A lovely Salamanca Market day

After a break of a month, with Tom and Kels doing us proud at Salamanca Market, Loz & I hit the Market with renewed energy yesterday. Caught up with lots of our lovely fellow stallholder friends, sock customers old and new, and thoroughly enjoyed our day.


We had the fantastic Guerilla Zingari busking near us at Salamanca Market - lucky us!





Jewllery Designer Rebecca Roth's Xmas window has got us feeling all festive.

Rebecca's shop, in the Salamanca Arts Centre, not only showcases her own creations, but also emerging local artists. One of our favourite shops.

Dawn breaking over Seven Mile Beach as we left for the Market - the picture doesn't do it justice.

A wallaby  in our old bath salvaged from our bathroom reno, greeted us when we got home from Salamanca. It was a bizarre sight.

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.

Mongrel Socks on the map.

Stop looking we've found us! Well, google maps has anyway. Now our Salamanca Market customers will have an easier time finding us amongst the 300 strong stalls at Salamanca Market. A is the spot where our factory outlet stall is located on Saturdays, and also where the Tasmanian Woollen Company stocks our pure wool Mongrel Socks every day of the week.

The Tasmanian Woollen Company kindly stock full range of our Pure Wool Mongrel Socks.

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.

Oprah's Oz

 

As you have probably heard by now, the Oprah Winfrey Ultimate Australian Adventure airs in the US and Australia this week and we’re delighted that Tasmania will feature in the very first episode! 

After meeting Gayle King and Oprah's holidaying Ladies at Salamanca Market when they were down our way, team Mongrel Socks is very excited to see just how our much loved home will look to the rest of the world. Don’t miss it!  The “Oprah” show’s first Australian episode airs 19 January at 7:30pm on TEN.


Sock Days off, not off sock days!

The House of Mongrel Socks is now in to our long awaited "go slow" Xmas/New Year. Yay! We've stopped our manic production, Frithy has 2 weeks off, and we will just be doing the minimum to keep business ticking over. Amazing to still have online orders coming in ( even on Xmas day) we'll get them out quick smart, but that will be the only thing we'll hurry with until the 10th of Jan, when Frith is back on deck - wielding the whip. Apart from our usual appearance at Salamanca Market. Kind of like the tail wagging the dog, eh? Bless her, the wonderful motivational tool she is. Market day was on Boxing Day this year and we turned up mightily tired but greeted hordes of relaxed and happy customers, made for a lovely day. 2 cruise ships hit Hobart as well, and we met some lovely tourists too. Particularly the US family who kept coming back to our Mongrel Socks stall again and again. They all were delightful, from the youngest to the oldest. I always am thankful for the lovely customers we have, and the people "business" allows us to meet. Here's a few photo's we took on Boxing Day.

A trio of our Space Dyed mercerised cotton Mongrel Tasmanis socks tippy toeing @ Salamanca Market.

Pure Wool Mongrel Socks spotted out and about in Hobart on Boxing Day

These good sports left us wearing our arm/leg warmers. The two cuties will break a few hearts in years to come, they are simply gorgeous and kind enough to let me take their photo.

Mongrel Socks Christmas

Time flies........team Mongrel Socks have been busy little beavers getting all those Xmas orders out. I felt like Santa dragging our jags of parcels in to the post office today, then a lot like a sheep when I saw the queue out the door. Ah well.
It's been a big few weeks for Mongrel Socks and we have the photo's to prove it.
The Oprah roadshow hit Australia last week, with her best friend Gayle King (with two film crews) and the Tasmanian contingent visiting the Mongrel Socks Factory outlet at Hobart's Salamanca Market, much to our surprise and delight. Most exciting was that Gayle arrived already wearing our humble pure wool socks, and then went on to purchase (driving a hard bargin too) some of our Mongrel Tasmanis Arm/Leg Warmers. Yee Ha! Typically, I fumbled around and giggled like a teenager, doing a great impersonation of a scared bunny caught in the headlights.

I probably should have thought about the mannequin leg placement before I took the photo, oops! Sorry Gayle!

Must remember to hold the camera still, although pretty all the same.

The Saddle, Mullumbimby.

I'm sure he was smiling at me?

Gayle King and the lovely Mongrel Socks' Sharon Stegeman - Ms King was so kind to allow us a photo with her,  she is absolutely gorgeous inside and so clearly out!
Miscellaneous images from the a

 

The weather was wild at the Brunswick Heads river mouth - it would have been a hairy ride for these sailors over the bar.

Socks......black and white this time

I did my fair share of stalking at Salamanca Market this week. I spotted this Mongrel Sock wearer out for a walk. We also had the filmong of an upcoming episode of the ABC show"The Collectors". Of course sock collecting is only big at the house of Mongrel Socks, it may catch on, we live in hope. They filmed mostly bric-a-brac stalls and one happened to be right by our Mongrel Sock shop.

I think it airs on 26th November, I must remember to watch.

Recycled Socks

I can't believe nearly a month has gone by since I last sat and posted. Well, I can because it's been a mad month. Heads down in the Mongrel Sock workshop, seems like we are forever playing catch up. Over the last week things have quietened down and I have found some time to play. We have continued our quest to reduce our factory waste and morph it in to something useful. I have been busy making patch work head warmers, something I have been wearing for years, and love. I love the fact that while they are soft and warm, even nice on the skin but that they come with-out consumer guilt. I have made a heap of different styles and now must put them to the test. What do other people think? Over the next few days I will post some on the web and see if we get some bites. Our wonderful customers at Salamanca Market will also share their thoughts I'm sure. I have just purchased a professional light box to take decent photo's with - hopefully I can master it. Never as easy as it seems, but I'm hoping with practise I will work it out.

Kicking around in Mongrel Socks

We had a great day at our Salamanca Market stall yesterday. After 15 years of predawn starts, whatever the weather, you would think we'd get a bit tired of the place. But no. Every Saturday we get out of the sweat shop and amongst the masses. I look forward to our regular Gypsy Roll breakfast, and the best coffee @ Tricycle Cafe and catching up with friends and customers. I love the socks we make so it is not hard to sell them. Often someone will wander past, hop up on one foot and show off the Mongrels they are wearing - good for a laugh - telling us we don't need to preach to the converted. Here's a few shots from some good hearted customers who came by to see us yesterday. It is so nice to find people long after thier initial purchase of thier socks still happy with them, because it is one thing to sell a product and an entirely other thing to have a happy customer long after the money has changed hands.

What happened to the last two weeks?

It's  bit of a blur, getting on and getting along. All good. Busiest time of the year, mid winter & tax time at the home of Mongrel Socks. Our news is new Possum Socks will arrive soon "Special Edition" Kiwi made and grown. Our supplies of the original Mongrel Tasmanis Possum Sock, won't be replenished for around 7 weeks. Not soon enough, so if any one is thinking of buying Possum Socks, do so now because we are now nearly out of both Mens sizes, with Ladies size 2-8 Possum Socks stocks down too.
Have had a play with Friddy making pure wool scarves - taken them to the Market, worn one, to see if they might be a goer. But no, no interest at all, so I don't think they'll make the website just yet. I will probably just make those to order. Back to #101 on one things to do with old socks, check out the photo below. I am wearing a headband literally made out of my old socks, say #9 of 101. In the photo below I am also wearing a scarf. It is just one big loop, be worn all different ways. Not one taker at Salamanca Market, oh well.

PS Thanks to redbunnysays and fully stoked

Zombies

Salamanca Market Zombies. A film by Quebec Foxtrot.

There's always something happening @ Salamanca Market, last weekend was no exception. A mob of Zombies materialised (an unpublicised but annual happening) and ran rampant (in a slow zombie kind of way) through the Market right past our Mongrel Socks stall. I found this video on local news website. Turns out my sister filmed it. Weird hearing myself laugh and squeal ( thanks goodness no footage) as the Zombies skulked past. Especially when what appeared to be a victim of great violence, fantastic makeup and costume, turned out to be only our "Saturday girl" Emma. Good fun.

Cold snap.

Well winter's kicked in and and business couldn't be better. A bit of snow on the mountain always helps. We have been blown away by the amount of orders coming and going. Head's down and backsides up getting it all done. Here it is nearly 3pm Friday arvo, we're packed and ready for Salamanca Market tomorrow. With a frigid 10 degrees C forecast for tomorrow, we're thinking it will be a big day for our warm pure wool socks - so I have packed extra just in case. Tomorrow is the first day we'll have our new pure wool 3 way scarves - I can't wait to see if people like them as much as I think they will or as much as I do. I thought it was a really good sign when our normally fashion conscious teenager made off with the proto-type. I guess we'll see.

Salamanca Market

Red Bunny Says popped up near Mongrel Socks at Salamanca Market yesterday, as they have a habit of doing when you least expect it.
It was a cold wintery day in Hobart yesterday (and worse today) with out the usual crowds, so stallholders like us had a bit of time to catch up on gossip and play. Red Bunny Say's Trish was caught on camera sharing a coffee with her new beau. So we thought we'd share the love with the cyber universe. I wonder what Red Bunny Says will have to say about that!

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!

Day and night

Every Saturday finds us plying our socks at Hobarts Salamanca Market. We work quietly from our home based workshop every other day, so when Saturday comes around we are well and truely ready to get out amongst it. Saturdays are manic, up at before dawn and do nothing but talk all day. Long before the Market go'ers have arrived we've had a few cups of coffee, caught up with some of our favourite fellow market stall operators, had a few laughs, all the while unpacking and setting up the stall. Then our market day really begins. Most days seems to fly by. By 4.30pm we're heading home, tired, but happy. Last week we stayed late to check out a fantastic mid winter annual event - The Festival of Voices. It gets better and better every year. I've linked here through to some photos of the night, there nothing quite like singing in a crowd around a roaring bonfire. Hard to imagine that only a couple of hours earlier it was a bustling market place, as if by magic it is tranformed in something else again. If you love to sing (and you don't have to be good at it) or listen to live music come on down and join us next year.
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/07/12/84001_todays-news.html

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.

Good folk

Thank goodness June 30 has come and gone, we've spent days counting socks, all the while having to keep business ticking over. Mid winter and we've lot's of orders coming and going out for our Pure wool Mongrels. I'm constantly delighted at the little notes our customers, the good folk that they are, leave with our orders. It is so nice that people still take the time or even bother to personalise their orders in this, the age of "it's all about me". Here's a few of the notes I received last week, all gratefully accepted.

Thanks Helen,
I get everybody to say hello when they are at Salamanca market! (and to buy socks!!)
Cheers,
Gerald

Hi Helen,
my shoe size is 8. Thankyou - your socks are fantastic! I bought a pair last winter and they are so cosy AND cute! Now i want to get them for my friends, too!
kind regards, Tanya


Hi ther helen

Just letting you know that my socks arrived this morning (they made pretty good time!) and they are gorgeous and very cosy. I am already getting lots of positive commnets - you might have to start selling them in NZ (if you don't already)!

many thanks - I'm looking forward to a warm-footed winter.

Alix

Keeping it real

For many years Mongrel Socks have operated a stall at Salamanca Market. One day a week we get out of the sweatshop, and amongst it. We love it. Working as we do from home, it really is still a thrill and incredibly motivating to sell direct to the public. In the early days, money couldn't buy the market testing of our then "new" Mongrel Socks. The face to face feed back we got there helped us to develop and tweak our product range to what it is today. This feed back continues, tweaking continues, targeting our customers changing needs continues. Without Salamanca Market keeping our feet on the ground, we could easily become "out of touch" with our customers. For our business to be a success we don't dictate what products we stock, our customer's needs do.
So while working a 6 day week can at times be a slog, we'll continue to stick with our Saturday at Salamanca Market to keep our feet firmly on the ground. No pun intended.

Australia Day

It's the end of January already and while we might be back in to the swing of things after our go-slow post xmas, we're looking forward to having our first two day week-end in ages. Most weekends find us plying our socks at Hobart's Salamanca Market every Saturday, where we've been for the last 12 years-ish. Working at our home based workshop 5 days a week, with one full on Market day, doesn't leave us with much free time. No complaints here, because we love or work/life style, but Yay! Australia Day gives us a long weekend, well worth celebrating. So even if Mongrel Socks are our life, we're excitedly looking forward to the 26th which will see us sipping a good Aussie drop of wine, in a vineyard in South Australia, listening to Paul Kelly prepare us for the music legend, Leonard Cohen! We're slipping off for a couple of days of self indulgence. I never thought in this lifetime I would get to see Leonard Cohen perform live, it really is something special, and having the true blue Paul Kelly as his back up, what more can I say. I guess the cherry on the cake, it we are going with a few friends, and catching up with some in S.A. too. It just doesn't get any better. Thinking about it-if I get home to a screen full of online orders, and our teenager hasn't trashed the house, then that would be great too. Better go-got some packing to do..