On a knitting list I belong to, we were today bemoaning that age-old frustration of the Missing Sock - you know, the one that you're sure went into the wash, but you haven't seen it since.

A lady told me that when her washing machine broke down, the repairman found no less than seven socks which had somehow inched their way underneath the washtub and wound their way around the spindle, causing the machine to croak.

Now we know.