A COAT FOR ME

I love making these colored sweaters and decided I would make myself a long coat sweater.

I found a lovely soft olive green yarn for the yoke - so here it is. I am going to have to stop making these! grin.

I love being able to add colors when I feel like it and will have to figure out a different concept now that I have make 3 or 4 of these - mind you only two of them are here in town. I really like this one -- I am wider at the hips than top and finally figured out a way to work that in a drop sleeve coat -- and I added a collar as well as a Rice Stitch pattern on the yokes and sleeves.

When I am designing it sometimes takes me awhile to get it all figured out.

I incorporate crochet in all of these for the bands and if I need to adjust the width of the

pieces. I also always do a single crochet for the borders and collar - and then knit from that row. I then decide whether to crochet or knit my border. I am finding that a single crochet front border (both sides) is a bit stiffer and works best for this type of cardigan -- I also crochet the bottom border -

I am enjoying creating these knitted garments - I have been doing wall hangings for ll years and hope to get back at them but this is lots of fun for now.

We took a drive last week up to Olds Alberta and dropped in to one of the retreats I always

go to - This year, after all we have been through I felt I didn't want to leave my husband so he came with me and it was great to see my friends from Western Canada who I usually see each year.

I lost a lot of weight this past two years and am trying to keep it off (easier said than done) - so I have been walking a lot - here in the condo and just started walking with friends. My husband is doing exceptionally well and we are very thankful. It is nice to finally start getting back to normal.

I hope you like my knitted coats and sweaters! Shirley