You can celebrate an Old Fashioned Christmas and give socks...

...the only thing is that our socks are Happy colours! 

We will be at the Historic Farmers' Market this coming Saturday, Christmas Eve Day, December 24, 2016 7am to 1pm!  We would love to see all those last minute shoppers out and about!  

I would also like to take this opportunity to Thank all of our customers New and Repeaters for your much patronage throughout this year!  Merry Christmas to All! We look forward in seeing you again next year also, and meeting many new sock buyers! Happy New Year Everyone,  and all the best to you in 2017!

After Dec 24, 2016 we will be back.....January 7th, 2017! 8am t0 1pm (Winter Hours)  I will keep you posted as always :-) 

BRRRRRRRRR!!! Brigadier 88 was not a happy camper yesterday :-(

Well folks I am here to tell you that with -17C temperature in NS Canada,  and in a building that did not have heat, Brigadier 88 fought back to crank yesterday!  He was just too COLD!  Brigadier will be 6 years old on December 23rd, and this was the very first time he and MrB were having major problems knitting/cranking!  MrB took careful care in not packing him into the trunk until it was time to leave, but the 1/2 hour trek was enough to put him into a non-knitting mood! He was dropping stitches left, right, and centre, and it was not the experienced knitter operating his crank.  It was the COLD! He did finally warm up near the end of the day to create a pair of socks!  Good thing though is that the passerbys did not notice the havoc they were having ..... they still saw the machine in motion.  Now MrB is search of some winter oil!!!

Check our Website as...

 Socks Made On 88's market schedule for attendances into the New Year 2017 and beyond has begun to unfold!  See our dates from January 2017 to the end of June 2017 for your convenience.  Thanks and remember that they will start at 8 am instead of 7am for the months of Jan, Feb, and March, commencing January 7th :-)    

December 17th and 24th we will be at The Historic Farmers' Market again!

SOX

December is upon us and Socks Made On 88!

Our last market was November 19th!  It was nice to coast this last week, especially having company from Montreal and enjoying some early Christmas gift giving, and entertaining.  

MrB says it's always so nice to see someone open a package and receive socks and have an expression of joy on their face.  Yes, you got it, people can get excited even if they receive socks as a gift.  Even better that the socks were made by us!  She will be sporting, and showing off her sock pairs to her many Montreal friends with envy.  And we will be cherishing the hugs we got in return.

Also the son, who already has many sock pairs, still gets to add to his collection of many.  His drawer must be getting mightly full.  I wonder how he sorts them?  Do you think he sorts them by colour or style?  My bet is that they just exist no sorting at all!  But we know he loves them all, and that is all that matters.

Socks Made On 88 will be at the market tomorrow!  Come buy some sock pairs, and you too can give some joy to a special someone by giving them some Hugs for their feet for Christmas!

And if you can not be present at tomorrow's market, we will be there again on Dec 17th and Dec 24th also! 

Year end tidy ups!

THANKS for a great market yesterday, folks!  We will be back again on December 3!  And after that only two more stints for your shopping needs.  Those dates will be Dec 3rd and  Dec 24th!

Note: The Market will NOT be open on Dec 31, 2016, as the vendors as a whole have decided to take this market date as a day off break for the end of the year. Market will be back in full swing January 7th.  We, Socks Made On 88 will also be at the market that date, Jan7, 2017.  

Also Note:  Winter Hours will be in place at the Historic Farmers' Market for (3) months, January, February, and March 2017, starting off the year of 2017 . So See you at 8 am instead of 7am, with the first date also being January 7, 2017!  Regular hours will again take place, come April 1, 2017!  Don't worry, I will remind you of this again in the New Year!

For the Season

We have 3 featured styles/patterns for the upcoming season to fill your shopping needs. We will be at the Historic Farmers' Market this coming Saturday Nov 19th, 7am-1pm :-)

Remember... Lest We Forget! November 11th tomorrow

It seems like it has been a whirlwind week with Mr.B doing an  English radio interview and a television interview for French viewing. Both Remembrance Day, and Circular Sock Machine related.  Those two events has encouraged us to have an impromtu market stint for this coming Saturday, at the Historic Farmers' Market 7am-1pm.  And as usual the Circular Sock Machine and MrB will be in full swing demonstrating the art of sock making, just as they were used in War time for socks for the troops.  

When watching our local news this evening, there was a small segment of a women 93 years old, who use to teach Morris Code in our region.  She still operates and practices Morris Code from her basement as a hobby.  As she was closing her information to the television audience, she gave a tid bit of info being 73 meant "Best Regards" and then she said better yet, 88 means " Love and kisses"  This was something new we had just learned and a key bit of info to add to our memory banks, as our machine is the 88 th one made.  88 is in our business name and our machine and mascot is called Brigadier 88.   Love and kisses ~ MsB

1800's technology (Circular Sock Machine)

Socks Made On 88 will be at the Historic Farmers' Market, this Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 7am to 1pm.

During War time, wool socks helped to prevent trench foot! Did you know that fact?

Brigadier says...

Come on down to the Historic Farmers' Market and check him out in operation with MrB's assistance, demonstrating the art of sock making, Saturday, October 22, 2016.

October 8th a big day for Socks Made On 88

Not only will we be at The Historic Farmers' Market this Saturday October 8, 2016 7am-1pm,  but some of our product items will be displayed at the Crafters Village at the Atlantic Agricultural Fall Fair this weekend.  We have not done this before and are hoping that some of the viewers will eventually check us out at the market too! It is always nice to have new customers purchasing our socks and hats.  And just to let all of you know, Blake always demonstates the Cicrular Sock Machine at the market.  The art of sock making is in progress right before your very own eyes every attendance we have at The Historic Farmers' Market.  Our upcoming attendances before Christmas will be October 8th and 22nd, November 5th and 19th, and December 3, 17th and 24th.  

Our large display of short-tabbies will be inclusive for this week's market and then they will be available at hand, upon request.  

Starting November 5th we will be bringing out our Left-Overs, andDeranged socks pairs for the Christmas season. Plus Christmas colurways, and extra stock too.

 Close encounter of some of our sock pairs!

Every time we are at the market, Blake is demonstrating the art of sock making on the CSM!

CONTACT INFO: Please Note!

That when making my last blog entry today, I was notified that any information on my blog that is hyperlinked that states our website url, our facebook page, and the link to our market will not be posted on my blog, come September 29, 2016.  I still want to have these available to you on my blog.  I have taken a picture of all of contact information in hopes that you can still come to my blog and if you want to connect with our website, facebook page , market link or find our email address it is all there in one spot.  I am told that the search button to my blog will remain, so this gives me an opportunity to still take advantage of this option.  I am posting this now so that if you see this you will remember, Oh yes I can go to the search button and search CONTACT INFO, and find what you need! :-)

Milestone: September 22

On September 22, 2012 it was our very first time being a vendor at the Historic Farmers' Market, Brewery Square, Halifax NS.  So today being September 23 means we are into year 5!  Tomorrow we will be at the market, Saturday September 24, 2016 7am-1pm.  We will have our Show and Sell Display as well as Blake will be demonstrating our CSM, making socks on the spot!  Come hang out with us!

Just squash some of your Saturday plans and pay a visit to the market instead...

Saturday, September 3, 2016 7am -1pm 
Historic Farmers' Market, Keith's Brewery Halifax NS
Socks Made On 88 shows and sells Socks and Baby Hats.
We have 4 different sizes of Baby Hats, one of them will be perfect for that Autumn Baby arrival that you are expecting!

10,9,8,7,6,5

Those are the women's sizes shown here, only a smidgen of colour and what is available on our show and sell display rack!  All Happy Colours for your feet!  We will be at the market at Historic Farmers' Market, Lower Water Street, the old Brewery this Saturday, August 13, 2016 (7am-1pm).  We will also be there again Sat. August 27/16 and September 3, 2016 Saturday of the long Labour Day weekend.  

From now to Spring 2017, we will be making twice monthly visits to the market.  The month of December will be especially special with 3 intended stints for all your Christmas  sock needs. We also upped our appearances in the months of July and August.  Happy to accomodate our old, new and potential customers for the tourist season also. And we are so very lucky here in Nova Scotia that the tourist season extends well in October.  August , September and October are 3 months that I surely look forward to meeting so many wonderful people out and about at our market! How many of you will be sporting, Hugs for your feet?

Short-Tabbies for the cool summer night...

Some of our short-tabbies that are available for this summer/fall season! We will be at the market this coming Saturday, August 13/16 (7am-1pm) Looking forward to meeting you, one of our many customers :-)

Enjoying our summer, and summer market schedule

although it seems to be going by, way too fast!  August, is rapidly approaching, and we will have two market stints for that month.  See you August 13th and August 27th, 2016.  7am-1pm at Historic Farmers' Market, Brewery Square, 1496 Lower Water St. Halifax, NS.  :-)
 

Recall me speaking of the Orange Doors to help you find our display location at the market...well

the doors are still there!  But they are not Orange anymore!
They are now CHOCOLATE BROWN ( sorry I do not have that colour option for print :-)  But this how they used to look. The sign that reads, " Bottling Plant" above them still exists.  If you are trying to locate us for our next market stint, which is July 23rd, please look for the same location except different coloured doors.  If I remember I will try to take a new photo to show you on my next visit. But for now, here are the old orange doors just as a subtle reminder.  

straight from the Flower Patch and Market Schedule too!

New: Some of our baby hats with little Flower Patch adornments!  The flowers are made on the Circular Sock Machine too.

We will be at the Historic Farmers' Market this coming Saturday, July 9, 2016.  Our little break is over and we are back to our regular schedule of twice monthly.  Hope to see you there....sometime between 7am and 1pm :-)

And if you need to mark your calendar we will also be at the market again July 23, 2016.  August dates are August 13, and August 27th.  September stints will be: September 3rd and September 24th.  If you need more attendance dates just slip on over to our website and take a peak and press the Markets button to see the full schedule.  
http://sockson88.wix.com/socks-made-on-88 

Thanks for all your blog views and keeping abreast of us!
Happy Summer!    

You always learn something new at a crank-in!

A fellow cranker could not wait to show off her new flower invention at the GKF crank-in this past weekend.  MrB was anxious to learn from her.  These little flowers will be an added feature to some of our baby hats.  They are so cute! Some people add buttons in the center also.

Good Karma Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Ten~ CSM

Thank you so much JenM for making these adorable delicious little Chocolate Peanut Butter cup CSM's.  

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Nine~ Tshirts

Thanks for the T-shirts, Jim and Amy! 

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Eight~ Soap!

Yes Good Karma sells their Carrabassett Soap too!  I bought Lemongrass and Calendula Petal, Peppermint and Comfrey,Peppermint and Cocoa!

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Seven~ My Dyed Hanks!

Good Karma Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Six~ My Shibori Scarf and dyed Sock Yarn to match

Good Karma Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Five~ Buddy Captions!

 Some our 2016 Cranking group ~ Saturday supper outing!

A few Nuts outside Perry's Nut House!

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Four ~ Japanese Dyeing Technique~ SHIBORI!

 Me starting my Shibori Scarf! There are pebble stones wrapped up and tied in with elastics.  I joked saying they look like Alpaca Nuts!  It stuck...but they turned out to be a beautiful scarf in the end!

 Dye pot getting ready.  First colour chosen was a Berry shade!

 MsB's and Olivia's projects are in the pot!

 Oh here are MsB's Alpaca Nuts all dyed and ready to rinse and unwrap!

 Here are our scarfs sooking day two as we wanted to try a second colour on them!

 Olivia's project tied up with string!

My scarf on line drying after I added colour #2 Black to it.  So exciting, so fun to do!

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5thAnnual (June 2016) Part Three ~ Dyeing!

Good Karma Farm Mona Lisa may inspire you, or your own creative juices will instantly start to flow!

 Olivia, works at Good Karma Farm and was our own Mona Lisa inspiration and my Dye team partner!

 Olivia and I getting ready, picking colours to mix up to prepare for our dyeing enthusiasts.

 The New Dye Room/ Sunroom... awesome place to sit and kitchener too!

New Dye room view from outdoors!

 My first hank dyed!

 Many of the hanks out on the line dyeing, breathing and blooming in that the awesome farm fresh air!

 LOVE this picture!

Flapping in the wind, oh so pretty!

Good Karma Farm Crank-in 5th Annual (June 2016) Part Two~ Crankers!