Tuesday 12 June 2012

The trouble with socks

I have come to realise something: socks are evil, manipulative time thieves that exist simply to taunt us at washing time. Harsh words, I know, but hear me out. Sure, they look innocent enough and appear charming at first glance, offering to keep our extremeties warm and cosy and protect our cold, tired feet from the elements and shoes. But think about your actions next time you do a load of washing and you might come to agree with me.

I am convinced that I spend a disproportionate amount of housework time finding, hanging, matching and balling socks compared to any other laundry task. Most other items of clothing are more considerate than the humble sock in that they are presented as a self-contained unit. Think about trousers, t-shirts, or even pantyhose and stockings; they don't rely on a companion to be useful. Dresses are particularly amiable ensembles, containing all the essentials for the top AND bottom part of an outfit. I probably makes things more difficult for myself by only wearing black socks that I wash inside out, but I swear that washing machines the world over find it hilarious to eat one sock per load and/or swap it for another that looks similar but is not quite the same. Or perhaps they just share fetishes for black socks?

I'm not the first person to blog about sock dramas; I shudder when I imagine the ongoing nightmare that would ensue if required to keep socks for a whole family in check! It would be enough to turn odd socks into a fashion statement, something which someone from my student days used to insist on doing. She was miffed when someone accused her of wearing a matching pair one day and huffily pointed out that they were in fact dark blue and dark purple respectively!

I remember seeing a Dragons' Den-type show years ago where someone proposed commercially developing little sock clips that would keep pairs together in the wash and then hang straight on the line. No-one took it up, which shocked me as I thought it was the most practical, ingenious invention presented that day. Mind you, most of the dragons were men ...

I also knew someone years ago whose household would regularly hold a sock amnesty, whereby everyone living there would deposit their odd socks in the middle of the floor and pairs were matched, returned or retrieved. Actually, her flatmates would hold these; she was an Order Muppet and declared that none of her socks were missing or mismatched.

Do you have sock dramas, or have you found a sock solution that prevents sock stress?

3 comments:

Janine said...

lol loved this post, the sock drama we have in this house is folding of socks. Mike and I both have our own styles which were inherited by our mums. I did a post on it a few years ago lol. We came to an agreement that whoever folds the washing can determine the style of sock folding lol.

Just been catching up on your blog, yum at that choc cake, I might give that a go this week.

Wow at your Handmade class, how awesome. I had fun teaching my classes but the downside was not having time to take part in any.

Are you looking forward to Wellington on a Plate??

Minna M said...

I tired to solve my sock problems by buying a load of boring, black socks for work wear. I remember buying 7 pairs. I now possess 2,5 pairs, none of which seem to match. They have somehow mutated into different shades of black, as well as different sizes and lengths. I give up. I won't be wearing sock any more.

Sab said...

I just buy boring white socks. That way I don't have problems. And somehow all the kids socks still have their mate. I use those laundry bags and put all the socks into them for washing and drying so they don't end up stuck to other clothes and eaten and whatnot. Works well so far! And baby socks are TINY!