Knitting for Summer

I am still working on the size 11 Spiral socks which seems season appropriate but slow going. What doesn't seem appropriate is to be working on a summer sleeveless top. But that's what I'm doing. I'm knitting for the Summer issue of Cast On magazine put out by The Knitting Guild of America. I keep referring to it as a vest because I can't quite get my head around knitting for summer while I look outside at this.

So far, 6" done. You may notice that it's bottom-up. Yes, I know, a departure for me. I did give it quite a bit of thought but it fits with the I-cord edging which will border all the edges so here I go. Switching away from top down has been interesting since it has been quite a while since I tackled this and my first stumble was where the buttonholes go. No knitting on automatic for this project.

Here is a schematic of one side of the front.

I am knitting this for a 5'11" model so it's going to be long. Right now I'm looking forward to the cable crossing. Yippee, fun with cables.
Deb

I-CORD THUMB

I couldn't make a video. Somehow what I needed wasn't coming up on my computer today (or lots of other days, it's just me). So here's the I-Cord Thumb in pictures. The instructions for this mitten and the Alternative Thumb are in the Need An Accessory? book

Knit your mitten as usual, putting the thumb stitches on spare yarn.

When you're ready to do the thumb put all the stitches on ONE double pointed needle. (Tip: If there are really loose stands beside the needle stitches, pick one strand up, twist it and put on needle.) Knit across the stitches.

Now SLIDE the stitches to the other end of the needle. Yarn from the ball is now attached to the last stitch on the needle. Pull the yarn across the back of all the stitches and Knit the first stitch. Knit across all the stitches on the needle. You can see the ladder that makes. All is well.

Again, *Slide the stitches to the other end of the needle, pull the yarn across the back of the stitches and Knit all the stitches; repeat from * for the length of your thumb. Work a couple rounds of K2tog to decrease the top of the thumb. You'll have a lot of ladders going up the inside of the thumb. Wonderful.

Now, get out your crochet hook and let the magic begin. With the crochet hook, pick up a leg of a stitch at the base of the thumb (this is a stitch in the fabric of the palm).

Pull the first ladder through this stitch. 

Hook up each ladder, one by one up the thumb.

Put the last loop onto the needle. Using a sewing up needle, thread the yarn through all the thumb stitches and pull tight. Sew in end. Use the end at the base of the thumb to tidy up the little hole.

Ta, da, ladders are gone. Thumb is finished. This photo has NOT been doctored!!

That's how easy it is. You can knit a thumb in minutes. Try it.
-Deb
P.S. Sharon in Surrey, Lazy, ha, ha! You have so many socks on the go. I just finished 2 pair this week. Now only 2 toques to knit. Good luck with the knee warmers.