My latest challenge (knitting)

has taken a lot of my time lately. I decided to knit something for the girls in my family, after I finished the two sweaters for myself. I just finished a pretty blue pullover for my daughter. I put a moss stitch pattern (one of my favorite knitting designs) up the front and on the sleeves like I did for my pink sweater. It is finished now and I am starting one for my dil in a lovely

soft heavier yarn which gives the feeling of heather when it is knitted. I found

a wonderful knitting book which was published in l984 which allows you to use whatever yarn and needles you wish to design your own sweaters either in knitting or crochet. It has been sitting around my library for years as it looked rather difficult to understand how to knit a swatch and

figure how to get the proper size. I spent the afternoon a few weeks ago reading it thoroughly and it is great. the size works out perfectly. The only disadvantage is that it gives very

plain patterns and you have to design your own additions, stitches, collars, different types of sleeves etc. I enjoy doing that so it works out well for me.

it is called "Sweaters in every guage" by Barbara Goldstein and was published by Prentice Hall in l984.

I doubt I will ever use a pattern again unless it is something that can't be worked into the instructions in this book. I think if I really worked at it I could adjust written patterns to it - I always 'do my own thing' even when following a regular pattern but I love it that I can pick out a yarn - use whatever needles I wish and figure out the guage with a swatch, then go to the

charts and figure out the stitch number. there are

different necks, sleeves, collars etc. which can be incorporated. I did my pink sweater with different sized needles and yarn than the blue one I am showing today and both turned out nicely --

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I just started one for my dil a few minutes ago in a lovely yarn by Red Heart (collage) and it is knitting up beautifully. It is heavier yarn so I am using larger needles.

It is a cool foggy morning here in Calgary - we have had a very nice autumn but it is starting to get pretty chilly. I imagine most of the 'snow birds' are heading toward Arizona, every year I feel homesick for our park there but life is good even though we don't go down any more. We still keep in touch with our friend in the park we stayed at for l0 years.

Well, I guess I shall read my morning paper and go shopping. Shirley