As a craft, sock monkeys have probably been around for about a century, but became widely popular in the 1920s when the Nelson Knitting Mills of Illinois packaged instructions for making them using their red-heeled socks. Like their great-grandparents, these sock monkeys are hand-made by Tracy Kasaboski in the traditional method, but with an added quirkiness that makes each monkey a delightful treasure.

Tracy is co-author of a book written with her sister. The Occupied Garden, is the story of a market gardener and his fiercely devout wife, raising their young family in Holland during the Nazi occupation. The Occupied Garden is available at The Valley Artisans' Co-op.