Donna’s happy place
"It fills me with such joy to see people smiling when they get their sockimals," exclaims Donna Kruger, the owner of Sockimals.
After bringing 43 sock animals to life – and there are more to come – Donna Kruger is a self-proclaimed ‘socktologist’. “Sockimals have become like my happy place,” said Kruger.
It all started ten years ago in February 2012. “My sister works in Zambia and she’s busy with a project aimed at finding a way to empower the local women, because in that environment there weren’t many ways for the ladies to earn an income,” she explained. At the time they had socks available that were sent to them from America, “… new socks because we don’t make skunks”. Her sister was gifted a book with six different patterns.
“Together we found the easier ones to make and translate because the ladies in Zambia didn’t have access to sewing machines, so they had to sew the sock animals by hand. We created a few and she took them to Zambia. At that stage my husband was in between jobs and to earn a bit of additional income my sister asked me if I would try making and selling them here. It wouldn’t be a conflict of interest if people bought them because they generally sold their products to the States,” continued Kruger.
She started with the six or seven patterns she had in the book, and her collection evolved and grew. “I believe they improved greatly. Now I make 43 different types, even small key rings from socks for newborns, and sockimal mobiles to hang over a newborn’s cot.”
The sock sizes range from newborn up to adult, and everything in between. “I even make a hobby horse like the one kids ride on.
That is my latest creation. People challenge me when they ask me if I could make something different, but my response is always the same – ‘I’m sure I can figure it out’. It’s all about adapting the patterns I have,” explained Kruger.
“It fills me with such joy to see people smiling when they get their sockimals. Each one is unique. None are the same.”
In the ten years they’ve been on the market she’d sold over 3 500 sockimals.
Donna has collaborated with Rest Ur Ass Donkey Sanctuary and they sell sockimal donkeys, build-a-donkey kits and RUA donkey lookalikes in their shop. A percentage of the funds goes towards caring for the donkeys. “I also go to schools and present a ‘Build-a-Bunny’ class for the children, and they get to make their own little sock bunny. Each of my sockimals has its own name, and is made with the utmost love and attention,” concluded Kruger.
