Any rube can lay a sock out flat, place a matching sock on top, and fold the pair in half. Before college, that’s how I folded socks. What a rube.
Thank goodness for my college roommate, Noel. He was a year older and more worldly about socks.
Noel’s treatment of socks was a revelation: Stack two socks atop each other. Fold the cuff of the top sock halfway back. Next, fold that thicker half back in the opposite direction. Finally, fold the lone sock cuff over the bundle formed by the earlier folds and stuff the bundle into the cuff.
Voila! A sock ball.
So I watched and practiced. Within days (yes, I needed that much practice), I’d mastered Noel’s method. I still use it.
These days, you don’t need a Noel. Just search YouTube for “how to fold socks.” So many videos, including some with tens and even hundreds of thousands of views!
The lesson: Skip college. Learn about socks online.
Noel, my Professor Socks, changed my sock drawer forever. But he needed me, too – to master tying neckties.
