~ Sock Dreams ~

May is a marvellous month, with Emeralds, Lily of the Valley and Taurus as its symbols. Bold, dainty and terribly stubborn; which is a pretty good description of how this month is turning out for us in Portland, with blasting hot days, delicately warm nights and a mind of its own regarding the weather!

All this sun and April’s showers have made our world bright and green (and brought some of those May flowers too!). Which makes May’s gemstone very appropriate. Emeralds are green beryl, ranging from yellow-green to blue-green, but always green! And though we use the word “emerald” on only a couple of green styles, we have quite a wide representation of greens!

Clockwise from top: Opaque Solid Nylon Trouser Socks, O Basics, Harajuku Scrunchy Socks, N40s, Socklings, Kimi Wool Blend OTKs.

May’s flower, the lily of the valley, is like the shy cousin of the flamboyant lilies that dominate bouquets and their little bell shapes could easily be confused for any other sleepy-looking wildflower. The fleur-de-lis, on the other hand, is very recognisable. So we’ll let this stylised lily take center stage.

• Paris Trouser Socks •
• Snappy Fleur-de-Lis Garters •
• Paris Fleur-de-Lis Pantyhose •

Like Aries last month, the May’s constellation of Taurus isn’t as dignified in sock form as it is in star form. But dang is it adorable! Both of these cow socks even have grippy bottoms to help keep you stable.

• Moo Toes •
• Tubular Cow Socks •

As May moves on, spring will soon be over and, on the flip side, winter is coming for folks in the Southern hemisphere. So embrace these transitional days of spring and autumn while you can!

be the first to comment! »

This weekend we have two terrific outdoor events we’re participating in, The Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash and the Luna Foundation’s Whiskey Fest NW.

The Doggie Dash is the annual fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society, whom every year rescues a variety of animals and places them in good homes. As some of our fans may know, we have several dogs in our offices here in Portland, and just as many folks in the office who love our furry pals. The Doggie Dash will take place on Saturday May 11th down at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland; those of you in the Portland area who might want to come down and join the dash. For those of you not in the Portland area, you can still help us meet our Sock Dreams team goal by clicking here and registering for the Sock Dreams team.

Additionally, on Saturday May 11th, the Luna Foundation will be holding Whiskey Fest NW to benefit CASA of Multnomah and Washington Counties. Whiskey Fest will be held at NW 11th and Northrup in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District, where several of the top whiskey makers will be sampling out their best to raise money for children’s advocacy in Portland. We have been asked to vend and represent Sock Dreams by bringing whiskey themed socks, as well as our Sock Dreams brands and our smiling faces. Tickets are going fast, but are still available for this event on the Whiskey Fest NW web site.

Have a great weekend, we hope the sun is shining where you are!!!

be the first to comment! »

When most people think of Oregon, they think of rain; and with good reason. Portland alone gets an average of around 37 inches of rain a year, and often times it feels like we should start gathering animals two by two. There advantage to all the rain is when the sun comes out, Oregon turns into a green paradise. So, the latest news is… SUNSHINE!!!

One of our favorite parts of the warm weather is new shorties, like these sweet Sweet Marcel anklets from last summer!!!

We here at Sock Dreams are suckers for a little shorty sock and luckily Tabbisocks has already starting sending us the most adorable socks ever.
Stay tuned for new styles coming just in time for Spring and Summer.

be the first to comment! »

Here in our beautiful home city of Portland, OR; bike is king. There are a million things you and your bicycle can participate in: pub bike crawls, bike rides on the rainiest windiest days of the year, bike rides through fields of flowers and forests of trees, bike rides where they shut down our numerous Portland bridges, and of course the infamous naked bike ride.

But one of our favorite bike events at Sock Dreams is the film festival/street party happening this coming weekend April 20th-23rd Filmed by Bike. Every year around this time, Filmed by Bike shuts down a couple blocks around the Clinton Street Theatre, the theatre in Portland where one can go see everything from the latest social documentary to Saturday nite Rocky Horror Picture Show. The beer flows, amazing films are viewed and judged for prizes and there is a general excitement in celebrating the fun and funky in the bicycling community.

Sock Dreams has been a huge supporter of this event going on three years, providing raffle prizes, prize socks for enthusiastic cyclists and dressing the Raffilistas (folks handling the raffle) in our fabulous products.
We’ve also been able to flex our creative muscle by making a fantastic short film last year, staring several of our friends from Trek in the Park, Alter Ego’s and Portland’s roller derby team, The Rose City Rollers; shot by 10 Bridges Media.

This year we did a still shot with lead Raffilista and bike maven Meghan Sinnott in and around the Clinton Neighborhood, which is famous for it’s bike friendly routes.

We will be hanging around this year for the street party to represent Sock Dreams and see all the nutty fun. Hope to see you all you Portland folks down there to support cycling and film in our community!

be the first to comment! »

I will admit that I’m a little partial to April’s symbols, but for good reason—it’s my birth month! Sparkling diamonds, pretty little sweet peas, daisies, and Aries, April has got a pretty good batch.

Diamonds are, according to popular song, a girl’s best friend, but they’re also clear so they’re not easily represented via sock. If only there was a pattern or something that was diamond-y . . .

• Diamond Jester Knee Highs •
• Dreamer Harlequin Diamond OTKs •
• Harlequin Diamond & Stripe Tights •

Right! “Diamond” is a pattern/texture you can check off in our Advanced Search. It’s a gorgeous, simple pattern that goes with everything, kind of like the gemstone, even.

Top row, from left: Diamants Lace Topped Knee High, Sheer Pattern Knee High, Vienna Trouser Socks.
Bottom row, from left: Sheer Pattern Crew, Five Toed Sheer Knee High, B.Ella Gigia Microfiber Crew.

Sweet peas are pretty little pastel flowers. They have a distinct shape and don’t seem to be a popular choice to decorate socks with. Daisies too! Other than the flowers the Sock It To Me Elephants are holding, there isn’t single daisy on the socks we currently carry. I suppose I’ll just have to make my own. Let’s see, we need some solid white styles for the outside and some solid yellow for the middle:

Clockwise from top: Bobby Socklings, Ribbed M Stockings, Socklings, Opaque Thigh High with Bows, Taller Tabis, Harajuku Arm Warmers.
Center: Arm Warmer w/Thumb.

Did you know the daisy is a compound flower? Each petal and each cluster of yellow in the middle is an individual flower. Nature! So crazy and awesome.

The constellation that makes up most of April is Aries, the ram. I know the ram is kind of like, this noble symbol, but even the most dignified ram is still as fluffy as the sheep on the Sleepy Sheep bedsocks (though I’m sure the facial expression would be more stern). Sheep provide a lot of wonderful wool, with merino being a popular choice when luxurious softness is sought. We have a nice selection of merino styles to pamper your toes, but here are a couple that I consider the fluffiest, thanks to the amazing combo of soft wool and boucle yarn:

• B.Ella Katy Striped Wool Socks •
• Alpino Merino Mousse Crew •
• Franco Wool Boucle Stripe Midcalf •

April! Fluffy flowers, sparkling sheep! Spring all of its wackiness in full force.

one lonely comment »