Thursday night when I was talking with Eric, I got a lot done on my ribbed tank top. I’m pleased with how it looks so far. I changed the back (it was supposed to be a deep V with yet a deeper slit and a ribbon to hold it together in a keyhole). My back is not my best feature and I get cold/sunburned enough that making the back fairly solid is a smart move for me. Never mind that the straps will be less likely to fall down.

So I knit straight across on the back until I was done decreasing on the sides for armholes, then I bound off the center stitches and prepared to make straps. But I don’t like it enough, and I’m going to rip back the one strap I finished and the bind off. I want it even higher, maybe another three inches of rib. Then maybe I’ll bind of a little more gradually so there is not an abrupt corner. We’ll see how that goes, I haven’t thought it out much yet.

This means that for about 12 hours I did not have any “brainless” knitting, the stuff I crank out like crazy when running errands and waiting in line. Ack! I do have two pair of socks in process but they were not with me at dinner with Eric. I will want to cast on the front of this tank top sometime in the next few days so I can crank again for many stitches of K2P2 ribbing. I’ll get you photos of this project soon… but I have even more exciting news to illustrate today.

The news is that I did finally finish my First-Time Toe-Up Sock pattern! WooHoo! (No thanks to Microsoft Word 2002/XP, which kept crashing my computer over and over when trying to spell check the nine-page pattern… aargh.) It looks good and includes all the information I really wanted my students to have at their disposal. I’m subtitling this pattern “A Gentle Guide through a No-Swatch Design” which really feels just right.

I am really pleased with this, as a teaching guide. It has really good photos (according to my students at Little Red Schoolhouse who are taking this class right now) showing exactly how to do the toe up process successfully. There is a two-page appendix with photos for unusual techniques (even hints on using Double Pointed Needles) and a sock sizing grid for making toe up socks for other folks besides yourself. It’s a winner. These three photos are all variations on the pattern as written, but you can make any cuff you like on top of the instructions I include.

Those who pre-ordered this pattern will see it in the mail very soon. Thanks for your enthusiasm! For those interested now, you can visit my LynnH Patterns page for information on this pattern and others I’ve written. Remember, I am currently paying shipping (First Class postage) in the USA for purchases of two or more patterns at one time. I’d love to hear from you that you learned of the pattern here (as opposed to Socknitters Email group, for example) if you’d be so kind as to make that note when you write me.

Now the Tea Cosy pattern is very soon to follow. That is what I’m working on this very minute. Busy, busy, busy!!!