My 3rd Sweater!
I can hardly believe I’m saying this—this is my third sweater! 🧶
After learning to knit as a teenager and then not picking it back up again until my late 30s, I’ve been having so much fun challenging myself with new knitting projects. Sweaters were definitely something I wanted to tackle, and with each one, I’ve been learning a little more and gaining confidence along the way.
My latest project is the Lento Sweater. At first glance, it looks like a fairly simple sweater, but there were a few “new-to-me” techniques along the way that gave me an opportunity to learn something new.
And honestly, that’s one of my favorite things about crafting. Any project where I can finish it and say, “Well, I learned something new!” is a win in my book.
A Sweater That Went Places
Knitting is definitely something I like to take on the road with me. It travels so easily, and I love having something to work on when I’m sitting in the car, waiting somewhere, traveling, or just relaxing.
Plus, as a creative person, I think most of us struggle a little with being too idle. 😂 My hands always seem to want something to do!
This sweater has actually been to quite a few places with me while I’ve been working on it, which makes it even more fun to look at now that it’s finished. There’s something special about knowing a project has a little bit of your journey woven into it.
The Yarn
For this sweater, I used City Tweed DK from Knit Picks in the Biscayne colorway.
I really loved working with this yarn! The little flecks of color throughout give it such a fun, textured look without being overwhelming. It adds just enough visual interest to the sweater and gives the finished piece a cozy, slightly rustic feel.
The Biscayne colorway was also such a fun choice. I’m always drawn to yarn that has a little bit of something unexpected going on, and this one definitely caught my eye.
If you haven’t tried City Tweed before, I’d definitely recommend giving it a look. It was a fun yarn to work with, and I love how it turned out in this sweater.
New-to-Me Techniques
One of the things I’m trying to do with each project is push myself just a little outside of what I already know. The Lento Sweater gave me the chance to try a few techniques that were new to me or finally made sense:
Swapping out Yarn — One of the little things I’ve learned along the way is that you don’t necessarily have to use the exact yarn a pattern calls for. I’m sure this is probably common sense to an experienced knitter, but it honestly wasn’t something I had ever really thought about before!
For example, this pattern called for fingering-weight yarn held double (two strands together). That means I could use a single strand of DK-weight yarn instead. 🤯 Such a simple thing, but it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me. I’m starting to realize there’s a lot more flexibility in knitting than I initially thought!
Provisional Cast On —The provisional cast-on was another first for me. I’d heard of it, but had never actually used one before. Learning how it works—and realizing why you’d want to use one—was one of those little “ohhh, I get it now!” moments. I’m really enjoying all these new techniques I’m picking up along the way.
Short Rows— The short rows used for the neck shaping were another first for me. I’d seen short rows mentioned before, but I’d never actually used them for shaping. It was really fun to see how they work and to finally understand what they’re doing. Another little knitting lightbulb moment! 🧶
None of these things felt impossible, but they were enough to make the project feel like a learning experience—and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a project.
I’m still very much learning when it comes to knitting, and I think that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable. There’s always another technique to try, another construction method to figure out, or another project that makes you think, “I wonder if I could make that?”
And apparently, the answer lately has been yes!
Three sweaters down, and I’m already wondering what I should knit next. 🧶
Tell me in the comments: Have you made the Lento Sweater? I’d love to hear about your experience!