Sorry to hear about your new ankle-high socks.

A tip I learned for those with top loading/agitating machines is to put your wool socks in a mesh bag.

I keep the bags with the laundry basket. As soon as I take the socks, or anything else that needs special attention, off it goes in the bag. Then there is no mistaking anything in the laundry room.

You can find mesh bags in almost any Wal-Mart type store.

The socks hang dry on a wooden bar in the laundry room and the bag is tossed in the empty laundry basket to go back upstairs.