I was folding laundry just now when a profound yet meaningless question entered my head. (this often happens) When I was a little hamster, my mother always stretched socks lengthwise before pairing them and putting them in the drawer. Once I grew up and had a Habitrail© of my own, I continued stretching socks, though I had no idea why I was doing so or what I might hope to achieve by this. So my question (actually 2 questions) is/are:
–– Is anyone in the audience familiar with this practice?
–– What is its purpose?
Your kind consideration of this matter is humbly solicited. Thank you. 
Sweetie, we rolled ours into balls so stretching them would be meaningless I would assume.
ReplyDeleteOddly, my mother stretched our socks but rolled my father’s. I still stretch mine -- although I never really thought of it as stretching, just not rolling.
ReplyDeleteWe used to roll them and now we simply fold them.
ReplyDeleteSome of them gather up in the wash, stretching them brings them back to their full length (helpful for those of us with big feet.)
ReplyDeleteI stretch my socks, pair them, fold them and then tuck one inside the other to keep them together. I do this simply because this is how my mother taught me to store socks. Are you asking me to QUESTION
ReplyDeleteI just match them and put them in the sock drawer.
ReplyDeleteInteresting responses all, many thanks! Mama Hamster used to, after stretching, tie one around the other in a loose knot. That's what I did until I sent some laundry down aboard ship, and the socks came back with the top of one sock simply rolled down over the pair. This struck me as more efficient and easier on the socks, so--HORRORS!--I abandoned the way my mother did it in favor of this new, more scientific approach. It only took me like 50 years to accomplish this. 🧦🧦🧦
ReplyDeleteyou and everyone who knows you should seek help.
ReplyDeleteSo tell me something I don't already know...
DeleteI am afraid I am incapable of answering such huge philosophical questions.
ReplyDelete👍
Delete