Helpful Software for the Sweater Knitter Knitware Sweater Design v 1.30 available on Fibernet BBS files area as KWS130.zip When I first dialed up Fibernet, just after Christmas in 1992 I was just beginning my explorations of Cyberspace. Fibernet was the first Bulletin Board I ever logged onto and its files area was the first I ever looked into. KWS110.zip was the one of the first files I downloaded and I've never looked back. As a complete novice I unzipped the program, copied it into a directory be itself and gingerly typed 'KWS' at the DOS prompt (as the install program told me to do). It ran just fine and the on-line help explained EVERYTHING. No tears, no hairpulling; all-in-all a wonderful experience for the intimidated computer user. What Knitware Sweater Design is supposed to do is give you custom instructions for knitting sweaters, by hand or machine. This it accomplishes, and for a very reasonable price. Now the KWS I first tested and then registered over a year ago would print out text instructions for men's, women's and children's sweaters in sizes from 2 to 48 with a variety of amounts of ease from skintight to oversized/coat. The designer (that's you) can choose from full length sleeves or 3/4 length; several different sweater lengths; a variety of necklines including (in the registered version) V, scoop, round (jewel), square and two different boat necks. Raglan, drop or set-in shoulders are options and the program doesn't allow you to make incompatible choices like a boat neck with raglan sleeves. Pullovers and cardigans can be designed and there are several different collar choices, including cowl, turtleneck and rolled edge. The program as downloaded and unzipped is ready to go, it requires no special configuration for any IBM compatible computer. When I first registered my KWS program, I was informed of the availability of Knitware Tops and Vests (KWT). I have been using this program for a year now and am quite pleased with it. Vests and short-sleeved sweaters (pullover and cardigan) can be designed with this program, which is very similar the KWS but (in version 1.3) allows the choice of two different necklines for front and back. So if you want a V-neck summer top with a scoop back and a rolled edge collar, it is at your fingertips, in your gauge and size. Now, so far, I haven't touched upon the best and newest features of version 1.3. In version 1.3 of KWS and KWT you can customize your measurements and create data files of custom measurements for yourself, family members and whoever you may be knitting for. You can accommodate people larger than the standard 52 inch chest, or with a potbelly or wasp waist. You can recalculate your handspun Fair Isle pattern for each member of the family and print out the instructions and schematics for each pattern piece. Pushing f3 will display the schematic shape of each pattern piece of your current design (and there are menus that allow you to view schematics of previous designs for comparison purposes). If you want to print the schematics you must remember to run the DOS GRAPHICS command before you start the program. Then you can print all or any one of the schematic pictures with your PRINT SCREEN function. You can print your text instructions to the screen, to a file that you can edit ( I like that one because it saves paper) or directly to your printer. I even like that you can set the colors of the program to green, magenta or monochrome. I just like it. Now I will admit that I haven't used Sweater 101 or any of these other sweater design programs but I have noticed that they run about $100. I believe I've spent about $70 for both KWS and KWT version 1.2 and then about $15 to up grade to v.1.3. And I believe that gives me much more design choices than any one other program. What doesn't it do? It won't do babies (below size 2), Yoke sweaters or circular (seamless) knitting. It doesn't integrate your choice of color or texture pattern into the sweater, you have to make a swatch and use that gauge in your calculations and perhaps follow another set of directions for your Yo's and C2Bs. And it doesn't have a grid or scale on the schematic, which I would find helpful in positioning cables or stripes. I does calculate how much yarn you will need (you need a large swatch for this), allow you to revise your previous designs and resave them or save them under another name. You can delete old designs and edit or delete custom size files. You can specify measurements in metric or English units and knitting needle sizes ditto. You can get your instructions for hand or machine knitting ( about a dozen different makes of machine) including Bond frame. The program assumes that you do NOT have a ribber and doesn't support electronic or punchcard options. I does tell you the maximum number of needles needed for the sweater or ribbing, even if that number is in excess of the total number on the machine. I can see that a lot of my sweaters will have a seam up the back. C'est la vie. KWS and KWT were written by Janet Tombu dba Morningstar Consulting. She also monitors the Internet Knit List and has been admirably ethical in NOT recommending her product despite many requests for information on software available. She also markets graph paper for knitting design and her business phone number is (604) 652-4097. Check it out.