An Illinois museum's sock monkey collection has officially set a Guinness World Record.
Michael Okun, the co-founder of the Illinois Sock Monkey Museum in Long Grove, said he had been working with Guinness World Records for more than a year to determine his museum's status as the "largest collection of handmade Sock Monkeys in the world."
The museum noted that the requirement included being handmade from "the iconic Nelson red heel sock that came from the Nelson knitting company in Rockford."
In total, the suburban Chicago museum had 2,098.
Okun said the collection all started when fellow co-founder Arlene Okun discovered a Sock Monkey at a Cracker Barrel General Store in 2006.
"He was not vintage, or handmade, but nevertheless lovable, with an endearing look about him," the museum's website read. "His given name was a descriptive one – Sock Monkey. He could not imagine what adventures lay before him. He would become the mascot on countless trips and outings for the family who rescued him."
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That kickstarted the family's quest to find more Sock Monkeys "and bring them together."
"The collection began to come together, from estate sales, garage sales, antique stores, previously amassed collections, heartwarming gifts, generous donations and of course – the internet," the museum's website reads. "The monkey reunion needed an entire building of its own – to spread out and to keep growing. The collection continues to expand, as more Sock Monkeys find their way to the Museum. For the last 16 years, Sock Monkey has been fortunate to discover over 2,000 relatives. They now reside together in downtown Long Grove, Illinois."
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The museum notes that traditional Sock Monkeys come from a particular sock created by the Nelson knitting company in Rockford, Illinois.
"In 1932, the Nelson Knitting Company added the trademark red heels to their durable work socks to distinguish them from their competitor’s," the museum stated. "During the Great Depression, money was scarce. Moms and Grandmas found ways to make things at home, including toys for their children, with items they already had. Cutting and sewing a pair of worn out work socks, they created their own Sock Monkey dolls. They stuffed them with whatever was available, like sawdust, nylons, rice, or foam and decorated them. The red heels became the mouth and bottom of each Sock Monkey. The rest is history, as they say."
