It was around this time, that desperate yet creative mothers, feeling the effects of America’s Great Depression, started crafting their husbands red heeled work socks into cute and entertaining toys in the form of sock monkeys and other animals for their children. By the early 1950’s, the knitting company discovered that their socks were being used to make these popular monkey dolls, so they started putting patterns for the home made toy into each package of socks they sold.

How strange this sock monkey phenomenon. Who would have thought that such a manly piece of clothing apparel would become the craze for little snot nosed children far and wide when the Sock Monkey was born. To this day, Nelson’s original red heel sock and the homemade sock monkeys remain in demand. In fact, the Sock Monkey is seeing a renaissance of sorts across the U.S. and in little children’s shops in big cities and small towns everywhere. From the mass produced yet largely unfavored modern sock monkeys, to the hand crafted, custom made ones, sock monkeys are all the rave.

The continued popularity of the sock monkey even encouraged the city of Rockford, Illinois embrace the doll as a part of its history. In 2005, Midway Village and Museum Center in Rockford held it’s first "Sock Monkey Madness Festival", while simultaneously opening an exhibit highlighting the industrial, legal, and creative history of the Nelson red heel sock and the sock monkey. The festival has since become an annual event.

To get your sock monkeys, you don’t have to go farther than your laptop or PC. We have them right here at J&O in a plethora of prints and colors for your crafting pleasure.Bring a little piece of nostalgic American history back to life for your son or daughter, and you!

Labels: novelty fabric, novelty prints, sock monkey, sock monkey fabric

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