My first ever sock monkey will become a recurring image in my graphic novel! The real-life sock monkey is a perfect illustration resource. And I won’t fix the button eye! You know it wouldn’t be quite right if I didn’t include a sock monkey in the story!
From RoRoArt:
… Up here in Canada, in the 20’s, 30’s & 40’s, we did not import Rockford Red Heel Socks, so folks would use heavy grey wool worksocks with red striped ends. Sometimes these were known as Lumberjack Socks, or Hockey Socks. (Sometimes the creators would embroider large red yarn mouths on them and those Monkeys were called Canadian Rockfords!) Because in Canada socks didn’t come with instructions, the designs tended to be very diverse and individual, as their creators played with different Monkey ideas. Canadian Sock Monkeys often had very long tails…
From ArticleRICH:
Beginning in the 1910s and 1920s, the working class mothers began sewing old and used up hosiery into various shapes and sizes for their children by creating new play things and mementos from their house hold scraps. The first Sock Monkeys were stuffed with rags and even wheat husks, which gave them a cushion appeal that was similar to the more expensive cotton batting. The earliest known creation of a Sock Monkey dates to 1919, but it would be another fourteen years before the beloved play thing would reach its classic form.
Today, the most famous example is the Red Heel Sock Monkey, which is known for its distinctive red swatch that appears on various parts of the monkey’s body. In 1932, the Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford, Illinois began manufacturing its De Tec Tip red heeled sock. The Sock Monkey grew in popularity during the World War II years, and by the mid 1950s the company was including instructions on making the monkey with each pair of socks sold. They even got a patent for its design from the United States Government.
PROJECT FUNDED on KICKSTARTER!
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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