Sock Monkey 2012 Calendar. Sock monkeys hold an important place in the culture of North America as a symbol of ingenuity. The genesis of the sock monkey came about when the craze of stuffed animals swept across Europe and into America, where it met the burgeoning arts and crafts movement in the US. Mothers took to sewing sock monkeys as toys for their children, and sock monkeys soon became a fixture of nurseries. Sock monkeys have seen a new growth in popularity in the 21st Century, largely due to craft sites like craftster, who held a "Sock Monkey Challenge" in 2006. This 2012 calendar celebrates these much loved hand crafted toys!