If making fabric with sticks and string is magical, then socks are downright miraculous. Watching a three-­dimensional shape emerge whole from your needles, as if by birth, is a joyous sight indeed. I finally understand why sock knitters have the creepy, hushed enthusiasm of Tori Amos ­fans.

If you’ve always been too intimidated by the scary jumble of double­-­pointed needles to try socks, you’re in luck. This pair is knit using Cat Bordhi’s excellent two-circular-needles method, so instead of managing a fistful of skewers s in a precarious tangle of New Math, choking back the constant anxiety of dropping a needle, you’ll use two circulars, switching back and forth between each pair and letting the other one hang slack. Circulars have the added benefit of allowing you safely try on your masterpiece while you knit for a perfect ­fit.

This extra­long pair with a wide cuff features a snappy k2, p1 rib knit on US 4/3.5mm needles to speed things up. They’re knit in ultra­­cuddly alpaca for unbelievable luxury and warmth (or try four balls of Knit Picks Merino Style if the alpaca breaks your ­bank).