This thread came in my 'daily-ish'. I did not yet read everything. Of course sock-puppets were already mentioned (shown in a photograph), but the 'sock-lady' I made is different ...
Here's Veronica. She was made of one whole sock and one sock with a large hole.
As far as I remember I never lost a sock in the washing machine. Most of my socks I knitted myself and I wash them by hand (because they're wool). I have a few pairs of thinner socks, they go in the laundry, And when they have a hole they are 'upcycled' instead of darned.