#wearingmongrels

After over 10 years of making Mongrel Socks, we must have turned out many thousands. Still, I can't quite explain the buzz I get when I see someone wearing something I made.
Happened at the supermarket yesterday. Next aisle from ours, minding thier own business. Loz and I both checked out this blokes feet, and had to stop ourselves from interupting the poor fella's shopping to say "Hey, we made those!" It got us to thinking just how far our humble Tasmanian Merino socks, arm/leg warmers etc have travelled.
We are always pumped by the stories our customers are so kind as to relay. Births, deaths and even marriages have had Mongrel Socks play a part! A longtime customer told us about seeing a play at the Sydney Opera House last week "Sex with Strangers" starring Jacqueline McKenzie, wearing our Mongrel Socks on stage! Nice! Would love a photo of that.
As we drove home from the supermarket we reeled off who we knew had worn or been given Mongrels or where they had been.
Here's a few of the people or places we came up with, in no particular order.....
Antarctica, K2, HRH Prince Charles, Jamie Dury, Kara Korum Hwy - Pakistan/China, On a glacier and a volcano in Iceland, Julian Clary, Numerous State and Federal Ministers, A Trucking Magnate, An AFL football team and 650 of their supporters, rafting down through the Yukon and the Franklin River, a full bridal party at Meadowbank, a number a babies born to Mums wearing Mongrels, Paris, Oprah Winfrey's best Gail King, Milan, the list could go on, but I've work to get back to, like making more socks.

Paris.......

This is the email we received from one of our lovely customers.

Hi there Mongrel sock people,

I spoke to you a few weeks ago at Salamanca Markets about a photo album that someone asked me to pass on to you, showing Mongrel socks in Paris.

Well, the album was in Hobart and I was in Launceston, so it took me a while to sort out the logistics of getting it to you.  It is now posted, so you should have it in the next couple of days.

How it came about that Mongrel socks went to Paris?

My brother-in-law, Eric, used to come over to visit us from WA and has been a fan of Mongrel socks since we gave him a pair for his birthday around 12 years ago.   He usually gets a new pair whenever he comes here.  He is now in Canada, the vice-principal of a school somewhere in the frozen north.

Well, a few years ago he bought a pair and gave them to a young lady named Michelle who was about to travel to Europe.  She is now married to a close friend of Eric.  As you will see by the first photo in the album, he attached a condition to his gift… which led to her taking some interesting pics of the socks conspicuously present on the Eiffel Tower.

Eric passed the album to my wife some time ago, asking that we forward it to you.  Sorry, we did have it sitting around for rather a long time.

Regards,

Ian

These photo's arrived in the mail. In a little album, Yay! So sweet.

And more.....
Have emailed Eric, and will try and contact Michelle. So nice for them to share these with us.
We'll be sure to send them each new pair of Mongrels. We can't wait to see where these one get to, or what they get up to. They'll be going to Perth, WA and Canada as it is.
We've got the nicest customers.

Traveling Mongrel

Big year for us, full of stuff we should blog about, but haven't. So rather that try to catch up we'll just start with today.
Our customers are the best!!!!!
Lovely talking to our customer Dana. Socks, kids, Tassie - our favorite things.
Also received an email from a customer with an mongrel sock story, we are genuinely touched that they would bring us in to the loop. The email was from a bloke who was asked to pass on a small photo album of "mongrel socks traveling" to us, by a friend. 

Evidently.......

A man visiting Tassie was given a pr our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks. By email bloke above.
Subsequently every visit later over the years he brought some more, for himself and as gifts.

On one gift pair of socks he wrote a lovely note. Asking that these "Travelling Socks" be photographed on the Eiffel Tower.
They were.  We'll post the photos here and on Facebook later, with permission. Just about to send the an email to the man who gave the "Traveling Mongrels" to make sure it's OK to post them. I'd also like to enter them in our Facebook photo comp. too.
I promise to blog more soon....