Now here is some ephemera you can USE.
I recently came across a single sheet of paper (probably dating to the 1960s) from the Nelson Knitting Company that features the instructions for making the famous Red Heel Sock Monkey and the somewhat-less-famous Red Heel Sock Elephant.1 (The side featuring the complete instructions appears below.)
But the Nelson Red Heel Rockford Socks were the star, as they are the primary ingredient — along with some stuffing and red yarn — for creating the beloved sock monkey.2
The front of the sheet also describes how you can order the book "How to Make Sock Toys" for just $1.50 from Pack-O-Fun. Used copies of that book remain popular today and sell for $6 and up on Amazon.
Much has been written online about Nelson Knitting Company, sock monkeys and Pack-O-Fun. Here are some of the better sites to check out:
- SuperSockMonkey.com
- History of Sock Monkeys
- Sock Monkeys: Their History and their Revival
- SockMonkey.net
But, monkeys aside, if anyone makes the Sock Elephant, be sure to sent a picture of your work to Papergreat!
Footnotes
1. "Sock Monkey" gets about 4,810,000 Google hits. "Sock Elephant" gets about 16,300.
2. Personally, I prefer to have my warm, red-heeled socks remain on my feet. But I'm just practical that way, I reckon.
Edna Clapper, published instructions for the Sock Monkey (with permission from Nelson Knitting) in Pack-O-Fun magazine. She subsequently created the Sock Elephant. Nelson Knitting bought instruction sheets for both and included them in every package of red heel socks. She also created the book, "How to Make Sock Toys" which Nelson Knitting packaged with a dozen Red Heel socks and sold in the Sears catalog.
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