They are becoming really popular here too!! My grandma gave me a kit with the socks and the pattern to make a monkey or you could make an elephant. It the classic grey with the red/orange socks. The kit is really old, she has had it forever and just never made them.
Anyway, I got it from her a couple months ago and my boyfriends daughter (age 12) saw it and thought it was sooooo cool and said how bad she wants a sock monkey! I thought it was pretty strange, but now that I see this thread I guess it is becoming popular again.
SHEESH I'm only 26, and I'm already out of the loop on what is cool!!!