The article mentions alternate uses of a sock, citing its suggested use as a "water filter" as being particularly creative. In high school I had a project to make a water filter which I forgot about. The day it was due I managed to assemble a plausible filter by taking my sock, getting it wet, and draping it between the dirty water glass and the clean water glass, with the dirty water glass higher so the water would be sucked up and through the sock into the clean water glass.

Maybe there is a high correlation between creativity and irresponsibility or desperation :)

As this is Hacker News and full of curious people, I can tell you that it doesn't work very well. The dirty water just ends up on the other side, minus large pieces of detritus.