Sock Monkey Madness Festival

In 1870, the first sock was knitted by a machine invented by a Swedish immigrant. The inventor’s name is John Nelson. With his innovation, he opened a factory to produce mittens and he eventually decided to make socks with his machine. The factory he founded is located in Rockford, Illinois. His sock factory, with automatic knitting machines, eventually led to the creation of the distinguished red heeled sock monkey. Sock Monkeys can be found in numerous households and became a popular craft in the 20th century. It is unclear when sock monkeys were first created, nevertheless the famous red heeled sock monkey has a history that begins with the Nelson Knitting Company and has continued to be a popular image in crafting and has become more than …show more content…
The celebration is named the Sock Monkey Madness Festival. In 2009, The Sock Monkey Madness Festival was awarded a national award of Merritt of Leadership in History from the American Association for State and Local History for excellence in educational programming. There are many historical attractions at the festival, including the original patent received by the Nelson Knitting Company. The Sock Monkey Madness festival also includes the original sock monkey that helped them win the patent and obtain the title “Home of the Sock Monkey.” Additionally, there is a seven foot and two inch sock monkey named Nelson, he acquired his namesake after the founder of the factory, John Nelson. Nelson the large sock monkey was sewn out of 44 Rockford red-heeled socks (Sock Monkey Madness Festival). Furthermore, the festival is kid friendly and has unique attractions such as the “Sockford General Hospital”, the hospital is a “crafty clinic” that repairs sock monkeys if they require any care. Volunteers will dress as nurses and fix any button eyes that fall off, mouths that get torn, or any sewing that is necessary (Dooley). Overall, sock monkeys are important to Rockford’s economy and history. Rockford has a museum and a yearly celebration dedicated to their sock monkey past and their influence on their existence in American …show more content…
Sock monkeys originate as early as the Victorian Era but as a result of the John Nelsons knitting machine and his son’s seamless socks, the Nelson Knitting Company was able to design a unique sock that is most commonly used in the creation of sock monkeys. Likewise, sock monkeys are an iconic image in today’s society and is on many television shows, literature, products, and is frequently used as a party theme. Rockford, Illinois is the “Home of Sock Monkeys” and celebrates their presence in pop culture and their appearance in the American families’ home by having a museum and an annual festival. Sock monkeys may not have a large impact in most lives of the general public, but they have a unique history about their origins. Sock Monkeys can be a craft for families to create together or they can be a toy for babies or small children and they have little to no choking hazard. Sock Monkeys are icons in today’s society and are themes of many occasions and will continue to be part of American culture for many more