We are starting a new feature here at Jumping on the Bed - Socky Sunday!!!
For the first of these posts we are featuring the original sock that inspired the creation of the sock monkey ~ the Original Rockford Red Heel Socks. When you think of a traditional sock monkey this is exactly what you imagine.
These types of toys were influenced by the Victorian Era's craze for stuffed animals & the interest in exotic animals from Africa. Wool socks of this type were first manufactured starting in 1890 by the Nelson Knitting Company in Rockford, Illinois. It wasn't until around 1932 that they began to include the trademark red heel. The Great Depression was what caused people to repurpose worn out socks into these children's toys.
I love working with these socks. I had a request recently to make a reproduction of a favorite childhood sock monkey for an adult. She had a sock monkey made from the traditional brown colour like the one pictured at left. I had to use the pattern that was included on the sock packaging in order to make the hat also. The customer was so happy! She had one just like it when she was approximately 6 years old & it had gotten lost. I LOVE MAKING MONKEYS!!!
Today the Fox River Mills Company owns the patent on the original Rockford Red Heeled Socks & is keeping the tradition of sock monkeys alive & well. They make these fabulous socks in grey, pink & blue also. Their website includes other fun monkey style socks, sock monkey kits & even John Deere licensed socks (as well as many other high quality socks). Anything purchased from their website is totally worth the cost of shipping it from the United States.
There is just something so fun about making this type of sock monkey. Whether it is giving an adult a long, lost friend or introducing a child to a brand new life-long friend there is the feeling that you are connecting with past generations and making a toy that someone will love for a very long time :)
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