tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23785772987624834172010-03-02T22:08:36.833-08:00Great socks for unreal peopleSocks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-19483715358186046102010-03-02T22:08:00.000-08:002010-03-02T22:08:36.840-08:00

Wow, its been two months since I last blogged. I can't imagine why it's slipped my mind. Well.....actually I can! We hit the ground running this year and have been busy in the sock workshop ever since. The weather has been perfect here in Tassie, all the better for drying the socks. We have been taking advantage of the long, warm summer days (knowing that nothing is surer that the short, cold

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-68313553812029060312010-01-01T03:14:00.000-08:002010-01-01T03:14:34.293-08:00

Hobart saw in the new year in spectacular style. Mother Nature has out done the fireworks us mere humans have offered up, without the outrageous cost both $$$ and on the environment. Here's a photo I grabbed off the local news. Bloody brilliant!

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-46962540617209274062009-12-29T18:37:00.000-08:002009-12-29T18:37:13.748-08:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Busy not blogging, but flat out with the Xmas rush of orders. Mongrel Socks have been winging their way around the world this Christmas. All the while we have been busy producing, a few new colours and many more repeats of the old favourite mixes. The weather has been great here, many a good drying day. Here are a couple of the new colours

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-29468698047569409062009-11-26T01:33:00.000-08:002009-11-26T01:33:03.499-08:00

Putting my feet up last night, up on my lap jumped the little mongrel Ardie. Busily navel gazing, I noticed Ardies little feet, mine dressed in our pure wool Mongrel Socks and there were Kate Moss's nude toes too. Yep, right there in my lounge room. Actually Kate's always hangin' out there in the bean bag. My little darling works for a great recycling company Haul and she gave me a bean bag made

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-43071030031814312492009-11-14T21:45:00.000-08:002009-11-14T22:14:42.887-08:00

I have just seen the latest and last Mongrel Sock Machine Video Wow! We are blessed to know a budding film maker, who has so kindly made 3 short films featuring our Mongrel Socks one way or another. We've been building our new website for (it seems like forever), and that's the royal "we" because I am personally so IT illiterate. I think we go live this week. Yee ha! As a part of our online line

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-40231937052930405282009-11-10T14:00:00.000-08:002009-11-10T14:00:21.269-08:00

I was sent this photo from a customer travelling through Pakistan, on the Karakoram Highway which stretches 700 kilometers from Islamabad, through the Karakoram mountains and into China. The photo was taken in the Gilgit region, although it's a bit hard to tell. It must take a large degree of fearlessness to head in to Northern Pakistan given today's unstable climate. High in the Karakorum

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-88337019324641247632009-11-10T02:45:00.000-08:002009-11-10T02:49:13.306-08:00

Yay, summer is here! We've been enjoying some beautiful weather, all the better for drying our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks. The warmer weather has not only lifted our spirits, it has brought it has got all the wildlife, who call our place home, out and on the move. Nothing is quite so nice as mosying down to the workshop and nodding a good morning to Mr Echidna who's also out for a stroll, and

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-79386697012994019282009-10-29T22:31:00.000-07:002009-11-14T22:16:46.397-08:00

Mongrel Socks strut on the catwalk, along with all things wool, part of a great day in the bush at Woodsdale, Tasmania. Sheep shearing demos, the opening of the new community museum, good food and company, plenty of laughs all round especially when one of the boy's walked the boards with only one sock one, guess where the other one went? Who ever said size doesn't matter, didn't get around to

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-49400430121216386322009-10-28T05:48:00.000-07:002009-10-28T05:48:06.949-07:00

Burning the midnight oil, endeavoring to get a handle on our new websites shipping/postal logic. It's so hard. We really want to keep it simple but simple isn't always reflective of real cost's. So scratching my head big-time. It would be so much better if my socks were as light as a feather. Argh! They're not, my Mongrel Socks are quite simply substantial, and to wing them around the world takes

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-58953942099665697752009-10-25T03:44:00.000-07:002009-10-25T03:44:29.929-07:00

Oh my god! I've had a win. It's girl over the machine. I can't believe that I have managed to upload a photo! Image upload has not worked for months on our blog. Yee Ha! And what a nice photo it's chosen. Our little mongrel Ardie. Much loved at the home of Mongrel Socks - but looking like he'd rather be out chasing grasshoppers than having a pat. It's a hard life, but some ones got to do it.

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-36511620858277568132009-10-24T21:31:00.001-07:002009-10-24T21:31:34.674-07:00

In our own small way we endeavor to do the right thing environmentally and ethically. We source the majority of our yarn from Schoeller Spinning Group. Thier 20.5 micron Superwash Zefir is 2nd to none when it comes to quality and consistancy. The Climawool* they produce in the best we have found for replicating the qualities of Pure Wool but also adding a lightness and longevity making this a

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-65462710266087786802009-09-30T00:43:00.000-07:002009-09-30T00:43:20.356-07:00

Apart from making a living, loving the Mongel sock making process, over the years we've brought up a beautiful daughter. And today as a mum I feel like I've hit a milestone. My last day tuckshop duty, ever! I don't know that I'll miss the sandwich making, but I sure will miss "in-school" goss, and news. It has been a wonderful parenting tool for me. It enabled me to meet the kids, teachers and

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-36766054663698732072009-09-27T03:18:00.000-07:002009-09-27T03:30:42.849-07:00

Just loving the all the new colours in our Mongrel Tasmanis pure wool Head Warmer range, in the Arm/Leg Warmers as well. They've been getting a good reception at Salamanca Market, where we do all our market research, our customers down there have never lead us astray. You can always count on Tasmanians to be honest with their face to face feedback. Good or bad they're happy to let us know exactly

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-83334898638604079412009-09-27T03:06:00.001-07:002009-09-27T03:06:37.021-07:00

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-71244674310482055682009-09-21T01:02:00.000-07:002009-09-21T01:06:42.590-07:00

We feeling very lucky here at the house of Mongrel Socks. We've just finished viewing the latest Killertoothbrush mongrel video. I can't wipe the smile off my face. It's a beauty!!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZKd5Ha7Xw

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-20369946512154599952009-09-14T00:55:00.000-07:002009-09-14T00:59:58.383-07:00

Busy times here at Mongrel Socks. Just sorted most of our new web site shots, and all the other web stuff. Here's a couple of links to some cool very Mongrel Sock stuff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xWuibdp7EIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghxdtUBmGMg

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-90365322820299382952009-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:002009-08-25T16:30:54.145-07:00

Finally we have just taken delivery of some new wool supplies. Lucky for us with this delivery we were able to secure (long story) some 18 micron superwash pure wool merino. We usually go with 20.5 micron superwash as any smaller micron counts are hard to find and outrageously expensive. So as a result of the global financial crises, some else's loss is our gain. The colours are great, just what

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-83407746932553298502009-07-30T19:28:00.000-07:002009-07-30T19:40:13.731-07:00

I stumbled upon another blogger who mentioned us - Mongrel Socks - in their blog, it touched our hearts. Even more so when when I read the comments left by others. We hear great mongrel sock stories from customers but when I read the comment that someones mother loved our socks so much she was buried in them, it made hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I've always known I'll head to the other

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-41268009665651049262009-07-27T14:53:00.000-07:002009-07-27T15:04:16.943-07:00

It's all happening at the home of Mongrel Socks. We are the happy recipients of a TCF grant help to renew our website and improve online business practices. There's a whole raft of new products to get up and out on the new site and much work to be done to make all this happen. We are thrilled to have the help of a business professional, we could never normally afford. It is a real learning curve

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-53897666259044608982009-07-13T00:30:00.000-07:002009-07-13T00:52:56.312-07:00

Every Saturday finds us plying our socks at Hobarts Salamanca Market. We work quietly from our home based workshop every other day, so when Saturday comes around we are well and truely ready to get out amongst it. Saturdays are manic, up at before dawn and do nothing but talk all day. Long before the Market go'ers have arrived we've had a few cups of coffee, caught up with some of our favourite

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-25651724067878097452009-07-06T03:56:00.000-07:002009-07-06T04:27:29.690-07:00

Well, we are one month in to the first trials of our new product space-dyed mercerised cotton socks, and still smiling. It's always a bit of a gamble when producing a new product line, and though-out it's development it is only when a customer actually buys them that you know you are on the right track. One off purchases are not a true indictation of potential, repeat purchases are the ones that

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-10173030710170381682009-07-02T23:43:00.000-07:002009-07-02T23:55:15.118-07:00

Thank goodness June 30 has come and gone, we've spent days counting socks, all the while having to keep business ticking over. Mid winter and we've lot's of orders coming and going out for our Pure wool Mongrels. I'm constantly delighted at the little notes our customers, the good folk that they are, leave with our orders. It is so nice that people still take the time or even bother to

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-2689671783674771382009-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:002009-06-23T19:31:26.117-07:00

Well.....very busy times in the sweatshop. Lots of our pure wool mongrel socks being made and lots going out. All good. Apart from the fact that it is positively freezing in the shed, makes it hard to walk in to in the mornings. Once you've motivated your self in, no problem, but the psycological barrier is hard to get over. Like now.......the shed is calling and I am coming up with every excuse

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-28654117921332946622009-06-11T23:07:00.000-07:002009-06-11T23:55:02.141-07:00

Back from sunny Darwin, having had a fantastic trip. We did the lot....swimming at waterfalls and billabongs, chugging a few tasty beers, bqq's with real Territorians, getting eaten by mossies (no fun there) never a dull moment. The NT has a charm all of its own, and while Tassie is home and the only place I'll ever want to live, the territory is a taste of a different type. The people seem some

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2378577298762483417.post-67615462053985317472009-05-30T16:16:00.000-07:002009-05-30T16:26:32.030-07:00

Yay! Heading off to the Northern Territory this morning for a few sunny days, make a great escape from the really very crappy weather Hobart has had for the last week or so. Not that crappy weather isn't good sock weather, it is, just the sweatshop has turned in to a freezer, making sock production not much fun lately. A prefect time to get away. The far north of Australia isn't really the land

Socks Alivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12914184158181292516noreply@blogger.com0