Too many odd socks

January 5, 2009 4:31 AM

What to do with a load of odd socks?

I have a bag full of odd socks, where all the matching socks went I do not know but other than throwing these away, what else can I do with them?

I'm not a sock snob, I wear odd socks when its just a matter of them being a different colour/pattern but these are all different lengths and fabrics so they feel weird to wear together. Theres probably about 20 of them in all different colours, sizes and fabrics.

posted by missmagenta to clothing, beauty, & fashion (26 comments total)

sock monkeys!
posted by sunshinesky at 4:34 AM on January 5

Sock Puppet?
posted by govtdrone at 4:35 AM on January 5

Donate to a shoe store to use as "try-on" socks.
posted by netbros at 4:46 AM on January 5

Cobweb cleaning!

"First you will need to find an old sock: wet the sock and wring it out so that it is just damp. Pop it onto the broom handle (if it has so many holes in the toe that it slips down, fix an elastic band around it so that it stays at the end of the broom handle). Now, holding the other end of your broom handle, swish that sock around and through the cobwebs. They will stick to it as if by magic! When you've finished cleaning, remove the dirty sock from the broom handle, and either throw it away, or, for the more thrifty among you, wash and keep it for further use."
posted by ceri richard at 5:00 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Hmm. Maybe you could make some sort of strange sock quilt. You could build upon it as years went by, adding more patches each time you collected a load of odd socks. I imagine the best way to do this would be to cut off the heel of the sock, as well as the top seam, and then cut straight down the middle so that you have something resembling a square.

Then again, I've never quilted, and I don't know if sock fabric would be good for quilting. I imagine all the elastic might make it weird. But the idea sounds good in my head.
posted by brina at 5:02 AM on January 5

I use my worn-out and/or mismatched socks as rags when polishing my shoes, one for applying polish and a separate one for buffing.
posted by letourneau at 5:30 AM on January 5

Rule 34. Sell 'em to perverts on craigslist.
posted by orthogonality at 5:51 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

I second the polish-rags. They're the right size, and you can reserve one for black, one for brown, one for clear, and one for buffing.

The other thing I've done is make wrist-rests for my mousing hand. Admittedly, this just takes up one, but it's really helpful. Take sock, fill with rice, put under wrist. Optional: heat in microwave briefly.

In the same vein, bean bags? Relatively small draft-blockers? Car rags - white good for checking oil level, for instance.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:53 AM on January 5

Donate to a local pre-school or daycare center for use in making crafts. There are all sorts of ideas that use socks of all sizes and colors.
posted by maxg94 at 5:59 AM on January 5

You could use the odd socks to make prison brew.
posted by sektah at 6:15 AM on January 5

You could donate them to a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen (it they accept donations). For example, http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/help-with-sock-donations/
posted by Caz721 at 6:52 AM on January 5

If there are any special cats in your life, throw some loose catnip in a sock, tie it shut, throw that sock inside another sock, and tie it shut. Give it to the cat and entertainment for all ensues. (Double-socking helps keep the catnip from going everywhere when the cat starts doing that crazy back-kicking thing.)
posted by juliplease at 8:03 AM on January 5 [1 favorite]

Sock Dogs!
posted by sarahmelah at 8:19 AM on January 5

Stupid Sock Creatures!
posted by moonmilk at 8:24 AM on January 5

Coin purse!

Though, I suppose it's not quite the same as one made from a baby sock.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 8:55 AM on January 5

If you have to paint anything round you can use them as paint mittens.
posted by jet_silver at 9:22 AM on January 5

This sounds a bit crazy but it is really a great use for socks - My sister in law fills CLEAN socks with rice and lavender and ties them off. When she has a neckache or a headache, she throws them in the microwave to heat them up and uses them as a heat source. Her kiddos even ask for them to fall asleep with. I am a total convert. Btw, you can just use rice, but I told her that it didn't have the best smell. She added the lavender and it helped a great deal.
posted by inquisitrix at 9:25 AM on January 5

If there are any special cats in your life, throw some loose catnip in a sock, tie it shut, throw that sock inside another sock, and tie it shut. Give it to the cat and entertainment for all ensues. (Double-socking helps keep the catnip from going everywhere when the cat starts doing that crazy back-kicking thing.)

And if you don't have a special cat, check with your local rescue or shelter and see if they will accept sock-nip toys as donations. I know that a girl scout troop in my area does this.
posted by weebil at 9:35 AM on January 5

I fell for a girl once because she always wore mismatched socks!
posted by lee at 9:56 AM on January 5

Start a sock rag-bag. Put the socks on your hands and dust away. Throw them in the washer when they get too dirty. (And just so you don't get them mixed up with your regular socks, take a needle and short lengths of brightly colored yarn and attach them to the tops of your dust socks.) Cheap, cleans up easily and recycles those odd socks.
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:14 AM on January 5

Do you have any sewing machine expertise? My mom makes small pillows from fabric remnants purchased inexpensively and stuffs them with odd socks. You can also cut the foot portion off of them and use the elasticized tops as sweatbands.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:45 AM on January 5

wear them?

"My socks DO match. They're the same thickness." -- Steven Wright
posted by gonzo_ID at 11:36 AM on January 5

So YOU'RE the one who has all the missing socks!
posted by Jacqueline at 11:53 AM on January 5

We periodically gather up all our odd socks and tie them together into some sort of sock-hydra monster for our dogs to play with. Since doing that, the rate at which we accrue odd socks seems to have declined...
posted by tim_in_oz at 1:59 PM on January 5

Sock monsters!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:40 PM on January 5

To reduce the problem, when I buy socks for my son, I buy 12 pair of identical socks.
posted by theora55 at 7:38 AM on January 6