"Reasons Why I Retired" and What's Happening Now

Reason 90: Socks

Ah, mismatched socks! It’s been a lament since socks were invented waaay back in Greece in the early 8th century BC. The first socks were made of matted animal hair and, I am sure, smelled even worse than my son’s gym socks. This ancient type of sock was called “piloi”; the Greek poet Hesiod wrote the first known entry about the importance of wearing socks to keep the feet warm.

“Around your feet, tie your sandals made from brutally hunted oxen skin and, under these, dress them in piloi.” -Works and Days, Hesiod

So your off-beat uncle wasn’t the first one to pair socks with sandals. We owe that fashion faux pas to the ancient Greeks.

But let’s give the Greeks credit here; they invented socks that allowed for the sandal strap between the toes! This pair is the oldest known set of foot coverings in existence and was found in a burial ground in Egypt. They may have been made in AD 250 or thereabouts. If you’re in London and into this sort of thing, you can view these socks in person at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Obviously, not made of animal hair but of fiber, these socks are an example of a knitting technique called nålbindning, knitting with only one needle and one strand of material.

In late June, I took a good long look at my

own sock drawer and dumped it all out on my bed. I sorted and rolled and, yes, discarded many a sock in my quest to have twins that I could grab on a cold winter’s day.

Ta da! Looks neat, right?

No, I don’t have any split ones like the ancient folk who wore their socks with sandals and much as I LOVE to knit, I’ve never attempted a pair of socks. It’s not even on my bucket list.

So I’ve scratched this task off my list of reasons I retired. I did keep one pair of “close enough” matches my late husband had put together.

It’s not only the ancient ones who can make a fashion statement!

How do you feel about socks with sandals? Yay or nay? Do you knit socks? Or want to learn?