Jennifer Woods (her Mudcat handle is KnitPick) is an extraordinarily good knitter who is never seen around these parts (Washington, DC environs) without knitting needles and yarn. She also has one of the largest libraries of knitting books known to humankind, and spends a number of hours every week working at a yarn store. I'm hoping she'll weigh in on the subject of clear instructions. Oh, and she's also a lefty--dextrously speaking, so maybe she can give you some tips, Peter. KW