Socks with wings

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 available in our pure wool Mongrel socks... One pastel pink/blue multi-coloured mix is very different to our usual strong colours, with the this years brown mix - very organic looking.

Lap Dog

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 out of an old jean's advertising billboard. It looks like Kate is curled up in it.

Fearless Mongrels!

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 Mountian range temperatures drop to well below zero, and I'm told our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks stood us proud.

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.

Salamanca Market Sock trials

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 really count. No matter how great the product is. True for socks as it is for, say, shampoo. When customers return to purchase more, you can pretty safely say you've nailed it! And I'm really happy to announce these great cotton socks are here to stay. The trials were successful. So glad because we could easily got it all wrong, as has been known to happen. Anyway, we 1st trialed with 3 styles, and two sizes, narrowed that done to a fine thickness 2 length, knee high and crew in 2 sizes. The colours are fantastic, we're aiming to have them online in the near future. Pure Cotton Socks are a big change to Pure Wool but with similar wild colours and natural properties. I'm seriously considering selling pairs of odd socks too, in this new line - Same, Same but Different. It's a thought.

It's raining socks

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 I can to to stay upstairs in the warmth. Sure there's some work to be done up here, blogging is not one of them. I've made all the calls, replied to emails, written up the mail orders, paid some bills and now I'm procrastinating, racking my brain to find some other really important, it can't wait thing to do that will keep me warm and cosy........thinking, thinking......no nothing. It's down to the shed I go. See ya!

The land of no socks.

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 of no socks, because we sell quite a few of our Pure Wool Mongrels there. Not for warmth, but strangely for keeping feet cool in the tropical heat. If you'vre got to wear shoes/boots you have to wear socks and the best ones are pure fibre, which takes sweat off the skin in hot conditions. Any enough of sock talk, socks will be along way from my mind for the next few days.

No pictures

It has been driving me mad trying to get some pictures uploaded on this blog - doesn't matter what I do it is just not happening. ARGH!
I'd love to post pictures of the range of mercerised cotton socks - they are truly something special.
I'm going to have to do some serious investigating other blog options - particularly hard for a I T illiterate like me.
The labels on the new cotton sock are great. Once again Georgie Fenton from www.bygeorgedesign.com.au has excelled herself. Apart from being a good mate for many years, she is a fantastic graphic designer. So good that we wouldn't be able to afford her. She did so much work for us in our early days designing our pure wool mongrel socks branding, paid in socks and much appreciation. We can't thank her enough for the help she's given our business - hopefully what comes around goes around.

Snail Mail

2 weeks before Christmas was a busy time for us getting those last minute online orders out. One of those Pure Wool Mongrel Sock orders was to Italy to an Aussie expat. Auspost quotes 7 - 10 days transit time, so week thought it would probably arrive by Christmas or shortly after. But no. I received an email from the customer in late January to let me know they hadn't arrived. She wasn't worried - and thought they would turn up and was happy to wait a bit longer as the Italian Postal Service is renowned to be slow. Over the next 2 months we communicated, waiting, waiting. Good thing I was sitting down yesterday when her email arrived to tell me they had arrived! Intact! Unbelievable! The Italian Airport Customs date stamp was Jan 31 2009, it then took over 6 weeks to get from there across town to be delivered. They certainly went the long way. I'm thinking the Postman's vespa must have broken down. As consequence we now have to change how we send those Italian orders, opt for the much dearer Express Post option, hopefully they'll arrive a bit quicker.

I'm back!

I just can't believe how long it's been since I last updated this blog. Nothing as exciting as a holiday has kept me busy, just lots on. On the sock front we've been busy in the sweatshop. actually really sweating because the weather has been great, just plugging away. Our pure wool Mongrel production has been steady, but the Tuff Mongrels have ground to a halt because the yarn(which we import from Germany) prices have gone through the roof. Our low aussie dollar has been a disaster. Making the product costs increase to a point where it is marginal. We'll just have keep an eye out for a good time to buy the yarn, until then it will be "go slow". We do have a new product nearly ready to hit the street. Its a pure mercerised cotton sock, aussie cotton and aussie made. Mercerised cotton is great wear, it is stronger and more absorbent than usual cottons. But the very best thing about our new range is the fact that our colours and very "Mongrel", much like our pure wool mixes but much lighter weight. Again, like our Mongrels no two socks is the same-sure makes pairing a challenge. The colours of course match but the the way the colours show is random. So every pair is a surprise. Just in the process of having the labels sorted then it will be all go-we can't wait. I must get back to work, but I have made a promise to myself that it won't be as long between posts.

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.

Socks to hats

Here at the home of Pure Wool Mongrel Socks, we are doing our best to reduce waste. It is a sad reality that when we produce our socks, sometimes the machinery chucks a wobbly and we make a few faulty socks. I just hate that because it costs the same to make rubbish as it does to make good ones. It's a crying shame to see our beautiful wool wasted. So over the years I have always packed and saved this excess in the hope that one day it might be useful for something and can be recycled. Well that day has come! I spent the best part of my day developing patterns for a new range of hats I hope to produce. I've posted a few photo's below. I intend developing these designs further, utilising knitted fabric I can't currently use, with a view to ending up with a funky (even a bit silly) range of unique pure wool head wear. The beautiful range of colours we knit our socks with,really lends itself to be shown off, not hidden under boots and shoes. Loud and proud! Wish me luck.

Socks, socks and more socks!

Another few busy weeks have spun by here in sock heaven. With lots of new wool arriving, the excitement of playing with the new colours, scratching our heads and rolling up our sleeves looking for somewhere to put it all. We found homes for all our new wool, all 1.5 tons of it, but of course to find room we had to do a pretty full on clean out, which is all good, just a big job. No stopping us now. We have needed to replenish a few of our stock colour's in the pure wool mongrel socks, before getting on the experimentation of new colour mixes. We have now got some new colours in the Tuff Mongrel wool/polyproplyene wool Climawool*, and can't wait to get these colours on the go. It will give a better range for our sock customer's to choose from too. Something they have been asking for in the Tuff Mongrel socks for quite a while.

check 123

I'm still busy taking sock photo's-it's driving me loopy! Our pure wool Mongrel Socks come in a lot of different colour's, and getting shots that show clearly the variation is proving difficult-even with my home made light box. I'm so glad I didn't go and buy one retail as I really haven't been happy with the "true" colour I'm getting. On a pure white back ground the colours look so washed out-not at all like the vibrant colour mixes they are. I know I'm probably doing something technically wrong but I've gone back to natural sunlight and taken a few shot's with a garden greenery background, I don't know why, but they just look better to me, so I'm going to post a couple here to have a look how'll they'll appear on screen. I know the back ground is not how other product's are presented online-and all the experts recommend plain white backgrounds for product shots, but I am leaning toward this greenery background for our soon to be renewed web site.

Mongrels on the move!

I've just received this photo along with a number of others taken by Mongrel wearer's while holidaying around a wintery Tasmania. This one's taken at Freycinet National Park on Tasmania's East Coast. Not far from the pristine beach of Wine Glass Bay. Don't be deceived by the clear blue skyed, sunny day. Typically of Tassie in winter, the day was clear but only 10 degC max temperature on the day. She was fine, preventing brain freeze with her pure wool "Mongrel Tasmanis" Head Warmer, and kitted out with her pure wool Mongrel Socks and Leg Warmers, she kept the cold at bay, and was able to enjoy the glorious day.

The long weekend

There's frost on the ground this morning, winter here in Tasmania has really set in. And with winter our pure wool sock sales step up. We have been busy making, making. Not too busy to take a the long week end off, however, which we did. We went up to a visit friends, who run a 3ooo acre property in the lake district of central Tasmania. The property is called "Currawong Lakes", and what a magic place it is. As a business, it is a very private game and fly fishing park, it has abundant wildlife. We were blown away by the quality of the facilities at the property. It has 5 or 6 cabins, a rustic lodge/restaurant with a state of the art kitchen, lake's stocked with trophy sized trout, clay target shooting range with another lodge there, breeding set up from egg incubation to pre-release pens for quail, pheasants and partridge and much more-all this is miles from anywhere. I am once again amazed at the diversity of endeavors here in Tasmania. This little island is a place where idea's (with a lot of hard work) can become a reality. Currawong Lakes is an idyllic property, not by accident, by design. The staff work hard to ensure it stays that way. Not only in so far as land management, but the guest's needs are always attended to, actively seeking to exceed their expectations. It wasn't all leisure while we were there. We did get around to discussing socks. Fly fisherman in their plastic waders, would really benefit from the comfort and warmth our pure wool socks can provide, so we are packing up a parcel of our pure wool Mongrel Socks for management to have on hand for any cold guests, we're also sending up some of our heavy duty Tuff Mongrels for the gamekeeper, who does a million miles on foot around the property, and needs socks that will stand up to a whole lot of hard work. Yep, the Tuff Mongrels will be just the thing. We will also, time permitting, get ourselves knitting up some over the knee wool socks. At the moment the game shooters have to import them, at great expense, from the UK. We'll be happy to fill that niche. Anyway best get in to my sock making day, but here's a link to Currawong Lakes, if anyone would like to have a look. www.currawonglakes.com.au

Yay!

I received this comment with an order this morning-I love it!

I hate socks, but I recently (two weeks ago) purchased a pair
of your pure wool mongrel socks while on holidays, I brought
them because of the color! and they were sooo soft. Since
wearing my mongrels I haven't worn a different pair of socks
since! I love them. Thank you for such a great product.
I have just placed an order for 3 more pairs for me and
2 pairs for hubby.
With love former sock hater.
Karen,
Drysdale, VICTORIA.

Real Wool Mongrel Socks

In recent times we've had a lot of feedback from customers regarding widely available "wool or woollen" socks. Many of these customers have been disappointed with the quality. This is solely due to the misleading labeling that many larger hosiery business's are now using, which means the consumer is not getting what they are expecting and paying for.
In Australia our labeling laws state that only products 92% Wool and over can be labeled as pure wool, only products with over 50% Wool can be labeled as wool blend or woollen, then they also must specify the other fibre content. This has not been happening. Our labeling laws are not actively policed. Customers have to rely on the ethics of the maker. Sadly, not all companies treat their customers with the respect they deserve. There is always the greed factor which will entice companies to stretch the truth on their content labeling-given the choice most customer's will choose say 80% Wool/nylon sock over a similar 50% wool sock-there is money to be made by lying.
What happens to consumer confidence when a product is misrepresented and performs badly is that in future they will turn away from all products with similar (but truthful) labels.
We have had competitors copy our product using not only recycled( low quality) wool but huge amount's of synthetics that are not listed on the label. One was labeled as 75% wool, when tested had only 3% recycled wool the rest of the sock was made up of miscellaneous synthetics. This is not a labeling error, it is a criminal act in my opinion. Designed to part customers from their money by misleading them. These unethical companies, treat their customer's with contempt, and erode consumer confidence in good quality wool products.
I like to take this opportunity to assure all our customers we use real wool. Real good wool. In our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks we source top quality 20.5 micron super wash merino wool-it is not recycled. Recycling is good, as for as wool goes, recycled for carpets, yes and for other uses that are not next to the skin, but recycled wool is a mixture of microns and cut short in the processing, making it potentially prickly on the skin. Not something we'd choose to wear. Good quality pure wool feels fantastic on the skin, it doesn't irritate, or felt when washed nd is so thermally effective that you can be warm when it's cold, and feel cool in the heat.
Our customers are assured that they are getting what they are paying for, when they buy any of ur Mongrel Socks. What is written on the label is all true.
We believe that karma with kick in for our fraudulent competitors and their stinky socks.

Times ticking!

I can't beleive it's already February. We've had a flat out month, it feels like we've been on fast forward. Hoping it's going to start slowing down soon, but I doubt it. Making our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks, has been keeping us most busy, keeping up supplies of our dozen'ish colour mixes in the four sizes, is a challenge alone, but when our other products like our Head Warmers and Arm/leg Warmers need replenishing.....we're running! We've had a bit of a wait on the production of our Tuff Mongrel heavy duty socks, but the new yarn supplies arrived yesterday so the Tuff Mongrel drought is over. We had sold out of a number of sizes and colours. We are knitting now!After waitng nearly 4 months for this order to arrive( it should have taken 6 weeks), we were beginning to think maybe it wasn't going to come at all. The Yarn is a very expensive hi-tec mix of 60% superwash wool ( the best kind) and 40% Polypropylene, we can't find one better, any where in the world. We have this one imported for us from Germany, Aussie grown wool, processed in Germany, and brought back in to Australia. We wouldn't bother if it wasn't for the fact that this stuff-Climawool*-is so bloody good. The people wearing this expensive fibre blend, love it, live and work in it, with these high performance socks, our customers get what they pay for. No consumer can ask for more than that, and we wouldn't offer less.

Tasmanian dollars and sense.

We’re big fans of all things Tasmanian. Not only do we proudly manufacturer ( and wear) our own Pure Wool Mongrel Socks, Tuff Mongrels, Mongrel Tasmanis Arm/Leg Warmers and Head Warmers, we always seek local product when ever we can. If it’s shopping for vegetables or browsing for a gift, we regularly look for a locally made product over an imported line. We do this for many for reasons. The main being we see the higher value of a dollar spent locally rather than spent on imported goods. A local dollar employs, it enables local enterprise to grow, it stays in the area, ready to be passed on again. It’s not only economic benefits that entice us to spend locally, more often than not, the quality of the local product is superior to the imported equivalent. One huge plus not to be over looked when buying locally is the environmental benefits. Obviously with less transportation, there is less carbon impacting, locally and globally. All good! So it’s more than dollars and cents, its dollars and sense. I’d like to introduce a few of the great Tasmanian made products I’ve found, here in this blogg space over the next few months. All can I personally recommend.
Meadowbank Estate Vineyard is located only a few kilometres from our place, in the beautiful Coal River Valley, over looking the Coal River. Not only is the situation idyllic, the wine is superb. Check out their website www.meadowbankwines.com.au and you’ll see all they have on offer, or even get out there and have a tasting and a bite to eat, the food is impeccable. Check out the FGR Riesling and Pinot Gris both are stunning, and are personal favourites.

Election 07

Woo hoo! We are finally at the end of the Aussie Election campaign, going to the poll in a couple of days, and what a long campaign it felt like. So in honor of this occasion I’d like to draw attention to a new Tasmanian book I've come across.
Most of our work manufacturing our range of pure wool mongrel socks etc involves very little “face” time with our customers, lots of the sales side of business is internet or phone based. So we relish our time every Saturday at Salamanca Market, where we sell our socks direct to the public. It’s always nice after a week of nothing but work to get amongst it. People, that is. Meeting locals we know, strangers we don’t and all sorts of interesting folk in between. Last weekend we met one such character. A local bloke, who is a freelance cartoonist, and has just released politically inspired collection of cartoons. There he was with a table at the market flogging his own book. We purchased a couple of copies for family Xmas gifts( signed by the author), so got to have a good look at the book, and recommend it to anyone who’s politically aware with a good sense of humour. The authors name is Jon Kudelka and can be found at: www.101usesforajohnhoward.com or www.kudelka.com.au
If you are not adverse to a little bit of fun being poked at our nations leaders, do yourself a favour and have a look.

Thanks

Here's a little note that came thru with an order today. It put a smile on my face and spring in my step.

Am so glad to find you on the net. Bought some socks from Salamanca Markets 5 years ago, and sent my sister to get more for me when she was down last year. I LOVE YOUR SOCKS.
Axxxxxxx
Katoomba. NSW.

We love our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks too, and not just because we make them.
It's because we wear them!
It's so nice to know we're doing something right.

Mongrels-the matchmakers!

It warmed my heart to hear this little story from a customer this week, who was stocking up on Mongrel Socks. As I served this women, she told me about being on a sent on a mission, specifically to get our gorgeous pure wool Mongrel Socks for her soon to be sister-in-law who lives interstate. She then went on to tell me that her brother met his future wife while attending a Buddhist Retreat, and that Mongrel socks brought them together. The retreat involved much meditation and silence, and during one of the meditation sessions the "universe" seated these two adjacent to each other. She noticed his far from ordinary socks, and later struck up a conversation, in passing, about them. There began a beautiful thing.

Sharing it around.

As a small business with a web presence we regularly receive unsolicited requests for one charity/fundraiser or another. Of course it is simply impossible for us to support most of these a causes( as needy as some are), but every once in a while we'll get a request that we just can't refuse. Two of these came through this week.
The first was a request for funky socks as prizes for a high school fundraiser. What caught our attention is the fact that is the same high school my partner( and his siblings) attended 30 years ago. Mullumbimby High School, is located in Northern NSW, not far from Byron Bay. A beautiful part of the world. Mullum High educated not only my partners family it has also seen a handful of their children go through too( our niece's and nephew's). In fact, one is currently studying there now with another 2 enrolling in the near future.
At first we thought one of the family must have suggested us, but when I contacted the organiser she told me she'd been trawling the web, dreaming of a holiday in Tasmania, when she came across our site, remembering she'd brought our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks when she was last down in Tasmania. Loved them and as she was also looking for donations for the fundraiser though she'd give us a try. You can but ask.
We live in another state now and have done for the last 20 years. Mullumbimby High School happy days were a long time ago, in a place far away, but are still recalled with fondness, and as such we are happy to contribute.
The second request came through from a church group in country Victoria. They are holding a "Mongrel Dog Show" and are looking for a sponsor, while we haven't reached a decision on what we will contribute, we will be supporting this one. It has simply tickled our fancy.

Mongrel Socks on the go!

Our Pure Wool Mongrel socks are great! We enjoy making them, creating new colour mixes, and to be quite honest, they are all we wear, ever. One of the best things about making great socks, is seeing them on other Mongrel lovers. It is such a buzz for us. It always makes me feel like I'm doing something right.So I thought I'd share a few pictures of Mongrel socks I spotted when I was out and about. These people have incredibly good taste in socks!