Dear Daughter: About Socks

dear daughter Flock patchwork quilt block Farmers Wife letters no 34Dear Daughter

I realised today that my pile of quilt blocks for your Dear Daughter quilt is growing, while the number of letters is not keeping up. I have four newly finished blocks, and another almost sewn up, with no letters of their own. Hmm. Time to write another letter.

This quilt block is called “Flock”. It has an interesting effect that I wasn’t expecting. It shows up better from a distance and may not work as well in the photos.

As if by magic, the reds and greens almost seem to hover above the musical instrument print. I think the solid red and greens combine well, but the gold and white images trick the eye into thinking it’s a separate layer, further away. Like looking down on a flock of birds flying over a landscape, which is far down below. I’m sure that this block is meant to have the effect, but it only shows ups when you actually make it.

dear daughter Flock patchwork quilt block Farmers Wife letters no 34 angleAs I sorted the washing this morning, I mulled over the effect. I wish I had used smaller print for the lighter fabric to make it more distant.

Then I was distracted. I noticed yet again that you have less school socks than your siblings. This is not possible. I seem to buy socks for you all, every month or two. Yet they have many and you don’t.

Now I admit, that your sister and brother do wear grey socks and you wear black, so maybe they are combining like the red and green in my patchwork to seem like a separate grouping. The magical effect of making your socks seem less in number. Unfortunately, the evidence is against this theory. I have, rather sadly, thought this through.

dear daughter patchwork quilt block Farmers Wife sewing angleSo I’ve braved your room and checked everywhere:

under your bed and drawers (found two non-matching black socks)

in the wrong drawer (nope, although I did find a blouse that needed hanging up)

bottom of the laundry basket (one scrunched up sock – doesn’t match the other two)

in the corners of all the clean duvet covers – a favourite place for your toddler socks to hide. (nope, but I did find a green sock. Too small now)

in everyone else’s drawers (nope, nope, nope)

I did check the textile recycling box, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only person in the house who knows where this can be found. (nope)

So. Apart from three odd black socks, not a lot of progress. I can only conclude that the rest are not in the house, which makes me wonder what happened to them all. Have they become a strange protection money alternative at school? Do you trade socks for an easy time at school?

Maybe you and your friends use socks to block draughty holes in the classrooms. Does it make the Maths room less chilly? Or will I find a cache of them in your PE bag, like another member of the family seems to specialise in?

Have they gone to the same place as all the missing biros and sharp pencils? Is there a black hole in your room that only attracts black school socks? Maybe its sponsored by the sock manufacturers.

dear daughter patchwork quilt block Farmers Wife sewing

I’m sure I’m not the only mother to have this problem. Sigh.

Alas, I’m afraid that this will remain a mystery.  I’ll be putting more school socks on my shopping list for you. Again.

As always

Your loving mother

P.S. I hope you appreciate that I chose to partner a letter about socks, with a quilt block called “Flock”. Flock/Sock.

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For more of the Dear Daughter letters and quilt blocks, check the menu at the top.

(My word of the week will have to be socks, as it represents the theme this week of “Parenting mysteries”.)

22 comments

  1. haha it’s the sock monster …closely related to The Chocolate Monster see the book “The Chocolate Monster” by Jan Page if you don’t know it ?
    then you have to read it …it explains so much

    1. Hmm. I’m guessing that it might answer that other mystery about where the last of the chocolate goes. Hang on. I already know the answer to that one. 😳

  2. I absolutely appreciate the sock/flock partnering, perfectly done! I wonder where they’ve all gone to? My kids shed socks easily here so I have to search down the sofa sides and underneath them to get pairs. Best of luck solving the mystery and thanks for sharing with #WotW

    1. Hmm. I tried the sofa too. Found a pair of my son’s grey socks, but no black ones. The mystery continues.

  3. You’re so brave to go looking for socks! I’m surprised you didn’t find more. Our house is a treasure trove of abandoned socks 🙂
    Thanks for your comment on my post. It made me think that with all the renovations I haven’t done any crafting for quite some time. I think that may be what I’m missing to give me some focus and time to free my mind of everything but the task in hand. Thank you! x

    1. Searching for socks is a regular event in our house. Maybe daily. Probably explains why the haul wasn’t greater. I’m glad you found my comment useful. I’m really aware that I need to make something. I get so distracted if I’ve not made a pair of pyjamas or blouse recently.

  4. I have black socks for work. I never wear black socks out of work. For some reason I’m sure the black work socks seem to multiply and any colourful socks disappear. Or just st one disappears, but that’s more understandable, every house has a sock monster. But whole pairs that never turn up again? Beats me.

    1. I have long suspected that we have a sock monster. Unlike yours, I suspect that it has a particular fondness for black socks. Or it could just be Eldest’s socks that it prefers. Hmm.

  5. Sock just disappear in our house too!
    The fact that the children shed their socks all over the house; they can have two socks on at the dinner table and leave with just one! And despite me checking we have matching pairs in the washing machine they never all come out!
    It’s an ongoing mystery which I’m not sure can ever be answered!
    #wotw

    1. You may have a point there. Maybe it’s futile trying to figure out where the odd socks go. I’ll just be content with finding at least one matching pair for that day and let the rest sort itself out. 🙂

    1. Oh I hope not. I’m sure it wouldn’t do the machine any good, but, then again, I don’t know what happens to them, so maybe.

  6. I love that quilt block and the way the red and green pieces look like an extra layer. We have disappearing socks in our house too – personally I blame the gremlins that live in the laundry basket. They’re also responsible for throwing the occasional sneaky black sock into a white wash.

    1. So that’s who it is!! Hmm. I’ve wondered how those odd, brightly-coloured socks escape my radar and make it in with the white wash.

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