A Pattern Book
The Original Rockford Red Heel Sock Monkey sits in toy boxes across America. My older boys loved theirs, one, literally, to pieces. They line the toy aisles and hang from toy tress. and now Fox River Mills invites a new generation to discover the simplicity and joy in this lovable plush through their How to Make the Original Rockford Red Heel Monkey, Friends, Puppets and more!
“We wanted to encourage the renaissance the sock monkey and homemade toys have been experiencing over the last few years,” said Becky Lessard, Vice President of Monkey Business at Fox River. “Almost everyone grew up with a beloved sock monkey. Other patterns like these help expand the sock monkey universe with dogs, cats, puppets and more. This year was a great time to update the book because we recently introduced the new Pink Heather Rockford Red Heel, which can add personality and even gender to sock toys.”
I’ve seen a lot of pattern books and Fox River Mills truly delivers an easy-to-follow guide to making the lovable and infamous Sock Monkey. When I received the book I was shocked to discover it has more than 50 toy patterns and there are plenty of full-color pictures as well as large diagrams for ease in creation. I love that Fox River Mills is detail-oriented in the directions, but not so detailed that you lose site of the project.
I’ve enjoyed browsing the book as it offers a lot of fun facts like:
No one knows exactly when the sock monkey was born. But the monkey first appeared on the scene in 1949 in Rockford, Illinois–Home of the Nelson Knitting Mills, original manufacturer of the Rockford Red Heel.
There are also tips:
Add personality and uniqueness to your monkey with your own eye pattern and nostril details.
You’ll find tips throughout the book and a complete section dedicated to tips on page 33.
The Fox River How to Make the Original Sock Monkey and Friends book is 48 pages filled to the margins with crafty creations. Start with Sock Toys and progress through Sock Dolls, Clothing and Special Effects, Hand Puppets, Arm Puppets, Puppet Skit and Characters and finish with Sock Novelties. Or mix and match to suit your gift giving or creative exploration. Either way, you’ll find plenty to choose from!
My heart pitter-patters for the Puppy whose instructions are on page 11. He’s handsome with his spot and with Rockford Red Heel Socks his colors are gems of brown, blue or pink!
Li’l Man exclaimed, “Oh, I always wanted one of these!” when he saw the Hobby Horse on page 45. Indeed, after seeing it, I concluded I have also always wanted one of these!
My children and I are creating a challenge to create these wonderful toys. It’s our crusade to remember a time far simpler when the imagination outperformed the battery-powered toy. We are looking forward to sharing our Rockford Red Heel Sock Monkeys and other creations as we bring them to life.
Rockford Red Heel socks transform into no ordinary monkey! Just check out the Sock Monkey Blog to see a selection of unique Sock Monkeys that will have you wanting to add your own personal flair!
Get started on your own Original Rockford Red Heel Sock Monkey today with the Fox River How to Make the Original Sock Monkey, Friends, Puppets and More Pattern Book. It was just released last month and has a manufacturer’s suggested retail of just $9.99.
I received a copy of Fox River’s How to Make the Original Sock Monkey and Friends in order to facilitate an honest review. No other compensation was received. The opinions, where expressed, are my own and were in no way influenced by the sponsor. Others’ experiences may vary.
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