When Hamlet starts acting crazy, all manner of theories abound in the Danish Court. Some believe it’s his father’s death that has unhinged him; others (well, Polonius anyway) believes that he is crazy in love. After Hamlet’s antics scare Ophelia and she runs to her father, Polonius tells her that Hamlet is suffering “the very ecstasy of love / Whose violent property fordoes itself / And leads the will to desperate undertakings.” Way to be comforting and supportive, Polonius.

These socks are designed to mirror each other— the twisting patterns wrap around the legs and over the feet all the way down. This causes them to get a bit restrictive, but I didn’t find that elasticity suffered too much. Nevertheless, an abundance of caution means that you’ve got a wide range of sizes (and therefore charts) to choose from. Who am I to restrict love?

Skill Level: Intermediate— there’s a lot going on in these socks with a complicated cable that moves around the sock
Materials: approximately 380-430 yds (350-390 m) of sock yarn. The socks pictured are a size large that used approx. 400 yds (365m) of Madeline Tosh Twist Light in the color “Lepidoptera”
Needles: Size US1 (2.25mm) sock needles (pattern is written for either DPNs or Magic Loop)
Tools: A cable needle, if necessary, scissors, tapestry needle, and measuring tape
Gauge: 8 stitches and 12 rounds per inch (2.5cm) in stockinette stitch
Sizing: Small(Medium, Large, Extra-Large) sizes measure (very very very) slightly less than 8(9,10,11) inches or 20.3(22.9,25.4,27.9) cm in circumference. Leg height, ankle depth, and foot length are all adjustable to fit and preference.