I offer this as a semi-serious
solution : )
Socks get sidetracked in the wash routine. Perhaps they are lured off by dust bunnies bearing candy. Anyway, you know where they are when you wear them and when they're folded in the sock drawer. The secret is to confine them when they're not on your feet or in a drawer.
In the US Navy, when I sent items like socks down to get laundered, I would place them in a nylon mesh bag with a small brass padlock. My socks always returned in pairs. You can probably skip the lock, but get a zippered bag. They're usually used for lingerie, and you can find them in department stores or super-drug stores like Rite-Aid or Walgreens.
When you take your socks off, toss them in the bag and zip it. When it's time to wash the clothes, just toss the entire bag in. You may need two bags, one for whites and one for darks, if you're into sock segregation. If you're single, one big bag will do.
When you're done drying them, open the bag and pair them up. Fold them neatly and place them in your sock drawer.
Note that this does not work well for underwear gnomes because they can work zippers and locks, so don't waste your money if your undies are disappearing. Dust bunnies are easily defeated with this system.