November' 24
The Story
Before we say goodbye this month, please allow us to declare the Supreme Sock Council’s favourite breed of sheep is Merino.
We are not alone with that sentiment. When this breed was reared on the Pyrenees Peninsula in the late Middle Ages, it became so valuable that selling it abroad resulted in capital punishment for several centuries. At its peak, fine Spanish Merino wool sold for two hundred times the worth of English wool. Luckily, prices of Merino wool have dropped a bit since then, which allows us to send a specimen to your mailbox this month.
This is in no small part thanks to a certain William Jarvis. When in 1808 Napoleon attacked the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish monarchy was no longer capable of strict export monitoring. That opportunity was seized by Jarvis, an American diplomat in Portugal. He quickly bought up as many sheep as he could and, over several years, shipped more than fifteen thousand of them to the American shores.
Thirty years later, Merino counts in the USA reached two million, and that was just in the state of Vermont. Three-quarters of New England’s forests had to make way for these fluffy Spanish immigrants. The warm, non-abrasive and absorbent material was as popular then as it is now.
It is our hope that your honourable lower extremities are now shod in your ration of Merino wool. We hope that makes your steps in November more vivacious and comfortably snug.
Material
Warm Merino wool comprises around 80 %. To improve the tensile strength, we added 10 % polyamide.
The skeleton of the socks consists of 5 % Lycra and 5 % polyethylene. The latter gives the sock more tensile strength, while Lycra contributes with elasticity and antibacterial protection.
Wishing you many warm and fuzzy steps,
Your Supreme Sock Council
Edition: Men's socks
All socks from Sockfellows are designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic.
