To My Darling Quintuplets:
Today my darling socks turn one week old.
From left:
Smartwool socks, adopted from the Far East. I call them “Leta.”
Wigwam socks, from the U.S. These socks are named “Henry.”
Misomething socks. These are my delicate Italian socks that I call “Mia.”
Grocery Socks: These are No-nonsense socks. They are named “Noah.”
The Prodigal Socks(not pictured): I ordered the Pantherella socks a week ago and Amazon says they should have come by today. Why aren’t they here? I have enough love for five socks.
Now for the real mothering: pitting the socks between each other and making comparisons. The only socks I’ve washed so far are the Smartwools. You can’t tell from the photo, because that’s an unwashed pair, but Smartwools look like cicada shells after they’ve been washed and dried. I suppose I shouldn’t be tossing them in the dryer. But just like the clinical trial, this is the real-life test, not the lab test. Sink or swim, as my Mom would say.
Another example of the real-life experience I’ve been monitoring is the exfoliation factor. I want a pair of socks I can snap and not have a cloud of dead skin float around my ankles. Someone asks, “Why don’t you just put moisturizer on your legs after you take a shower?” Because I’m wet. Rubbing moisturizer on wet skin is nasty and clammy. Rubbing moisturizer on dry skin is phlegmatic and sloppy and makes my moist skin crawl. And the only moisturizer I have now is the ridiculously overpriced Lush Gorgeous, and I won’t rub $XX-dollar cream on my skin then cover it with $XX-dollar socks. But keep in touch. I might some day, the way I’m headed.
At any rate, I have some preliminary findings.
Cashmere socks? Very soft. Twenty times softer than Grocery socks? No. And they are very slouchy by the end of the day. However, my dead leg skin has stayed on my legs.
Smartwool socks feel like a flat nylon scrubbing pad I once had in my kitchen. Or like the spongy white filler sheets they sometimes put around china.
The Wigwams just arrived today and have their first outing tomorrow. This particular make of Wigwams are thinner at the foot and thicker at the ankles than the Smartwools.
All my socks are special in their own way and have made my life so much more meaningful. I love you all,
ScienceMomma
7 responses to “Sock Update”
I’m right behind you on this one. There’s real pleasure in a well-fitting sock. For years and years when I lived in the country, and hence also in gumboots, I bought men’s socks because I couldn’t find women’s ones that were long enough to tuck my jeans into them so both jeans and socks stayed put.
Now that I’m a city girl again, I can wear socks that fit my foot, and it’s a little thrill every time I pull them on.
You know, if you you moisturize your damp legs (not wet, damp) the stuff soaks in better. It’s a good thing.
(I love your mommyblogging “today you turn one” riff.)
Magpie’s right. If you moisturize right after the shower, you have happy skin. If you don’t like using lotion, get some oil. It doesn’t even have to be pricy–Sherri swears by Neutrogena’s stuff. As dry as your skin must be from that picture, it’ll soak up the oil and you won’t be clammy.You owe Spunky some nice legs. and your socks will love you more if you aren’t shedding on them.
Oh how can you diss SmartWool socks like that! They are the greatest, thickest, softest, most longwearing socks that make you feel like you’re walking on wall-to-wall carpeting all day. My favorite indulgence. (Not a good sign, I know)
How I love them! But no, they do not like the drier.
Big Dot -Oh, having the heel of the Man Sock up behind your ankle – I know that. AwfulMagpie – I know, I used to moistuize Mom after I gave her her shower. It still squicks me out. I’m going right to the shower from here, and I promise I’ll try it. I’ll put Vitamin E oil on one leg and moisturizer on the other. For science. Jammies – I might owe Spunk some nice legs, but that ship has sailed. The oil sounds even worse than the moisturizer. Geh. Gaoo – Smartools do feel like you are getting a little footrub every time you step in them. But for softness … have you felt cashmere silk socks?
Please tell me you’re not wearing those cashmere socks inside Crocs.
Big Dot – Not … not yet. What shoes would be worthy? Are my Clarks worthy?