Keep your eyes (and a few bananas) peeled for a king-sized monkey visiting the local establishments. Standing eight foot ten, Oscar is the world’s largest sock monkey and he was born right here in Merritt. Cherylle Douglas says she decided to embark on the sock monkey business as a fun craft project, but then her daughter happened across the current title holders online and asked if she was up for breaking the record.
“I said ‘Well, I don’t know – I’ll try’,” Douglas explains. “I figured Merritt’s the Country Music Capital of Canada – may as well have the world’s largest sock monkey.”
And 52 hours, 30 pounds of stuffing and 32 pairs of wool socks later, Oscar emerged in his full glory – his record-breaking status confirmed by Guinness World Records, Douglas says.
Handmade toys are making a comeback in light of the current economy.
“I think people are looking more at homemade,” Douglas says, adding that children are still having birthdays and Christmas will still come regardless of a recession.
Douglas says that Oscar will be attending local social events, and he’s available for public appearances upon request.
Historically, sock monkeys are given as gifts to bring luck to a newborn baby. Oscar’s tail is 54 inches long, his body is 36 inches in length, his arms 40 inches and his legs 52 inches. He is 47 inches in diameter.+
