The legacy of Solmate Socks reaches back 2 generations to my Grandmother, known by the nickname “Sunny”. Depending on who you’d ask, she acquired her nickname from her friendly optimistic personality or from her fiery, red hair. Either way, I knew her as "Grandma Sunny." Grandma Sunny taught my Mother, Marianne Wakerlin, to knit when she was 9 years old and the family lived in Spain. Those foundational knitting lessons inspired my Mother's lifetime devotion to fiber arts, and eventually led to her creating Solmate Socks. The company was named after Sunny; the Spanish word for Sun is “Sol", and “mate” indicates the connection between two people. One of the very first socks my Mom released 20 years ago was called the Sunny Sock in honor of my Grandma Sunny. Like my Grandma, the Sunny Sock glowed with optimistic hues of turquoise and vibrant fuchsia. The Sunny Sock was made from wool, and after the first few years we transitioned into using the recycled cotton fiber we use today. As the wool socks were discontinued, the Sunny Sock faded away too. This year, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Solmate Socks, we decided to rejuvenate the Sunny Sock as a nod to the origins of the company, this time using our signature recycled cotton yarn. The colors are inspired by the original Sunny Sock, and they remind me of my Grandma Sunny in all of her radiant optimism. It’s bright, fresh, and beautiful, which is exactly how I remember her. -Randy Wakerlin, Co-Owner of Solmate Socks
