Just as the temperature hit 32C for the first time this spring, I finished a new sweater! At least it will be ready for any Melbourne weather we get in the next few weeks. This will be my November yarn project for the Year of Stash Projects and I’m really delighted that it only took me two weeks to make. I’ve made this pattern before as it is very easy, once you get the folded collar done. The pattern is Lento by Jonna Hietala published in Laine Summer 2021. I’ve made it with two yarns held together: Blackwattle Sweet Pea in their limited edition colour way of Rich Emerald and Prosper Mint in Taragreen colour way, both of which I bought at my favourite yarn store, Maker Maker in Brunswick.

These beautiful yarns have been in my stash for at least a year so I’m really pleased to finally make something with them. Initially I’d intended to make Meiju K-P’s Hento sweater that has a light brioche stitch and lovely puffy sleeves, but I tried four times to get the sweater started and kept making mistakes when trying to go from the flat brioche of the shoulder short-rows to joining in the round for the neckline. In the end I decided I need to learn brioche on a slightly simpler pattern and decided to repurpose the yarn to use this favourite pattern. Infuriatingly I still had to make multiple attempts to get past the collar. 🤦‍♀️ I don’t know what was wrong with me and why it was so difficult but in the end I took the failed attempts and my needles along to my Saturday knitting group, Bellarine Knit One Crochet Too, and showed them to the other girls. We all had a good laugh at what I am now calling my “swatches” but by the end of our meeting I had a collar cast on and the rest went very smoothly.

I have now managed to finish both a yarn and a fabric project in the first two weeks of November, so I am well ahead of my monthly goal for the Year of Stash Projects this month. For my next yarn project I need to get started on the Frog and Toad toys my daughter has requested and for my fabric project I might have a third attempt at a t-shirt pattern that fits well.