Staff Picks: A Walk on the Wild Side

Even if you only wear monochrome suits or neutral outfits, pairing them with our socks can add a touch of personality with a flash of wilderness, critters, and creatures. So, whether you’re a party animal or merely want to add a little flair, we hope you enjoy meeting six of our dedicated staff and their favorite animal socks. 

Alex M.

Alex's Pick: Men's Woody Crew

Position: Product Designer

“The Woody is my favorite animal sock because of the owls and the woodpeckers,” said Alex. “The pileated woodpecker is one of my favorite birds.”

A product designer with Darn Tough for nearly five years, Alex is also a birder. She studied design at the Indiana Institute of Art and is an avid backpacker and hiker — her first exposure to Darn Tough (our hiking socks are often the gateway sock to our other styles).

One of Alex’s favorite hiking memories was hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier in Washington state. She said, “I was beyond lucky to get an early lottery.” And after securing a permit, she and her partner spent nine days hiking 93 miles and climbing 26,000 feet of elevation. They saw mountain goats, marmots, and a multitude of birds.

Alex also loves local hikes (she recommends White Rock Trail near Mount Hunger) and camping at Kettle Pond in Groton, VT, where she listens to the calming calls of loons. 

Tamara M.

Tamara's Pick: Women's Wild Life Crew in Hedgehog Moss

Position: Production Specialist

“I'd never worked in manufacturing before Darn Tough; I worked in customer service,” said Tamara, “but I find manufacturing a lot of fun: learning how to fix the machines, and how we make the different socks.”

Tamara, who began as a knitter four years ago, is now in her second year as a production specialist. Outside of the Mill, Tamara is passionate about gardening and growing vegetables. Tamara also loves reading and listening to audiobooks.

She’s smitten with the Hedgehog Moss design: “I love the mushroom, and the little dots — it just pops. This sock was new this year, and I saw it come off the line, and it was such a delightful surprise to see the finished product.”

Even though Tamara arranges all the colorful yarns going into the machines, she's still been pleasantly surprised and impressed by the reveal of the fully knit sock designs.

Theresa H.

Theresa's Pick: Women's Critter Club Micro Crew in Bark

Position: Finishing Team

“I love the Women's Critter Club Bark,” Theresa said, “because it looks exactly like my daughter's beloved dog, Martin. I call him my grandpaw.” Theresa’s daughter lives in Colorado; she thinks of her every time she looks at the husky on the Critter Club.

Theresa lives in Northfield and has worked at Darn Tough for six years. She appreciates having been trained in knitting and finishing and can work in a variety of positions within manufacturing.

Tough as nails through and through, Theresa is a cancer survivor. She has written poetry throughout her life to help her through challenges and has had her poems published. Theresa has a musical son, who is a singer-songwriter, and she loves music and dancing. One of her favorite Mill-related memories and traditions is dancing with Marc Cabot yearly at the holiday party.

Ted R.

Ted's Pick: Kids' Sal Micro Crew

Position: Growth Marketing Specialist

Ted came on as a growth marketing specialist this past winter. He and his wife have a blue heeler named Rambles (5), and two boys, River (4) and Sam (1).

Ted said his boys, “love hiking in the woods, so the Sal sock is a fun representation of that.” River especially adores the personality of the salamander with the lantern on its tail, lighting the way.

Outside of work, Ted snowboards, and he and his family enjoy hiking and cycling together. Recently, Ted found a way to ride with both his boys in a trailer behind his bike. He also enjoys making homemade pizza with his family.

Vanessa C.

Vanessa's Pick: Women's Critter Club Micro Crew in Moss

Position: Production Specialist — Knitting

“I feel like a trash panda 90% of the time, so the raccoon eating jelly toast and leaving a trail of prints is my vibe animal; I just love it,” said Vanessa, a production specialist in our Northfield Mill.

Vanessa began as a machine operator at the Mill five years ago and has since moved into a production specialist position. She enjoys gaining knowledge about the yarn and the socks. In her position, Vanessa said she “ends up doing a little bit of quality control, changeovers of the styles or colors on the machines, checking off on things, answering Mill staff questions, and representing the supervisor if they’re not available.”

Outside of work, Vanessa crochets afghans and sweaters from bamboo cotton. She also enjoys swimming and spending time in nature. As a mom of two, she values that her weekend job and evening shifts let her be with her children as much as possible during the weekdays.

Dan R.

Dan's Pick: Men's Spey Fly Crew

Position: Senior Designer

Dan has been around for four years. One of Dan’s favorite passions is fly fishing, and, fittingly, his favorite animal-themed sock is the trout-covered Spey Fly.

In the mid-1800s, Spey casting, a fly-fishing technique, was developed in Scotland on the River Spey. Dan explained it was created to help anglers catch salmon and trout by casting long distances with two-handed rods on the river. For Dan, the appeal of fly-fishing versus other forms is that it’s more challenging and nuanced, like an art form.

One of Dan’s hidden, lesser-known talents is that, according to himself, he’s a good cook. (We have not yet verified this statement with his wife.) Drawing on his Italian heritage, Dan makes homemade sauces with homegrown tomatoes from their yard.

Turns out, Dan’s passion for fly-fishing already seems to be becoming a family activity; his five-year-old daughter Molly has a little pink rod. "If nothing else,” said Dan, “fishing is a good excuse to be outside and see cool, beautiful places.”