I spent my snow day finishing my CENTRAL PARK HOODIE (with STRIPES!) using one of my favorite yarns, STONEHEDGE FIBER MILL SHEPHERD'S WOOL from Michigan, where they know what it means to make a warm wool! And to think  it all started a month ago just before Christmas when I was shopping at the mall and saw a sweater that I absolutely loved but, alas, could not fit into. Despite my best efforts, the cooler head of my husband prevailed and I stopped trying in vain to stuff my middle-aged body into the junior-sized sweater in the middle of the store and resolved to: a) lose weight; or b)  KNIT IT MYSELF! Like a true knitter with the holidays upon me, I chose the only realistic option! Now, this pattern is a favorite of mine but the first time I knitted it, I was overly concerned about the body conscious fit of the sweater and made a size that was too big for me (as us gals hovering around the 50 mark are wont to do!).  I tried to tell myself that it was roomy and cozy, yadayadaya, but was never truly happy with my efforts. SO, when faced with the NEED of the spurned shopper (how dare they not carry this sweater in a size to fit an average woman, not a broomstick!), I re-revisited my beloved CENTRAL PARK HOODIE pattern once again, this time, spicing it up with stripes in the colors I was so wrongfully denied. The results? The colors I wanted, the fit I wanted, the sleeve length I prefer, two math-induced headaches, and one happy camper with a new sweater for these incredibly cold below zero temperatures! KNITTERS UNITE! Don't be denied beautiful knitwear because you aren't a size 2! Knitters come in ALL SIZES! And we are ALL BEAUTIFUL! Knit on, friends:)