Socks is my life!

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 days of winter will arrive before long) and turning out as many socks as we can. We have also added to the Mongrel Tasmanis Sock team. We welcome Emma in to the fold. She's our new go to girl at Salamanca Market. We are so lucky to have her. While the little blossom studies at UTAS full time ( Zoology), she's giving us her Saturday's. Yay!

Head Warmer weather

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 what they think. Even via email our customers don't hold back. Often liberal with praise, ( I Like) but today we opened an email with lashings of unhappiness. Oh dear! A customer unhappy her pure wool socks wore out, we hear her pain. Sadly, the one reality in the life of Pure Wool socks is for all that is good, better than the rest, nothing is surer your Pure Wool Mongrel Socks will, without doubt, wear out, at some stage. Every wearer is differant, I regularly sell socks to folks who tell me they are replacing 4 year old socks that are still going strong, right next to someone who's socks have worn out in a few heavy wearing months. Why? goodness knows. But one thing we do know, if longevity is more important to comfort, best customers pick our Tuff Mongrel Socks over the Pure Wool. They won't be disappointed.

New Colours

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 we wanted and as of today we're off and knitting, and it looks like this lot will take us right through to the New Year, so now is an even bettert time to buy our Pure Wool Mongrels, Mongrel Tasmanis Arm/leg Warmers and Head Warmers.

Winter is here!

Waking up to snow on Mt Wellington is a sure sign that winter is here, and along with winter comes our busiest time. We've had a flurry of orders coming through online, very encouraging in these precarious economic times. Our sock machines have been working over time, and we have been madly trying to get a lot more of our Mongrel Tasmanis Arm/leg warmers made. They're one of my personal favourites, at our house they are always at a premium, first thing on and last thing off though winter. They're soft and warm. We are so glad we have not bowed down to the pressures of reducing our business costs and gone for a cheaper quality wool like most other sock manufacturers- the wool we have always used is the best quality that money can buy. The 20 micron superwash merino we go for, Aussie grown, is processed in Germany to cutting edge environmental and sustainable standards. A far better "bang for our buck" than the cheaper alternatives. Sure, it make's our products more expensive than some others but you can always rely on on the quality. "To get what you pay for" is something we have always done and will continue to strive for, and is a key to our business success. From 2010 all our wool will be free from "mulesing", and we thank PETA for putting pressure on the industry and forcing chance.

Bless our cotton socks.

Well Easter's come and gone - lots of chocolate in the shed, keeping our strength up. Not much time off as we gear up for the busy winter period. All good, better busy than not. Our new Mongrel Tasmanis mercerized cotton socks have come up a treat. The colours are gorgeous. Can't wait to see what our customers think. It's a bit scary really, Murphy's Law warns me that when I love something my customers won't. So we'll wait on tender hooks to see how this month goes with the new line, everything is crossed. x x x

8 sleeps 'til Xmas

I can't believe it's been a month since I last wrote. Here at the home of Mongrel Socks it' been a big month. Lots of orders coming in and going out. It's that time of year. I mentioned inthe last pot that I had been having a stab at making beanies, I did try to post some pictures but I couldn't get them up online. Anyway, I sold the lot! Which I'm taking as a very positive sign for the future of Mongrel Tasmanis Headwear. I'm still fiddling with the designs, and have come up with a one that I'm hoping will be a stayer. It's very unusual, loose and comfortable, and suitable for people who have lot's of hair or dreadlocks and even no hair. It can also double as a neck warmer-yes, a very versatile thingy. The beanies will go on the back burner, while we get ready for Xmas and the New Year-but I'm am happy to say they are evolving, and even happier with the fact we are able to make use of what would be waste knit otherwise.
We've got a new lot of Possum/merino socks due to be finished around the end of January, which will replenish our depleted stocks, they have gone off in the last few months. Yay!
Busy working towards our new website, will take a while but will happen.
Our pure wool Mongrel Socks will still be our focus for the next month at least, then we'll start on this years Mongrel Tasmanis Arm/leg warmers. Looking forward to playing with the colour mixes again to see what we come up can come up with. Oh well, best get back to work.