If cold toes or drab clothes are problems that plague you, a solution is coming to Wallingford: The Sock Monster, the a new store from Holly Gummelt, who owns Monster Art and Clothing in Ballard.
Holly’s Ballard shop is acclaimed for its quirky collection of indie designer goods and for its sock wall; by the end of May those socks will have four walls to call their own adjacent to Not a Number on N. 45th St.
Her customers love the socks she carries, Holly told us: “They keep you warm, give you color, they’re a pick-me-up. It’s like adult candy that doesn’t make you fat.” And The Sock Monster will also carry “sock monsters,” stuffed creatures made of socks that go far beyond the familiar sock monkey.
Adding to the fun, Holly plans to add at least one pinball machine to the back of the store and will paint the floor like a game board. “I want it to be a place to hang out,” she said. “A funky, playful, colorful space.”
The store will share passageways with Not a Number “so that the two shops can easily share customers and lovers of all things fun, colorful and cool,” owner Kara Ceriello said. She and Jon DeLeeuw had twice expanded their shop in recent years and wanted to scale it back a bit. Enter Holly, who was looking for a space in Wallingford, a location far enough from Ballard not to steal customers from her other store, but close enough to access easily.
In addition to socks and sock monsters, the shop will carry Alchemy Goods bags, some footwear, and local snacks and sodas.
