You're right about men's socks. They are thicker and cushier, and thus cosier, which makes me happier. I've taken to living in women's hiking socks as they are the closest thing to men's socks but a better fit. They're not affordable though, especially the woollen ones, so I'm always on the lookout for a sock sale, haha.
My sock drawer is so pretty - I can see every pair all at once - they're rolled and stowed in a single layer. Years ago every pair of socks I had was black - the idea being that I didn't have to pair them. Well, I DIDN'T pair them, and they all just got chucked into the drawer higgledy-piggledy, so I'd pick two random (identical but NOT - read on) socks to put on every morning.
Well, there was no system. The socks towards the top and/or front of the drawer would get worn again and again, and the ones at the edges or at the bottom would only be worn occasionally - so very soon one sock in every 'pair' would be slightly more worn than the other one. They WEREN'T pairs. They didn't FEEL like pairs. My feet - and my brain - were going absolutely crazy!
Now I have patterned, brightly-coloured socks whose pairs are unmistakeable. If I ever buy a duplicate pair to a pair I've already got (I've ended up with the same design a few times) I throw the older pair away immediately. Learned the hard way that it was all-too-easy to pair a new sock with an old sock. No thank you! My feet were very unhappy.
I thought I was the only one for whom socks have to FEEL right. Thank you for being the same. xxx
Normally I can see them all at once too, and I very much like it that way. I can’t manage odd socks, though my autistic adult son is the complete opposite and seems to only wear odd socks. They just don’t feel the same on each foot. 👊 to us sock people.
Your sock drawer's very pretty too - I'd omitted to say that in my first comment! I find odd socks very, very difficult to cope with - and when I see other people wearing odd socks - or just one sock - or one glove - or mismatched gloves - it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I am far better at managing that discomfort than I used to be - I was diagnosed with OCD towards the end of last year, and since an absolutely terrific course of CBT I'm doing much better. I still notice, but it's not as likely to make me actually feel sick like it used to.
I can't do it myself though. Nope. The socks have to be identical, with the same amount of wear. It's the law. 🙂
I just love this post. I feel so very seen, even though it isn't about me at all. I, too, have strong sock feelings! And I know you say "That's it. That's all. Socks"--but socks are something we encounter almost every day of our lives! They matter!
You're right about men's socks. They are thicker and cushier, and thus cosier, which makes me happier. I've taken to living in women's hiking socks as they are the closest thing to men's socks but a better fit. They're not affordable though, especially the woollen ones, so I'm always on the lookout for a sock sale, haha.
I love your Nordic socks :)
My husband lives in hiking socks (he does have the excuse of walking the dog). The Nordics are slowly losing integrity sadly.
I have similar sock struggles, and then I have sock guilt about getting rid of newer pairs. It’s complicated.
Very much so
Lovely post, Tamsin! 🧦
My sock drawer is so pretty - I can see every pair all at once - they're rolled and stowed in a single layer. Years ago every pair of socks I had was black - the idea being that I didn't have to pair them. Well, I DIDN'T pair them, and they all just got chucked into the drawer higgledy-piggledy, so I'd pick two random (identical but NOT - read on) socks to put on every morning.
Well, there was no system. The socks towards the top and/or front of the drawer would get worn again and again, and the ones at the edges or at the bottom would only be worn occasionally - so very soon one sock in every 'pair' would be slightly more worn than the other one. They WEREN'T pairs. They didn't FEEL like pairs. My feet - and my brain - were going absolutely crazy!
Now I have patterned, brightly-coloured socks whose pairs are unmistakeable. If I ever buy a duplicate pair to a pair I've already got (I've ended up with the same design a few times) I throw the older pair away immediately. Learned the hard way that it was all-too-easy to pair a new sock with an old sock. No thank you! My feet were very unhappy.
I thought I was the only one for whom socks have to FEEL right. Thank you for being the same. xxx
Normally I can see them all at once too, and I very much like it that way. I can’t manage odd socks, though my autistic adult son is the complete opposite and seems to only wear odd socks. They just don’t feel the same on each foot. 👊 to us sock people.
Your sock drawer's very pretty too - I'd omitted to say that in my first comment! I find odd socks very, very difficult to cope with - and when I see other people wearing odd socks - or just one sock - or one glove - or mismatched gloves - it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I am far better at managing that discomfort than I used to be - I was diagnosed with OCD towards the end of last year, and since an absolutely terrific course of CBT I'm doing much better. I still notice, but it's not as likely to make me actually feel sick like it used to.
I can't do it myself though. Nope. The socks have to be identical, with the same amount of wear. It's the law. 🙂
This is awesome!
Thank you. I’m glad socks are a thing you like too.
I just love this post. I feel so very seen, even though it isn't about me at all. I, too, have strong sock feelings! And I know you say "That's it. That's all. Socks"--but socks are something we encounter almost every day of our lives! They matter!
They surely do matter. Should I write a poem about socks? Maybe not.