I met Hank, sock monkey number one, in the fall of 2004. He was shy at first, and mortally afraid of my sewing machine.

But I handled him gently and only spoke to him in quiet, murmuring tones, and he soon gained confidence. He eventually confessed that he had many friends and relations who were anxious to make my acquaintance (apparently word got around that I served exquisite tea-biscuits and had an extensive library of classical music). I told him I'd be delighted to meet them, and before I knew it, sock monkeys were tramping through the door at a staggering rate.

These days, dozens of the creatures have made themselves at home in my dining room. They're quite careless of table manners as a general rule, and tend to spill their tea. Nevertheless, I now couldn't imagine life without them!

* all photos by Deb Hickey; www.debhickey.com

The sock monkey is a powerful symbol of ingenuity, embodying the “work with what you’ve got” ethic. Inventive mothers had already been making sock dolls for their kids when the Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford Illinois added the red heel to its machine-made, seamless work sock in 1932; thereby inadvertently spawning the classic red-lipped, red-bootied sock monkey. You can download their pattern for free, at www.lennytaylor.freeyellow.com For more on the history and current madness of the sock monkey, check out www.wikipedia/sockmonkey.

Jan uses her own custom-made pattern, and carefully chosen new socks in bright colors and funky designs. She holds a BFA in sculpture, and has been on the local monkey scene since ’05.