Dogs

The lovely Connie - looking very demure.

Sniffing out something...

It's a rather sporty look, as if she's a part of the lycra gang.

Our little mongrel Ardie.

Loving Mongrel Socks today. While the rest of the world seems to be going crazy, we’re safely ensconced down here in little old Tasmania. Feeling lucky. Lucky not only because Mother Nature has left us untouched by her fury, lucky because we get to do what we do. We beaver away making our socks, crossing paths with amazing people on the way. This week has been a beauty. We were contacted by a lovely online customer, with a very unusual request. She wanted a head warmer made for a doggie friend, Connie. She sent photo’s of the gorgeous girl and explained what the band was for. It seems this girly lives in the bush and has been getting grass seeds in her ears, which can be quite nasty for our canine friends. Her owner has fashioned a headband to cover her ears out of pantyhose which works but really is not a style that befits her. Allison wanted to give her one that looked great as well as doing the job. After we stopped laughing, team Mongrel Socks had a big and serious think about how to go about it. A few designs were drawn but after some discussion, and as much as we wanted to help, we all felt that while a modified Mongrel Socks headwarmer would look great, the rather large knit might not keep those grass seeds out as well as the fine knit of the pantyhose, Connie now wears. Now it just so happens a couple of months ago another of our lovely customers ( at Salamanca Market this time) left a cotton “hippie” headband at our stall by mistake. We took it back to the Market with us again and again but she failed to turn up looking for it. So it has kicked around our workshop since then - as I make my own headbands, it is not something  I’d use - as nice as it is. So.... as it's a fine knit, a pretty colour and a chance that it might just do the trick for the lovely Connie, we have sent it up to Allison along with her order of a couple of pairs of our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks for Connie’s owners. Who I understand have just moved to a rather cold part of Australia from somewhere very warm. So they’ll be needing those warm socks this winter. I can’t wait to hear how Connie fared. 
The same day we received Allison’s enquiry, we also had the pleasure to meet another of our customers, Annette, who works for the Tasmanian branch of the RSPCA. The same place our little Mongrel Ardie came to us from. She’s busy co-ordinating the annual fundraising Million Paws Walk in Hobart on 15th May 2011, and wondered ( as she brought a few pairs of socks) if we would like to be a part of it, one way or another. Hell yes, we sure would! Not sure what form it will take - will work the details out with Annette shortly.
We really like our customers, and dogs.