Photo Source: Rockford Illinois Midway Village & Museum Center
Sock Monkey Exhibit

The Rockford Sock Monkey Doll Jul-27-2007
History of the Sock Monkey and Sock Knitting Machine
Rockford Illinois has several claims to fame. Here are two: the WWII-era Rockford Peaches All-American Girls Baseball League (A League of their Own) and the famous red-heeled Sock Monkey. Both are featured in exhibits at the Rockford Midway Village & Museum Center at 6799 Guilford Road in Rockford, Illinois.

I visited the Museum to see the Sock Monkey exhibit and learned quite a bit about the back-story behind this popular collector's doll that has been featured on CNN and in Architectural Digest. Why Rockford? The Monkey has a specific connection with the Nelson Knitting Company in Rockford who was first to produce the red-heeled socks. According to the museum's Web site:

"The first sock knitting machines were patented by John Nelson in 1869, 1876 and 1879. He came to this country from Sweden in 1852 with the Swedish immigrants, stepping off the train in Rockford.

Incorporated in 1880, The Nelson Knitting Company was the first company world wide to manufacture socks. ... These sturdy and comfortable work-socks were worn mainly by farmers and factory workers.

These were the socks used to make the dolls. We learned that early dolls were made in Rockford during the Great Depression. In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Ed Eisner, President of the Forest City Knitting Company, sent 50 dozen pairs of socks to an Order of Episcopal Nuns in Wisconsin each year at Christmas time. The Nuns made dolls to raise money for their Order. Eisner also talked Sears into including a pattern with each of the seamless work-socks they sold. Then Nelson Knitting Company talked Montgomery Ward into doing the same thing with their red-heeled sock. So there were a lot of people making dolls and today there are a lot of doll collectors."

Sock Monkeys may have originated in Rockford, Illinois, but now they're available everywhere — from specialty stores like the Cracker Barrel to your Aunt Thelma's sewing room. I even know a talented artist in the Rockford area who makes the cutest "theme" Sock Monkey Dolls complete with accessories. And you can search online to find thousands of sources for this famous American icon.

Which by the way, you needn't be nifty with a needle to get in on the Sock Monkey craze. If by chance you are a polymer clay enthusiast, Tommy Venable of mycraftspage.com has a free tutorial on his Web site that shows you how to make one of those cute sock monkeys out of polymer clay. See, no sock needed. How fitting!

© 2007 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved.