathered colors. I really like this one. I think if I were a Buchanan this would be the tartan of choice for me! Both of these two kilts are box pleated, as you can see, and made from Lochcarron's 16 oz Strome cloth.

Also while there I ran into Donnie Shearer of www.TheMadPiper.com. Donnie does some excellent work with blades, including some restoration work on a couple of peices in the Scottish Tartans Museum. I was hoping to see him so that he could take a look at an old Victorian by-knife that I bought from an antiques dealer about a year ago. It was being sold as a sgian dubh, and apparantly someone had decided at some point to use it for that purpose. A by-knife is part of the knife and fork set that is part of the sheath on some dress dirks. This one was by itself, and was housed in a leather sheath that really seemed too large for it.

I bought it to use as an interesting sgian dubh, and have worn it for that purpose a few times over the past year. However, the sheath nearly swallows the knife whole, only showing the top part of the handle, and is very bulky in my sock. I thought I'd have Donnie craft a smaller, simple, black leather sheath that would encase just the blade and make the knife more comfortable to wear.

So I showed the by-knife to Donnie and asked him if he could make a sheath for it. "No," he said, "I'll make you a whole new sgian dubh!" As it turns out, Donnie has a nineteenth century dirk that is missing the by-knife and this is just the perfect thing to complete that set. So, in exchange for this by-knife, he's making me a new sgian dubh, a reproduction of one that he refurbished for the museum a while back (pictured below). This one has a bery generously sized handle (compared to modern sgians dubh), and is carved blackwood. It dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s (before WWI). (The gentleman in the photo, by the way, is the original owner of the sgian dubh, as far as we know).

So all in all a great weekend. The weather was perfect, lots of kilts, lots of tartans, good pipe bands, and I may be getting a nice new sgian dubh to boot!

Tartan Day at the Tartan Museum

2007-04-09T06:37:00.000-05:00

This past Friday, April 6, was National Tartan Day. We celebrated it at the Scottish Tartans Museum in our customary fashion with an Open House. Free admission all day, guided tours, and a complimentary luncheon of hand made Scottish foods offered by members of the Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum.

Here are just a few pictures of the day's activities. Below is Jim Akins helping himself to a snack. Jim will be familiar to those of you who visit the museum on Saturdays. He and his wife Kathie are our "weekend warriors." Jim is wearing a box pleated kilt in the Gordon tartan, which I made for him from an old regimental piper's plaid.

We had lots of kilties visiting from out of town. Below are Ryan Ross and Bisel MacWilliams. These young guys always help us out at the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta each year. Obviously they decided to dress up in their finest Scottish formal wear for Tartan Day... or not! You can't accuse these guys of taking themselves too seriously. Ryan is wearing the New York City tartan, by the way (box pleated kilt that I made for him) and Bisel is in the ancient Gunn tartan, a kilt he bought from the museum years ago.

Next is a shot of the gift shop, where we had the food tables spread out. Enjoying themselves are a couple of kilties from the X Marks the Scot forum who drove up from SC for the day. John (better known on the forum as MacWages) is wearing a newly completed Carolina tartan kilt that he made himself. He brought with him the infamous "Dreadbelly" whom forum members will instantly recognize. After meeting him, I can truly say he is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, wearing sunglasses! :-)

Wayne Millar (of the Clan Bell Society) also joined us for the day and was even drafted into service as a volunteer tour guide. Thanks, Wayne! I included this picture to show off his new US Army kilt, which he ordered from us last summer. It looks especially sharp pleated to the yellow line, as you can see in this side-shot.

Last but not least, here is a shot of yours truly. I wore my Carolina kilt with my hew Harris Tweed jacket and vest (yes, it was cold enough for it!) - click to make the wee image bigger!

Balmoral Kilt Hose

2007-03-29T19:18:00.000-05:00

I thought some of you might appreciate a closer look at the Balmoral kilt hose I mentioned in my last post. These are a really great way to add a bit of uniqueness to any Highland outfit, and depending upon the color selection, can serve just as well for both casual and formal occasions.

For those interested, we are now offering these through the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop. They retail for $135. I know for some this is a bit pricey, but remember that each pair is custom made, and the tops of these are entirely hand knit. And these are still priced well below the going rate for custom Argyle knit hose. In fact, these are a great "in-between" hose -- not as formal or costly as the full Argyle, but above and beyond just the plain solid hose.

Here is how it works. You select your own combination of up to 5 colors (the body of the sock, the two colors of the basket weave, and the two colors of the stripes at the base of the fold-over). You can select from any of the seventeen colors available in the Lewis hose we also sell. We will also need to know your shoe size, of course. Your hose will then be specially made for you (please allow several weeks!).

I'm wearing my pair here with a set of traditional garter ties, which are recommended as they come in the same color selection. However, standard garters would work just as well.

Just like the Lewis hose, the Balmoral hose are made from a 50% Merino wool (extra soft!), 50% Acrylic blend that is both comfortable as well as easy to care for. I wash mine with my other kilt hose in the machine in cold water on the gentle cycle, and allow to air dry. Also like the Lewis hose, these are made extra strong at the toe and heel for an extra long life.

To order yours, you can call the museum's gift shop at (828)524-7472, or just order on line. They are listed about mid-way down our kilt hose page.

Web Site Back Up & New Goodies

2007-03-29T18:16:00.000-05:00

Those of you who tried to access my web site (or this blog) late yesterday or the first part of today will have noticed that the site was down. Since you are reading this now, obviously everything is back up just fine. The issue, it seems, was one of bandwidth. It seems that the traffic on my site had exceeded my monthly bandwidth allotment.

This has happened to me only once before, about a year ago or so, and I simply bought more bandwidth to fix the problem. I thought at the time that I was purchasing enough to handle whatever traffic my wee little site might generate. I guess I was wrong!

Without getting into specific traffic stats, albanach.org and its dependant sites (such as kilts.albanach.org and this blog at blog.albanach.org) have been slowly but steadily growing in popularity. Over the course of the past year, my monthly average bandwidth use has more or less doubled. However, for some reason that I have yet to figure out, this past month has been a different story. My bandwidth for March increased by a factor of ten! It was such a dramatic rise that I thought for sure it must be some kind of glitch, or maybe a hacker had gotten in and sabotaged my site!

But, no, I was assured by those who know more about this stuff than I do that such was not the case. I really am getting that much more traffic. So for a few extra pennies a month I've upgraded to a new hosting plan that will hopefully be able to handle the volume of traffic this site has been getting. By the way, thank all of you who have enjoyed my site and chosen to share it with others!

And, just so there is something kilt related in this post, I thought I'd share with you some photos of my latest kilt goodies.

Here I am sporting my brand new Harris Tweed kilt jacket and vest, that you read about in a previous post. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. It fits well, and looks great with most of my tartans. Here I am wearing it with my Mull tartan kilt. I've also worn it with my Armstrong, Carolina, and MacQuarrie (Cockburn Collection, muted colors) and it looks great with each. It came in while the weather was still cool, so I got a few chances to wear it before the warm temperatures arrived. I know I'll be getting a lot of use out of it come Fall.

Also, recently, some Balmoral kilt hose I ordered came in from Hawick. These hose are fantastic! The sock itself is made the same was as our Lewis kilt hose (follow the above link), from a Merino Wool / Acrylic blend. Very soft, very comfortable, very high quality (and easy to care for). But the upper is completely hand knit in the colors of your choosing, to tone with your tartan. You design your own look. Below is a pair I designed for wear with my Carolina tartan kilt. I chose the brown hose to tie in with my brown leather accessories, and I think the effect is quite pleasing.

Lastly, below I am pictured with my partner-in-crime at the Museum, Ronan MacGregor. My hose were designed to match my Mull kilt, and Ronan selected his colors to wear with his Black MacGregor tartan (a personal variation of the MacGregor sett that he had woven for his kilt).