I am very behind in sharing what I’ve been knitting over the last few months. It isn’t that I’m not knitting, I most definitely am! I just haven’t been sharing like I normally would. As much as I love this blog and the community it created and the relationships I’ve formed because of it, it is the thing that gets put at the very bottom of my list because I just don’t have the time. I’m balancing work, school and my health and I really have put in rest as a priority. But I’ve got lots of fun things I’ve made (I even sewed a coat!) and want to share so I’ll be trying my best to carve out more time this fall for Yards of Happiness.
So typically you know if I love a pattern I will knit it more than once (hello, seven Love Note sweaters). A good pattern is easy and fun to make and beautiful on. Right now my new favorite pattern is the Lento sweater from Laine magazine (Ravelry link). It’s a top down raglan construction sweater knit with two strands of yarn or one strand of dk weight on larger needles. So it’s super fast to knit and the color combinations are endless. I love the shape and fit so much. For my first version I held a strand of slub yarn from Kim Dyes Yarn with a beautifully rich brown and pink fingering weight yarn from Knitty and Color.
The fabric it created is so wonderfully soft and snuggly. I’m not normally a brown person but the richness of the color of the slub yarn mixed with the browns and cherry tones in the fingering weight yarn made it a really dimensional knit.
Added bonus, if you don’t like mohair or don’t want the fuzzy look of a suri blend, going with a slub yarn gives it a fun texture. And speaking of texture…
The second Lento sweater I knit (Ravelry link) was for my best friend Jessica using Ritual Dyes Undine, a linen and cotton blend yarn and Hedgehog Fibers Feather yarn (only a few places still have some in stock, here’s a shop I found!). Jessica’s personality screamed for an excuse to use this flirty yarn in a full body sweater and when I tell you she loved it, she put it on immediately and shimmied around in it. LOL That’s how you know your gift is loved. I want to knit another Lento but in dk weight next time, so that may be my next version. I definitely see myself knitting it again, such a satisfying and quick knit!
Yards of Happiness 
I love the sweaters. I completely understand that you need to prioritize and take more time to for your health. I was watching you in Knitstars yesterday.
Hi Dana, congratulations that is so awesome on the coat!!!. Thank you for letting us know about the new pattern using DK weight and Larger needles. Just my favorite knitting recipe.
Please keep the balance going for self care. You are #1
Both sweaters are gorgeous. I really like the one you are wearing, it’s a beautiful color. I also like a linen cotton blend yarn. I’m wearing a cotton / linen blend cardigan now😄. Glad you are doing what serves you best with your time and energy, to thine own self be true 💕. And, I have to add your newest dog kiwi is so cute , and Jelly bean is too of course 💕
I love the certainty of a good fit that comes with repeating a pattern! I even like repeating elements, such as the two-colour braid I transferred from one pattern to another!
For a teacher, September is an exhausting whirlwind of a month. Take care of yourself.
So wonderful to see your newsletter today! What a fun sweater (Lento) and the yarns you used! Please continue to take care of yourself so you have the ability to share when you’re able! Hugs and thank you!
Great pattern and great yarn choice. How do you figure out yardage for knitting it in DK?
It would just be the yardage for a single yarn instead of looking at yardage for two yarns.
Such FUN sweaters! I just love both of them. And what a versatile pattern. It looks like there would be no end of winning combinations! 🙂
Love those textures!
Beautiful Lento! Did you have any trouble with the marker placement and increases not lining up? No idea what i am doing wrong!
I did not and I’ve knit a bunch of them 🤷🏾♀️
Hi Dana, I’m looking at making the Lento. Have everything swatched and ready but am hesitating on the colar. It seems high on the neck for my taste but yours looks a little bigger, more relaxed witch is more my vibe. I’m looking at making the 3rd size and am wondering if you made any modifications to create this neck. Thanks, Liz
Yes, I think it’s a folded collar and I really hate those! They’re too hot and feel suffocating to me, so I just did a regular collar and didn’t fold over the neckline.
Somehow missed this particular blog. Glad you reprised (right word?) it. As a Winter, never been a brown person either but love both your Lentos and there seem to be some new browns out there that I am being drawn to. Also not a fan of folded collars (since childhood!) and appreciate your example of fighting this trend even on such an iconic pattern as Lentos. You ARE the boss of your knitting.