I have a mystery on my hands that has me stupefied. It's the Mysterious Case of Missing Socks. Its one of the chores I dread most- folding socks. I don't mind sorting and washing them, that's no problem. Its when they come out of the dryer that I hate these knitted foot coverings ever so. I'm wondering if you have the same problem that our household has- an ever-growing pile of single-socks. Yes, socks with no match. I'm at the point that I could probably open a sock shop for one-legged men. I can't figure out our how it is that so many socks just go missing. Before you move on, look at this photo above. It is the pile of clean socks from the dryer (ok so its a few loads, but they are all clean). I start the folding process by sorting them out by color on the bed in one of the guest rooms, so I can see them all. Then I begin to find pairs and fold them...that is until I have to chase a few socks down the hall...
above: of course, having two mischievous sock-bandit poodles in the house doesn't help. Here is Duncan caught red-handed. Ahem, red-mouthed, I guess... escaping with a sock! He practically tip toes over the the side of the bed, carefully pulls off a sock with his front teeth and runs away, trying not to be noticed! But in all honesty, I know the poodles are not all to blame. I eventually find the socks they steal. So where do the rest of them go??
above: Check out the very first photo at the top. Those were ALL the socks that I washed. Now look at this immediate photo above. All the single socks lined up at the foot of the bed have no match. It's a case for Sherlock Holmes. In an effort to keep better track of my socks, once I have them folded, they go into special drawers by type of sock, color or pattern:
above: strictly casual socks, cotton/wool blends from black, green and tan...
above: more casual socks, in cotton, from black to grey to tan...
above: wool dress socks, in green, olive and khaki...
above: wool/cotton dress blue socks
above: wool/nylon/cotton dress black socks
All my colored socks get folded in half like these above. Despite my cataloging system, I somehow lose socks. Where could they all disappear to? Is it the sock monster? The black hole? A cosmic rift? A time-space continuum Perhaps some other mysterious force of nature? At times, I'm tempted to throw out all my socks and just buy one color and call it a day. Or maybe I should hire a sock detective. Hmmmm.
What's the story with socks in your home?
-Rick Rockhill
13 comments:
record is 55 odd socks.. but with three children that is a poor average eh!!! Michael.. Sydney
The ever lasting mystery of disspearing socks...
This happens in my house as well and I am convinced that our washing machine eats them :)
i am convinced missing socks transmogrify into wire hangers. it's the only logical explanation for the dearth of socks and the proliferation of hangers.
oh good one Lime, the hangers, yes those pesky hangers seem to multiply!!!!
You have no idea how wonderful it is for me to read that someone else has this exasperating problem too! For years, I had a big brown paper (grocery) bag that was filled with socks -those mismatched ones, ya know. Periodically, I would dump the contents and find mates had miraculously appeared over time. Today, with two small children in the house -and with the son-in-law who wears socks every day too, (the rest of us, not so much on the socks wearing of late) we still have the same old problem of missing socks. I have always subscribed to the theory that the dryer ate one sock of every pair but today, I think it may also be caused by small children who manage to shove one sock under the sofa, down into the cushions of chairs, the sofa, any other receptacle they can find as well!
Good luck in finding the matches to those left without a mate but occasionally, some will magically wander back home, ya know.
I truly believe that on our first day in heaven we will be reunited with our missing socks.
Ugh. Don't talk to me about socks; I have no wise answer to your dilemma. In my house, there is a mountain of white athletic socks. Now that my daughter and I have the same shoe size, and my son's feet are nearly as large as his father's, sock sorting is a NIGHTMARE.
Sigh.
I have six pair of my black dress WORK socks. That's the only thing I ever wear them for. Ever. I have about six other pair of dark green, brown, tan socks....for the rest of my life. And a few white athletic pair for the gym. If I could get by with it, there would be no shoes, nor socks, ever. I dig bare feet!
LOL, LOL....The story is the same as yours....Somehow there is often a sock missing and I have no clue where it might be or why it went missing...! I think this must be quite common because a lot of people seem to suffer with this problem....Do you think there is a Sock Heaven?
in palm beach it's nox... (no socks).
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Everyone knows where the other socks are - they're stuck to the sheets in the linen closet.
It is INDEED a conundrum. I've considered putting snaps on socks and pairing them before putting laundering them. I wonder if that would work?
I am teased for having so many socks. I once bought 30 pair at one store, one day. I can't afford expensive clothes, but my socks are the best! So, I DON'T like losing them. I hired a dryer repairman to investigate and he told me the socks occasionally slip through the vent. I have never seen a wayward sock outdoors and birds nest in the vent opening outside...are they curled up in my designer socks? But THEN years might go by and EUREKA a missing sock returned!! I then found some stuck to sheets or inside other clothing. Soo....either way, gives me good excuse to buy more.
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