At home : A ‘tail' of love - Wisconsin woman puts a sock in it, comes up smiling
By Deb Anderson, Variety Editor
Monday, February 13, 2006 12:48 PM CST
Who says monkeying around can't lead to something productive? Dee Lindner, a Stone Lake resident, has proof that it can.
A sock monkey maker and photographer, she has meshed the two arts together. One recent outcome is her new gift book, “Monkey Love,” released in November in time for Christmas, but perfect for Valentine's Day.
What began for her as a hobby of collecting, turned into a hobby of creating. Inspiration popped up frequently.
“Every time I saw a sock monkey doll... I would stop and a big smile would break out on my face!” said Lindner.
That led her to take a stab at making her own sock monkey. But she didn't stop at one. And they all take time. Standard-sized sock monkeys require two to three hours of dedication and super-sized dolls take “dozens of hours.”
Her latest - seven-foot, two-inch, “Nelson,” possibly the largest soft sculpture sock monkey doll in the world - took 42 hours of sewing 44 red-heeled socks manufactured by the Fox River Mills Company.
Lindner's meticulous research of the red-heel sock monkey patent revealed that it had long expired, so anyone can make one. The socks were first created by the Nelson Knitting Company in 1932 in Rockford, Ill., on the heels of its brown- and cream-colored sock success. The patent for the sock monkey came in 1953. The Nelson Company then sold to Fox River Mills Company, an Iowa business which supports American's sentiment for the red-heel socks and sock monkey dolls by continuing to manufacture the famous socks.
Motivated to find out more, Lindner tracked the sock monkey on the Internet and uncovered millions of hits under the Google search.
“America has gone bananas over sock monkey dolls!” she said.
For fun, Lindner decided to photograph her growing menagerie in amusing poses. As individual as people themselves, each with unique personalities, the sock monkey dolls seemed to be natural subjects for the “action” shots or stills. Documenting their adventures in pictures and captions led to sending the images as greeting cards to family and friends.
But the hobbies took on lives of their own, blossoming into a business: standard-sized and custom, super-sized sock monkey dolls, handmade greeting cards, red-heel sock kits with personalized instructions, and now the book, “Monkey Love.”
Lindner's work has now been displayed in catalogs, shows and exhibits and storefront windows, and is available at various retail shops and in gift shops at medical centers, galleries and museums throughout the nation as well as through her Web site, www.sockmonkeylady. com.
She writes articles about sock monkey-making and encourages others to take up the craft of making the cushy capuchins. But for those who want to buy a sock monkey, instead of making one, she mainly sells her sock monkeys “undressed” because she wants her customers to clothe their dolls themselves.
“In this way, they give them as a gift of love from their heart,” she said.
In April 2005, the artist/author and her husband, Gary, formed Sock Monkey Lady, Inc. replete with more than 500 images and other items.
Seems that sock monkey dolls lived up to their reputation as good luck charms.
Prompted by requests, Lindner (a.k.a. the “Sock Monkey Lady”) developed “Monkey Love” as “a tribute to the red-heel sock monkey tradition.” “Monkey Love” is a compilation of endearing captions and matching creative poses of the handmade stuffed simians, in which love is featured in a very special way.
“Who can resist them [sock monkeys]... They are sassy, they are sweet and sometimes even silly,” said Lindner.
True red-heel sock monkeys are made in the USA, according to Lindner, the telltale sign being that no two are alike.
“Red-heel sock monkeys are sentimental favorites,” she said. “They are made in America, they represent simpler times gone by, they are wholesome fun, they are created from love and they will continue to bring pleasure to children and adults for generations to come.”
As for her own predilection towards the puffy primates, Lindner says, “We're never too big to monkey around!” Positive feedback from the book is reinforcing that notion.
“From the comments I have received, I think even Cupid would enjoy a copy of ‘Monkey Love,'” said Lindner.
The smile on her face that inspired it all has spread to others. She considers their smiles a symbol of her success.
“Sock monkey crafters never recover their time monetarily,” said Lindner, “but we get so much more in return - smiles!”
Happiness and humor go hand in hand in Lindner's life. Signing off, she said, “May you feel the wind in your socks in the new year and never tire of monkeying around in all you do!”
“Monkey Love,” published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, is available locally at Bookends Bookstore in Menomonie. |
Archives
