So, we were talking about sock yarn, and not using it for socks. But look at my friend Chris' excellent sock design - enough to motivate me to use some of that stashed sock yarn for actual socks, maybe.
I had the good fortune to see these socks in person at the airport last weekend, at an orchestrated meet-up (yes, knitters will go to great lengths to meet other knitters face-to-face), and they're as fabulous as can be!
Find them as Pearl Drops on Ravelry. You can also see Chris' other designs at Pursuit of Fiber.