Argh! One of those days!

Some days things just don't run smoothly. For no rhyme or reason, things just go pear shape. We're having one today. Wish I could go back to bed and start all over again. Good thing every day is not like this one. Generally, when we hit the sock shop, things are pretty predicable, chores that need doing, get done. Today we made the necessary changes to one of our old Bentley Komets to go in to the Pure Wool Arm/Leg Warmer mode. Nothing too complicated, but changes never the less. Every thing we did was standard but a little fault appeared. Nothing that affects the end product, but it does make it more time consuming in the finishing off process. Not something we want to continue, when time is money. With these old machines the smallest of adjustments can make a huge difference. Hard to believe that a quarter turn of a screw, will result in dramatic changes to the end result. The rigmarole involved in identifying the cause of our problem is particularly time consuming. With every stab at a solution we have to knit more test runs. This is all very slow, and eventually tiresome. Especially when we are running out of things to try.
Anyway, these things are sent to try us.
Best I get my backside down to the shed and get back in to it.
Typically, I did try to upload some photo's of the machine, but my blogger won't let me post any photo's. Why? Who knows. Although it does seem par for the course today. I'll try to get some photo's up soon, well, whenever the cyber gods will allow it.

Rockin' Socks!

In the natural course of the sock business we come across many great people, from all walks of life. Yeah, there are those too, that I'll be happy never to lay eyes on again. Luckily the good far out weight the not so nice. Met one last week who was just a delight. A big lanky guy, carrying a banjo, looking for a pair of socks. Turns out to be a travelling muso (who forgot to pack socks), first time visitor to Tassie. He had a few gigs booked, and was looking for more. We chatted a bit, sold him some woolly socks( it's cold here at the moment) and before he went he gave us a CD of his recordings. YeeHa! By the time I finally got around to listening to it, I found the most fantastic sound coming from the stereo. Sort of bluesy/guttural/toe tapping stuff. It is all original music, and I'm wishing now I got a chance to see him play live. Definately next visit. The guys named was CC Thornely, the CD is titled " The Black Swan's of Tresspass". He rocks( in our socks!) And we wish him all the best.

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.