I now have 14 pairs of identical black socks (28 in total, except when I mislay the occasional one). I solved the problem of having to pair and match socks after they come out of the washing machine by only having ones that are the same, it’s a very useful thing to have done and this solution has served me well for several years!

There’s nothing magical about the ‘fourteen’ part (that I know of), but it is a rather handy two weeks supply and probably gives you a good idea of how often I like doing the washing!...

In addition I have one pair of big, blue and wooly walking socks, and these are also the emergency pair for when the washing didn’t quite manage to dry in time.

It would be interesting to number the black socks and see which “pairs” I end up wearing the most – perhaps when my brain is awake, I’ll be able to work out how many total possibilities there are (...or perhaps you could help me with the combinations!).