Let's Talk About Socks

From Judy Wolfram's "Waste Not, Want Not," September 2007

Socks. Let’s talk about socks. You know, the things people wear between their feet and their shoes. (Well, most people do anyway, and the ones who don’t are another story altogether.) Socks come in pairs -- as do feet, which works out well. You put these pairs of socks in the washer, and when the washer stops, everything inside goes in the dryer. You even check the washer to make sure it is empty when you do so.

When the dryer stops, you empty everything into a basket. Fold, fold, fold --- mate, mate, mate... Oh no! No mate! You look everywhere, but to no avail. And thus, the single sock goes into a large brown paper bag with all the others that have no mates.

What to do with those single socks?

Well, you can put a sock on your hand and dust with it, or use one with polish on your wood furniture. You can use socks to wash your windows, clean your glass-topped tables, or your mirrors. Socks are great for polishing marble sink tops and stainless steel sinks as well.

I make homemade throw pillows stuffed with stray socks. They work perfectly fine for that project. You can cut socks into strips and use them to tie up tomato plants or other garden plants and flowers. They can be used to tie up house plants too. I also cut them and use them to put patches on various assorted articles of clothing. I also patch older throw rugs that I use just for rainy, muddy, and snowy days.

Your children can make sock puppets or rags dolls. The possibilities are endless, just use your imagination. While composing this column in my head, I was emptying the washer to hang clothes on the line. When the washer was empty, there I was with one gray sock.

Oh no! It can’t be!

I searched high and low, got a flashlight, and looked under, behind, and around -- to no avail. But as I was taking the clothes off the line later, I found a lump in the sleeve of my turquoise sweatshirt. Could it be?

Yes, one gray sock; the other half of the pair.

Life is good.