Monk Sockeys

Monk Sockeys got its start back in 2007 when my pal Kelly had an idea to make sock monkeys as part of a thesis show for her IU fiber arts class. The first batch of monkeys plus a few zombies were custom tie-dyed and sewn with the purpose of creating a story line. Each monkey had a name and elaborate backstory. After the success of the show, a craft booth was born — bringing monkeys to the market.

For several years, Kelly and I (plus our pal Emily who made sock zombies rather than monkeys) successfully sold our critters during the summer months at the Bloomington Fair of the Arts craft fair. Kelly continued to tie-dye her socks. I started using inexpensive store-bought socks with fun colors and patterns.

A year or so into the venture, I started getting requests for specific characters. After the market days waned, I crafted custom-order monkeys. My monkey-making has tapered off over the years, but a custom monkey still happens every now and again.