Favorites

It takes a while for me to warm up to the idea of Spring.  I love Winter, and what comes with the crisp, cold weather.  But I can never deny the brightening and lightening I feel when the air starts to smell grassy, the breeze is soft and warm, and everyone seems just a little happier. 

My absolute favorite part about Spring is the idea of throwing on a cardigan and flats instead of a shearling and boots, and waltzing right out the door.  I love how easy it is to get-up-and-go with warm weather.  And instead of piling on all my hand knits, I love deciding which favorite piece I'll use to take away the little bit of nip left in the air. 

That "favorite piece" is what I kept in mind when designing for Brooklyn Tweed's Spring Thaw Collection.  I wanted each design to stand out on its own and to be worn with just a shirt and jeans, or that awesome cotton dress you forget you have by the end of every winter.

The perfect cardigan is essential for every season - something for early morning dog walks, windy ferry rides and late-night stargazing on the beach.  With all that daydreaming, the Exeter cardigan came to mind.  I love the easiness of it unbuttoned, and the more structured feel it takes on when it is buttoned up.

I'll be throwing on Polar and the Hege Mitts as there is always a bit of a nip in the air, especially if you live in a windy city or by the river.

The stranded, fair isle knits I designed are truly meant to be unintimidating and perfect for those just starting out in colorwork.  They're all knit in the round, and the Polar hat is such a quick knit in Shelter.  A one-day knit if you've dedicated yourself to the couch on the weekend.

Oslo and Kildare are perfect to keep in my bag and throw on if I'm coming home a little late in the evening when the temperatures have dropped.

Oslo is great fun; the buttons at each end are meant to simply close up the tube.  But you can wrap it around and button one end to the other and make a cowl.

And Forester was definitely something a little different for me.  I've always liked marled knits and how it reminds me of the covers of composition notebooks I used in grade school.  But, I realized I had never actually bought one, or made one for myself.  So, I was a little nervous when I started playing around with the idea - would I actually like it?  It turns out I liked it.  And, I still like it a lot.  It was fast to knit, and I think it's turned out to be one of my favorite sweaters.  And what you can't see in the photos is the texture of the fabric that holding two strands of Shelter together.  It's so much more lightweight than you think, and after blocking it the sponginess is so cushy and comfy, you're never going to want to take it off. 

For me, it's the perfect sweater I'll be throwing on over my leggings after a long week, grabbing a glass of wine, sitting out on the terrace, tucking my knees up under and looking out onto the Manhattan skyline.

I hope you enjoy these designs as much I had daydreaming about them.  Now that I have my favorites, I'm ready for Spring!