Still can't find that lost sock

I still can't find that lost sock.  My "fear", other than never finding it, is that it will show up after having been run through the washer and dryer with DH & DSs socks over and over again while it was out on it's own.  It's a black sock made from Knit Picks Elegance (Alpaca and Silk) in Coal black.  They were my first really good pair of socks that really fit my feet.  If it's been washed&dried, it's probably more useful as ...... 

What could it be?  A hot pad for the cast iron skillet handle?  My SIL had a quilted Curling Iron Cover?  A cast for injured puppy or kitten?

It's other point of danger is just being discarded and thrown away.  At our house, there's two laundry baskets for unmatched socks:  whites and darks.  When a basket gets full, or someone really must have socks, they get sorted.  In theory.  Eventually, DH declares that the loners have got to go!  And he throws out all the lonely unmatched and holey socks at the bottom of the basket.  Surely, that wouldn't happen in a fair world.

And that's where we come to "what goes around, comes around".  Maybe it's what I deserve; to not have the socks to enjoy.  I have to admit that I had a Selfish Knitter moment as I was finishing them, and I'm not proud of it.  My lovelyist SIL was down to visit our MIL as I was getting them pretty much done.  Right before Christmas, if I remember correctly.  She was admiring them.  Genuinely, appreciating the work and the fiber.  Lovely SIL was about 8 months along at the time, and looking forward to a "natural labor".  She commented that they would make awesome Labor Socks and would be So Comforting. 

At that moment, the not-so-pretty pictures of labor and delivery flew through my mind.  Keep in mind that I have done "natural labor" four times in this life.  Each time was different from all the rest, but the common factor is; No Sock Gets By Unscathed.  The image of amniotic / betadyne / meconium soaked socks was terrifying.  And black alpaca silk kind-of demands cold water washing with the most gentle of detergents.  No way would sanitized-for-your-protection happen.  The prospect of those slaved over socks being a one time wear and toss was just too much.

If I remember right, I think I mumbled something about "Yes, it's imortant to keep your feet warm." And maybe "These are so very soft, but they're not very durable."  Seems lik a pretty pitiful excuse now.  Anyway, in the end, there was no "natural labor" - there was a scheduled C-section.  And Lovely SIL had to wear hospital issue support stockings for a couple of weeks anyway.

But, I still wonder if it's the consequences of my selfishness. 
To endure having that one lone perfect sock, yet never be able to wear it.

What do you do when you loose a hand knit sock?

The problem of loosing a sock is bad enough, but it's especially tragic when it's a Hand Knit Sock.
It's not like you can just match up the loner with some other sock in the basket. 
And after all, Both Socks DID get finished!  It's not like it's suffering from Single/Second Sock Syndrome.
If you knit another one just like it, will it be the same?
Who keeps enough sock yarn around to knit a whole matching Third Sock?
I suffer from "must use all the yarn available" and usually end up with longer than necessary socks because I can't stop knitting until all the yarn is used.  That's why I only do Toe-Ups and Two At A Time.  Am I going to have to start doing Three At A Time? 
When I do baby socks and booties, I always knit 4 or 6 of them alike.  But, until now, I had never considered making multiples of grownup socks.
HMMMM......

March Madness 2011

March Madness is just around the corner!  Which means Sock Knitting !  I never finished last year's socks, so I really must find the UFOs and get them ready to be knitting again. 
The First Four is scheduled for March 15 & 16.  and the MarchMadness2011 website has a Selection Sunday Countdown timer that is at 37 Days right now. 
And, just in case, I DO know where my stash of appropriate colorway yarn is stored.  One of the many benefits of my DH's help in getting on top of my Hoarding Issues and enabling my OCD organization. 
Stash you can find is so much more useful than Stash that is lost.