Night Lights Sweater
Being part of the Lion Brand family has been nothing short of wonderful over the past year and a half, so when I was asked to design a couple exclusive pieces for their new capsule collection, I jumped at the opportunity. Their 2017 Fall/Winter Style Guide is full of easy, comfy, wearable looks in a variety of knit and crochet patterns that can all become staples of your cold weather closet. The first half of the collection, featuring my Night Lights Sweater, has just been released! The stand alone pattern is now available here, or grab the kit here from Lion Brand with everything you need to complete the project.
As with all of my designs I love to share the inspiration behind the piece and a bit about my design process. Every aspect of the Night Lights Sweater was inspired by New York City, from the yarn to the structure, to the styling.
Have you every looked at a city skyline from a distance and noticed that the lights appear to twinkle? It always reminds me of fireflies in a forest, and I love the way Shawl in A Ball in the color Cleansing Quartz has a similar shimmering quality. I used it for my Icicle Wrap pattern last fall, and I knew it would be perfect for this piece as well. For the Icicle Wrap the yarn almost evoked a kind of outer space / galaxy feeling, but the hint of sparkle and the fading from a rust color to steel and black created a beautiful palette that reminded me of city lights turning on as the sun fades into the horizon.
The shape, stitch, and structure were also inspired by the concrete jungle. Composed of open squares and a simple construction without any shaping, the silhouette is reminiscent of the grid of the city streets and the buildings that create the iconic landscape. Working each row to me felt like building a part of the garment, almost as if I was building a city of floors and buildings stacked on top of each other.
Tiny closets and limited amount of space in NYC apartments mean that everything needs to be functional and versatile. I love a garment that can be worn in different ways and I really wanted to showcase that with this garment. Because it is lightweight and drapey, there are so many things you can do with this piece. Whether it's worn as a traditional sweater, wrapped around the shoulder or the waist, or even tied at the neck like a scarf or cowl, it's the perfect piece to grab on your way out the door for any adventure. My favorite way to wear it is actually as a head wrap!
This is an accessory that will be a staple in my fall (and probably spring!) wardrobe.
Purchase the pattern here.
Purchase the kit from Lion Brand Yarn here.
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The patterns and photographs of items on this site are the property of Two of Wands and are for personal, non-commercial use only. These patterns files are protected by US copyright, and you may not distribute or sell them electronically or physically.
Small batch sales of finished pieces made from these patterns are permitted, but seller must use their own photographs and credit must be given to Two of Wands as the designer.
Be sure to check out the entire collection including the Faded Mist Topper Cardigan from Mama In a Stitch who has become one of my favorite knitwear bloggers (and virtual friends!). Lion Brand has also set up some CALs and KALs on their Ravelry group with some of the items from the collection, and you can join here. Keep your eyes peeled for the second half of the collection featuring another one of my designs due to drop on November 10th!
Mama In A Stitch Faded Mist Topper Cardigan
