Keep those votes a comin'

Keep those votes coming in for the best name for MrB's knitting area, this is a fun poll to take part in!

Thank you
msb from Socks Made On 88

Market come and gone

The market yesterday has come and gone!  That is all I have to say about that... It was our last one for the Spring and I think that we need a break!  They say you don't need a break until you take one, or you don't need a vacation until you take one!  I will be on vacation soon and I am looking forward to the break, vacation and change of pace from sock stuff for a bit.  I didn't come away from this market saying that I learnt anything new this time or  saw many things that we could improve upon either.  I think we just need to adventure into different areas of the city and test our product market also in the different seasons.  We do have some plans for further exposure into the fall and winter though.  And we have to remember also that we are not selling to the regular market crowd, and that we are selling a luxury market item, which is just not hand change out of someones pocket!  I get discouraged after a market but I am remaining positive also that a new venture takes time, energy and effort and does not come easy!  And also this is not to be a full- time job, and that it is a retirement hobby/ adventure to have fun with and no matter what we will accomplish that for sure, as we have already captured so many memorable moments already and many more to come!
PS.
(Oh yes it does certainly burst our spirits too when we get positive comments about the name we chose to operate under and how they really like it,  and peoples faces do light up as they touch the socks, and we hear a many, "they are so beautiful")

msb from Socks Made On 88

More Soap Sacks and Gift Pouches

Soap Sacks made of acrylic yarn, soft for showering and bathing!

Gift Pouches as made from wool. The Yellow one is made from superwash yarn of 75% wool and 25% nylon. The white pouch is 100% wool made from a local farm.

New Poll up today

Please cast your vote on the new poll right hand side of the blog.
Thanks muchly!

msb from Socks Made On 88

Last Spring Market Tomorrow May 26, 2012

Well things have slowed down a bit here around Socks Made On 88, and today we are preparing for our last Spring Market before taking a summer break!  We will be at Hillside Market tomorrow 9am-1pm.  And we hope to be returning again come Fall for September 15th, 2012.

The website is busily being updated as I type.  
Just a reminder for those of you who missed the debut of our launching.
The url is listed on the right hand side of this blog also but here it is again if you wish to check it out:


http:www.wix.com/sockson88/socks-made-on-88


We have added some more soap sacks as they seem to go well as a market item and as well a couple gift pouches as they are made of wool and not acrylic as the usual ones. Socks are also added to the website all the time as they have been created.


We have not added a great deal of production items to the website lately, as MrB as been concentrating  and practising some new techniques and patterns.  Be prepared to see some new art-of-sock creations in the Fall!  Our yard and gardens call out to us this time of year so neither of us spend so much time in MrB's Knitting Knook or his studio as he would prefer to call it!  So how about calling our basement area, MrB's Sock Studio instead?  Well I'll be :-) that very statement has prompted me to entry another poll on this blog.  I must go do that right now!  Wish us luck at the market tomorrow, and I will be back here blog posting again soon.  But for now, toodle-loo!

msb from Socks Made On 88




 

More Mens Socks, I call Nautical!

Good Morning Folks!  Changing up on my colour today, a couple of reasons, it's raining, the colour of the ocean and the theme of what I call these two pairs of men's socks, being Nautical looking!  One is a men's size 9 and one is a men's size 10, good for what I say, a man who wants to live on the wild side by wearing more funkier socks.  Well, I think these pairs would be excellent for those of whom go out on a sailboat, and can dress with some flare to show them off on a sail on our fine Nova Scotian coastal waters.  Good way to have bling for your feet and hugs for your feet  and at the same time keep them warm, comfortable and looking top-notch fashionable.

msb from Socks Made On 88 

Happy Long Weekend to All!

Happy Long weekend to all of you!  We are very fortunate that it is a sunny day here and we have enjoyed a lot of it today on the deck, entertaining my grand-doggies, playing backgammon and you got it right, no cranking, no knitting, no kitchenering or any sock stuff this weekend!  We have the dogs so all is packed away, out of reach and out of contact so as to get no dog hair on or around period!  And it does not hurt to take a well deserved break for MrB and myself also.  Doggies will be gone Monday and then back to the grind a bit before our last spring outing to a market on Sat. May 26th.

Then it is summer play-time, get aways for each of us, camping, and a minimal focus on the art of Sock Making and Socks Made On 88 in general.  July we are an attraction and we will gear up for that later on though. Oh yes and don't forget sock school towards the end of June that will be a very exciting time for both MrB and myself!!  It will be just awesome to meet some of MY, CSM~ANCHORS Group since I am the founder and creator.  I feel very proud of myself and that accomplishment and getting a volunteer host for the crank-in!  I appreciate all the support too of single member of the group and can't wait to meet all who attend!  That's my baby! 


msb from Socks Made On 88

Evaluations of Markets and other updates

It doesn't matter if we sell lots at the markets or not, I always come away from them with new ideas and things we can do better or change just a bit to make improvements of our display or how our cards, tags and signs look.   So once again we participated in another market a different location and what a learning experience it does become.

Also on the weekend we checked out another location to participate in a market and it may end up being promising in the fall and into the Christmas season.  We are up for the challenge to see which ones turn out the best for us!

The weekend ended up being busy concentrating on lots of Socks Made On 88 stuff.  We came up with a new idea of how to display our socks.  We bought a fangle-dangle  new drying rack and hung our socks on it and it looked great and I wondered why did we not think of this sooner.  I forgot to take a picture before I dismantled it so I will try and get one at our next market, actually our last market until September.

A couple opportunities arose for us to get more exposure at the weekend market we attended.  One being that we will have some pictures in our local Snap newspaper and the other is that we were asked to be an "Attraction" at another local event which is a community/tourism event outside the city.  We are excited about this and very much look forward to this opportunity in mid to late July.  We can even sell our wares there also so that is a little added bonus for us and Socks Made On 88.

I was doing some more reading and research of other local events and markets today also and I think I came across another lead for yet another market.  The more the merrier to see which ones are the best fit for us beside the Hillside Market which is ending up to be like our home market.

The more options we have the easier it will be for us to see which ones are more comfortable for us or best suit our sock products.  

Oh and I almost forget that we were also asked to return to the Yacht Club for the Christmas by the Sea Market also.  It is two days but we will share it with a friend and be able to attend our Hillside Market on one day and this one the next day on the same weekend. 

Our calendar and schedule is filling up little by little every month and that too is encouraging and exciting to get our socks out there!

Today I also had lots of other little sock jobs to do, and I was able to complete them all.  I am updating this blog this evening after supper and I then intend to put sock stuff away until tomorrow. 


I will have some pictures to post in the morning.  Some more soap sacks and another pair of men's sock to add to our collection.

Have a great evening folks, I intend to indulge in some TV time later!

msb from Socks Made On 88

Cracked Wheat, I call these two pairs

I call these two pairs CRACKED WHEAT, must be from my Saskatchewan Farmer's Daughter upbringing on the prairies.  The colourway of this yarn is like cracked wheat. Notice too the wheat elevator picture, can't have wheat without the traditional old elevator.  The wheat I have had for years in a vase that sits in my kitchen.  A reminder of the west, since I have lived in the east now for 22 years. These two pairs of Men's socks are close fitting to the foot almost like a dress-sock.  They will make their debut at tomorrow's market :-)

msb from Socks Made On 88

Christmas In May?

I got this all done this morning, and I think I will take it along with us to the market on Saturday and see if any luck I can sell it!  I like doing them so I miles well give it a whirl since I already have 10 made up for our little blended family so far.  I have started another one today and just maybe I will have it done by next week's market, different location.  If they do not go now in May they will be back in cirulation for the fall markets.  Not sure if anyone will be thinking about Christmas in May or not?

                                                       

msb from Socks Made On 88

The Knitting-Knook!

Good Morning this Monday morning which is wet and wainin'
It's a perfect day for MrB to go downstairs to his knitting- knook and crank out some socks today!  I do believe that is his intention and we will see what he creates that I can share later today or tomorrow.

You will notice that I mentioned the Knitting-Knook, that name just came to me this morning when I went to the area to get my inventory books to catch up on some enteries.  It is a little area in our basement perfect for MrB where all his cranking needs are in one small spot.  You have Brigadier 88, tools, yarn, shelves, drawers, swift, ball winder, scissors, needles, oil, a comfy chair and most importantly MrB!  Our centralized area will now be known as, "The Knitting-Knook"   I have proclaimed the new name to the world just now!  Even better yet, it is MrB's Knitting-Knook!

msb from Socks Made On 88

Socks, subtle different pattern

These socks are very unique as they do have a self striping pattern but they also have little blocks of colour within the stripes.  They are subtle pale green, grey, beige, and have accents of pale blue , yellow and white also.  They are on the fence of earthy and subtle modern in all colours that go with jeans and an ordinary day!  They could be worn any season but here are some summer paper flowers to enhance the picture this time. 

A dabble here and dabble there...

Way back in December before we even got Brigadier 88 and were really full force into this venture, I had emailed the person in charge of the Alderney Landing Market.  She asked that I contact her later when we were ready to talk more.  I gave her a call today, and she remembered me and was very anxious for us to come there.  Tentatively I have asked to make our presence there once, in the months of October, November and December.  We can also go sooner if we so desire. They are very much looking forward to our debut there, so we are hoping for some great results this fall!  I think this is something to look forward to and with more exposure coming each month more into the fall I think we will have better success in our sales especially the three months before Christmas. Being involved with 4 different opportunities will certainly give us a better view of where and how to schedule for the months following Christmas as well.  We can only try, and that we intend to do.  Still two more markets this month and then we are taking a break with the market scene until September 2012.  When September rolls around, we will be raring to get on the Market track once again. A dabble here, and dabble there, where will our dabbles take us?

msb from Socks Made On 88

7, 8, 9 Don't they look fine!

Here are the three latest pairs of socks that MrB has completed!  They have also been added to our website.  They are in sizes, W7,W 8, and M9 and like the the post introduction says, they do look fine... in fact they look mighty fine indeed! Two repeat colourways, but the middle one is a new colour different yarn.  I like all of these colours but  I am a bit more partial to the blue, aqua and orange combination. These will make 3 pairs of feet happy!  Remember also, Our Socks are Hugs for your feet!

msb from Socks Made On 88