Merry Christmas to Us and Socks Made On 88

Merry Merry Christmas to us and to Socks Made On 88!

These will come in very handy for us at our future Markets and at Show & Sells too!  Thank you very much on behalf of one of MrB's sons', STH :-) who made these for us.  His talents surpassed our expectations and we are very pleased with the final outcome.  We both think the signs are AWESOME, wouldn't you agree?   I did cover up our personal information but basically it says:  Mr. Cranker:.blah blah blah........... 
Ms. Cranky Assistant:blah blah blah.........................
Email:blah blah blah..............................
The other two smaller signs are extra ones, and one that is green and yellow we will use to velcor to the Erl table  when on the move, and other one I have up in MrB's Krankin Kave in our basement.  The signs are all bright and cheery with the colours we have choosen to use which are the colours of  our Erl, Brigadier 88!  No one will miss us when they walk by our display now!  I can't wait to try them out at our first market in the New Year, January 12, 2013!!!!

MsB from Socks Made On 88

Christmas Poll

The Christmas Poll is now closed.  I voted myself too, and I had put as my vote, that a pair was on my wish list.  The actual tally for votes ended up voting the most for thinking that they would not get any socks at all, and that makes perfect sense because they were probably the sock crankers themselves.  Those of you, who did get socks for Christmas I hope you enjoy them whoever the cranker was, as I know they all aim to please!

MsB from Socks Made On 88

All wrapped up for MsB

Remember these?  Well they are a pair we worked hard at together making them from left-overs being conservative in colour.  The customer we made them for choose the other pair having two to pick from.  I had fallen in love with this pair from the very beginning, and they almost sold many times.  MrB scrounched them and they were all wrapped up under the tree for a gift for MsB!  Yahoo for me as I am now the proud owner of these socks which I think are fabulous!  I can't wait to sport them soon to show them off.

MsB from Socks Made On 88

No Mr. Grinch at the market today!

There certainly was no Mr. Grinch at the market today!
Here is a Grinch quote:
"Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch"

We had an absolutely fantastic day at the market for sales today.  Sales surpassed our most outrageous dreams!!  A great big thank you to all our customers today and every day.  It was our last market before Christmas and last market for the year 2012.  What a day, what a day, what a day to end the year! We look very much in returning in the New Year! In  January we plan to be at the market twice in the month, so look out, 2nd and 4th Saturday for Socks Made On 88! I say to our customers:
 
"Your heart is full of wanting our Socks, your soul is full of kindness!
No Mr. Grinch at our market today! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays,  to one and all!  ( MrB passes along his best wishes also)

MsB from Socks Made On 88

PS
In case I forget to post tomorrow, December 23, 2012, it will one year, since the arrival of our Erl- Brigadier 88, making his new home at our house in Canada! This is when our CSM journey took the first baby steps before Socks Made On 88 was born January 3, 2012.. when I first began this whole story unfolding in blog form.  We will celebrate on Jan 3, 2013 without a doubt! ~B



 



 
   

matching combo

Matching combo! Hat, scarf and socks!
They had all been cranked out months ago but I never did get a photo of them all together.   The scarf is mine and the hat and socks are for Show and Sell!

MsB from Socks Made On 88 

Toned down what I call: purple-taupe!

These are women's size 9!

 We have bright and colourful selections already in this size so we needed to add a pair of a more conservative colour.  I picked these to be knit, and I think they will be a good choice to add, to try and balance out the brightness and dullness of the different pairs offered up for the customers to buy.  This pair has very nice striping with some pink and blue added in the hue of the self-striping pattern. I really like them... someone else will like them too!

MsB from Socks Made On 88

Brightness for the market rack!

The market rack in the section for Women's size 8, needs more brightness!   Bright colours seem to be the best sellers for women.  So here are two more to add to our selection for the upcoming market for Saturday morning.  Our women size 8 selection was depleting of brightness and colour.  These two additions are bound to add a little more pazazz to the sock rack, for those last minute Christmas shoppers!

Adding some more Brightness and Colour to our Women's size 8 selection

Our OOAK's (one of a kinds) lately have been our best sellers.
They can be more labour- instense!  Our focus is to brighten the rack in each size selection and sell what we have left in stock made up.  Our yarn supply is getting very low and we want to take action to replenish that, and key in more on what sizes are selling, and what colours are selling.  You got it that will be a project for me, MsB to do in the New Year and make a tally of all our socks sold and see if there has been any patterns to what has sold and what has not sold.  But right off the top of my head I can tell you Yellow,  Red, Purple,and Orange sometimes, Pink, and all combos of those colours,  do not stick around long!  Blues, Greens, and Aquas seem to linger more on the rack.  That is my good observation so far!  As far as Men, I have to take a longer and harder look at our stats. But I am going to go out on limb though and say our browns,with other shades of colour such as burgandys, mulberrys, corals, and greens with them, went faster!

MsB from Socks Made On 88

Whoopsie-Daisy!

Sometimes when I come here, I feel like a reporter.  Especially now, that I just got finished watching the news.  I don't know how honest reporters are, but I am very honest so I had come here and say that the socks I posted the other day saying MrB made for MrB is true, but in fact some where between cranking, kitchenering, washing and drying, these did not come out to be a Men's size 10 so they will NOT be MrB's as they are measured to be a Men's size 9 instead!  That is a oops, but it is a also a learning curve as we they were made from some Canadian (Ontario) Yarn.  Now that I think of it the instructions say to wash in cold water and I washed them in hot water so that may explain that they have experienced some shrinkage. This particular blend is more wool content and less nylon content.  I am used to the German superwash and this yarn although very good does not meet the high standard of the German Yarn.  I am actually glad that I made this mistake because now I can stress to our customers, ones who want more warmth must follow the washing instructions to keep these particular socks from not shrinking.  It was a whoopsie-daisy that was a good thing! I have learned from my mistake.  Here is another picture of those socks.  Notice the fine stripe near the heel, that was actually a whoopsie-daisy too that proved to be a welcomed accent!  Someone is sure to enjoy this unique pair.
MsB from Socks Made On 88

Merry Christmas to MrB from MrB!

Merry Christmas to MrB from MrB!
In "Socks Made On 88" house you must see Socks under the tree!

MsB from Socks Made On 88 

Pull up your socks....

Pull up your socks folks, there is only a few more days till Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!  There are even fewer days till our last market of the year 2012 and also to celebrate one year with our owership of Brigadier 88 Dec 23/12.

MrB made a pair of socks at the showing Saturday for himself, and this evening he is back at it, cranking and knitting away to make a couple more pairs to hang on our sock rack for sale for Sat. Dec 22nd.  

So in the next few days I will have a few pictures to share of the completed socks before Christmas.  1, 2, 3, maybe even 4 pairs!

MsB from Socks Made On 88

show and sell and Stella!

We had a great day today!  We were at this location before in July and now December again.  Once again a very successful day, in showing, in selling, and reconnecting with Stella!  Stella is our ole friend from our July meeting, an dear lady, and our best returning customer.  She loves our socks, and she made no beans about sharing that with everyone around her today!  We love Stella! She showed everyone what she bought, and boasted how beautiful they were and that she wore them every single day.  She is so cute, and I told her that I wear them everyday too.  She likes to tease MrB, and she tells him she loves him too just like his socks!  She tells him he does such a good job!  She was also wondering where his kilt was today?  We told her that we hope to see her again sometime next year in 2013, as this was the last session at the Bazaar event and will start up again in the spring.  We told her if we are invited back, we will be back!  I know if she knows when we will be back, she will be back too to see us.  We have made a special friend in Stella, our 80+ old dear lady, she is such a joy to be around, and she is always laughing and smiling and she will not hesitate to tell you that she loves Socks Made On 88's Socks! She even bought some a flashy coloured pair today, and her friends thought she was so happening.  How can Stella not brighten anyone's day.  She certainly brightens ours!  

MsB from Socks Made On 88

New Christmas Poll up

I have added a new poll this morning!  Have fun with it, I am anxious to see the outcome.  Thanks in advance for participating.

MsB from Socks Made On 88

bouncing back from being sick

My apologies for not being here of late!  I have been sick.....but I am have now bounced back from my derailment and it is now time to get back on track!  Tomorrow we will be at the Old School Bazaar!  We were there before in July and had a very good day so we are hoping for the same tomorrow.  How can you not have a good time this close to Christmas being in the Festive season mood and all!  Today we have to get into gear and prepare for our Sock Show and Sell, as we are the " Attraction of the Day"  

The count down is on.  It is ten days till Christmas Eve!  We have one more market to do this year.  Next weekend on Dec 22nd, and we are looking forward to it as always!  Then we will take a week or so, and contemplate our attack of action for 2013!   In there too we will celebrate Socks Made On 88's
first birthday!  Wow, it always amazes me how one year can zip by so fast, especially when you are having fun!

MrB and I certainly have had so much fun this year in our little CSM~ venture!
This venture has brought so much added enjoyment to our lifes.  Not only the art itself, the learning and all the curves we have travelledd but mostly the very nice people we have met all along the way.  There are so many to mention!!!  And the people we have met at the market each month are all so friendly and nice to do business with on a montly basis.  Kudos to the Historic Farmers' Market customers as you are a great bunch and Thank you for your business.  We are very happy you are enjoying our product, our SOCKS are Hugs for your Feet!

Season's Greetings to you all .....and I will be here again giving more festive wishes before the Market next weekend, but for now it is to get focused on tomorrow.

Happy Weekend Folks, 
MsB from Socks Made On 88       

Bright and Christmasy Socks to stomp the town

Here are my latest socks, bright and Christmasy ones to stomp the town in my boots.  They will go excellent with my Lime Green LLBean Down Vest that I wear in the our rainy winter weather.  I am going to give them a try today as we are venturing out to Lucy Neatby's Christmas Open House.  I have never met her, " A Knitting Guro or Celebrity", and she only just lives down the road from us.  I wear a nice bright green long-sleeved Tshirt and my poinsettia scarf and give the whole outfit a test run and this is what I plan to wear to our December market also, later in December.  I can honestly say that no socks are too bright for me as long as I have something in my closet to go with them.  So far that appears not to have been a problem :-)  MrB has done some cranking for me of late, and I appreciate his dedication to my 2 pairs of Alpaca socks, and now these, as this yarn was given to me at the PE Crank-in in Ontario, in October from a friend I met there, EMc.  I think I may have one more pair coming my way, from yarn we bought in Ontario.  I have to test them out, you know and I am will be a good model too!  

MsB from Socks Made On 88

Warm Winter Welcome

Warm Winter Welcome = 2 pairs of Alpaca Socks

#2 Alpaca Socks for MsB

These ones are Hung-hemmed, and I Love them!

Msb from Socks Made On 88

Alpaca for MsB!

My very first pair of Alpaca socks, they feel so soft, comfy and cozy!

They are also my very first pair of ribbed socks.  I do not like ribbed socks, I do not like ribbed socks, I do not like ribbed socks!  I can not pinpoint the dislike, I think it has to do with the size, width and shape of my foot, ankle and leg.  The hung-hem do my feet so much more justice!  I love my all my hung-hem socks, just saying, for those of you who are RIBBED SOCKS fanatics!  Guess I won't be a member of that group :-)  I am looking forward to testing the Alpaca socks though on a real cold day, perhaps in my boots out shoveling snow as I do like to do that when the time comes.  

MsB from Socks Made On 88

Decorating for Christmas 2012

I made this stocking ....it is Felt Appliqueing!

This stocking is dedicated to Socks Made On 88 as it celebrates it's first Christmas this year!  MrB and MsB (me) thought it was fitting that Socks Made On 88 had it's own stocking too, as everyone else in the family also has one with their name on it.  I have 10 (Ten) stockings hanging this year up or down my stair way!  I love them, they look realy awesome all together!  I wonder how many pairs of socks, MrBSanta can stuff inside it?

Early Christmas Greetings to All and All!
MsB from Socks Made On 88

TWEAKING!

It seems the learning process never ends, and I would have to say that is a very good thing when it comes to producing, business and selling.  You learn from what people say, how they react, and the exposure you present, and the feedback you get.  I have learned that we are doing so many things right and that we are on the correct course of action.  Also what I have learned to is to observe!  From observations I am then able to TWEAK!  Today I have decided to do some tweaking within Socks Made On 88.  What am I tweaking?

I am tweaking the wording of my table sign, only one line I have decided to change.  Why did I decide to change it?  I decided to change it as it was too simple, I needed to clarify the statement with more direct information.  So that is now done.  MrB also gave his input and we scanned it to make a master copy.  That was a great idea because it was partly computer constructed and partly pieced together by scrapbooking techniques and now it is one complete scanned page and I have a master to tweak now too at a later date if I need to adjust it in any way in the future.  The wording I changed was about custom orders.  It may have previously given the impression that any custom order could be arranged, and we want to have control of this not them of what they are dictating especially in certain colours.  We want our custom orders mainly to to centre around custom sizing not colouring.  But we will certainly work with the customer to best suit their needs with colours we have on hand.

We have also tweaked our Hold Policy as to present to customers who request this.  They will now have to pay a small fee to hold socks, as we are holding them and they are not coming through and picking them up when they said they would.  Our thinking now is that if they pay a small fee to hold them that perhaps they we carry through with picking the sock pairs up.  We can only try and improve upon that practise.  

Today I have some sock pairs I need to put back into circulation for sale for our next appearance.  They have been lonely not being with friends, waiting to be picked up by a potential owner who did not show up!  Hahahaha

I want to add also by having cards at our table where ever we go, has proven to be very benefical, and also having small notice papers of where  our next appearances will be has also proven very benefical to both us and especially to our returing customers wanting more socks.  Yes, I said returning customers....yahoo....they bought one or two pairs and are wanting more!  Big smile on both MrB's and MsB's face.  What else puts a great big smile on our faces and our hearts is that we are getting more and more emails also contacting us and wanting to purchase more socks.  This tells us that the business cards they are picking up they are actually using and not throwing them in the trash.  

My message today is that tweak, tweak, tweaking is a constant!  I get excited when I tweak!  Tweaking tells me that I learning to read our customers better and they are expressing themselves by the actions they take to correspond with us. Tweaking is important!  

I did all the tweaking had in my mind to do, and I will how this minor little changes pan out with our next appearance.  We don't have a show or a market this coming weekend, we have the Saturday to just us!  We will be a show on December 15th but it is not a craft show.  We will be reappearing at the Old School Bazaar!  We were there previously in July and had a good showing so we are hoping for the same this time round, and very much looking forward to doing it again. You may remember from a past post, this was the event where an 80 year old plus lady was so thrilled to share the room with us.  I hope that she will be there again so that we may talk to her and spend time with her again as she was a very special lady indeed.  With all the tweaking I have done since July, I wonder if it will be noticed?

I have some kitchenering to do sometime today and perhaps I  will even do some tweaking on that process also.  I do a pretty good job but sometimes weird and wonderful things happen and MrB and I work through the situations and figure them out and tackle them to fix them appropriately.  

Enjoy the balance of your weekend everyone!  I have other things to do today also, as I may dig out some Christmas decorations and put some out.  It is December now isn't it?

A little birdie told me, Tweak, Tweak, Tweak!

MsB from Socks Made On 88 

 

  

Matreshka Dolls :-) Craft show :(

Strike 3 we are out!  Over the past year we have now done 3 totally different craft shows.  One in May, one in September, and one in December!  Crafts shows are just not a great fit for us nor our product in this area.  Our niche market is apparently at the Market we started going to in September!  Back to the craft show.....it was very cold today and perhaps that influenced the traffic we saw or did not see today.  The best thing about the show today was that I got to buy some Matreshka Dolls!  I have always wanted a set and never bought any so today was the day!  I am the very proud owner of 5 of the dolls and they are very unique as they are not all painted the same but differently.  I will post a picture of them for you to see too!  And then I want to go research the history of them.  These were imported from Russian and the Russian Maritime Society was selling them today. 

MsB from Socks Made On 88