PIN THIS FOR LATER
To tell this story correctly, I need to go back to September of last year. On a double decker bus in London during my trip to Europe to be exact.
It was there that I got invited to be a part of the blogger bash with Lion Brand. Thinking of it is still surreal. So, in March of this year we headed to the big apple and I was lucky enough to meet Two of Wands, Sewrella, Mama in a Stitch, 1 Dog Woof and All about Ami, and of course the Lion Brand crew. It was there that we hatched the plan of a LB Collection x Knitatude Mini Fall collection. So aka I’ve been keeping this secret for WAY. TOO. LONG.
I have never dropped more than one pattern at a time - let alone a collection - so you’re getting to live this whole new experience with me! It’s had it’s ups & downs (and sideways) and I’ve loved every minute of it. From March to now, you’ll now get to see the finished products of what I (and all my fabulous secret tests knitters) have been up to for the past 6 months in the making.
OK let’s go!
If you didn’t know, Lion Brand actually has their own affordable “luxury line”. You can only find it in two places.
Online here on their website (affiliate link)
In their New York and New Jersey stores
To say that I love this line… is an understatement. It has my favourite yarn of all time; chainette, but also so many other great ones. (Click here to check out some of em - I suggest checking out the ones mentioned below, but also the Fifty Fifty, Jeans Cotton, Mako Cotton… yeah just check em’ all out!) For this collection I got to finally knit with a few that I had been wanting to touch for a while, and I hope you like them as much as I do.
So without further adieu, let’s go through the four items in this collection! Each pattern is written in sizes S-3XL, which is based off of a 32-54” bust with positive or negative ease added (or subtracted) on top of those measurements. They have all been pattern tested, and you can check out some of my testers photos through the pattern hashtags on social media, or on their projects on Ravelry. First up:
THE SEASIDE SCALLOPED DRESS
Yarn: LB Collection Merino Yak Alpaca in dark cranberry red 10 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) balls
Buy the kit on Lion Brand here
Buy the pattern on Ravelry here
Buy the pattern on Etsy here
This pattern was loosely inspired by the fit and flair of vintage dresses, but also this hella cute top that my friend Melissa (Woods and Wool) sometimes wears. It has the cutest scalloped border and I’ve always love it. This pattern DOES include a teeeeeensy bit of crochet, and that’s just for the scalloped border - but trust me, if I can learn how to crochet for this, you can too. It wasn’t too difficult. This dress is designed with negative ease in the bust, and a cascading peplum skirt made to hit at the natural waistline. This was also my first venture into vertical bust darts… and ladies - you’re gonna loooooooove these.
THE SIDE SPLIT PULLOVER
Yarn: LB collection Superwash Merino in hemp - 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6) balls
Buy the kit on Lion Brand here
Buy the pattern on Ravelry here
Buy the pattern on Etsy here
This pattern oddly enough was the one I wasn’t too crazy about when I first pitched it, but it’s hands down my FAVOURITE out of all four to wear, and I find myself reaching for it more often than not. It’s knit bottom up and uses both flat and in the round techniques and has the cutest ribbing details. It’s the perfect oversized sweater to cover you butt while wearing tights, and to make it more accessible for my wider hipped ladies the side split bottom is to. die. for. PS. This yarn is a god damn DREAM. It is so soft, the drape is stunning, and it feels like a store bought sweater.
THE TOP GUN BOMBER
Yarn: LB Collection Chainette in olive - 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7) balls
Buy the kit on Lion Brand here
Buy the pattern on Ravelry here
Buy the pattern on Etsy here
Yup. Who else was a big Top Gun fan? My sister used to “force” us to watch this all the time on VHS at my cabin, and I still secretly have a crush on Tom Cruise. I’ve always been a big fan of balloon or “bishop” sleeves, and I wanted to design something that would be cozy and warm, still drape really well, and hit just the top of your pants for a flattering effect. This also means that this puppy knits up sooooo quickly due to the 10 mm needles. It’s also knit from the bottom up, but it’s completely seamless, and was designed with a lot of positive ease - so take that into account as you choose your size to knit.
THE BASIC COLORBLOCK YOKE
Yarn: LB Collection Chainette in olive - 5 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7) balls
Buy the kit on Lion Brand here
Buy the pattern on Ravelry here
Buy the pattern on Etsy here
If you were a fan of the Easy Eyelet Yoke… well she just got a beautiful colorblock sister. Just like the original, she uses my favourite yarn (Chainette from LB), and she has a similar drape. The math has been sliiighlty altered in the pattern to give a bit more of a slimming effect in the body - but not by much. The eyelets have also been closed, to create a more solid yoke. This sweater is knit top down and is a great beginner knit for anyone wanting to jump into making a yoke for the first time.
You can find these kits here on Lionbrand, but you can also find a fall collection listing: Here on Ravelry, and Here on Etsy. Use the code “FALL2019” to get $10% off the bundle of four patterns.
So there you have it! Which one is your favourite?