Hand-knit socks make the perfect gift, suggests Stine & Stitch blogger Balke (Colorful Knit Soxx) in this no-fuss guide to crafting socks. Each pattern is given a difficulty designation of one through three: a blue and red–striped children’s sock falls at level one (it’s one of only three projects meant for beginners), a fleur-de-lis adorned pair for adults is level two, and there’s the level-three “Soxx 1,” a child’s sock with a stranded pattern and tangerine cuffs and heels. Particularly bewitching are the urbane, tricolor “Soxx 9” and the easier striped “Soxx 6.” Balke focuses less on the practical aspects of handmade socks (warmth and longevity), and more on the fun of creating them, with whimsical illustrations and colorful photos accompanying the instructions.

– Publishers Weekly