Ew, David!
This is a sweater that started out as an homage to David Bowie’s iconic lightning bolt makeup…until I started watching Schitt’s Creek, that is! As soon as I saw David Rose’s amazing lightning bolt sweater, I knew I had to recreate it.

I originally created this pattern in early 2021, when I was very new to both knitting and creating patterns. During the past 2 years, I have improved my skills, and for that reason I decided to update this pattern.

The main difference in the new version is that the colorwork chart is different, with the lightning bolt motif getting progressively bigger throughout the yoke. The yarn recommendations are also different, I have been using lighter weight yarn and a looser gauge for the new version.

The new version is entirely based on my Viperidae sweater pattern, which has been successfully test knitted for 6 different sizes, and is available in my Ravelry store. The only difference between the Viperidae sweater is the colorwork motif - the size, gauge and proportions of the sweaters are the exact same.

If you prefer the original version of the pattern, don’t worry - if you decide to buy the pattern, you’re getting both versions for the price of one.

If you want to see more of my work, I recommend taking a look at my Instagram account @klaraceciliaknitwear :slightly_smiling_face:

VERSION 2:

As of right now, the pattern comes in 6 sizes:
A: 90 cm/35 inches
B: 100 cm/39 inches
C: 110 cm/43 inches
D: 120 cm/47 inches
E: 129 cm/50 inches
F: 135 cm/53 inches

The gauge for this pattern is 20 st/20 rows= 10 cm.
This pattern uses sport weight yarn, I used Järbo 2 tr Ull which is a 100% wool yarn, 100 gram=300 meters. I held it double with a silk mohair yarn (25 gram=210 meters), for added fuzz and softness.
Since this pattern will require blocking, I recommend that you use a yarn with a high wool content.
The pattern will require 1000-1400 meters of the main color, and 150-200 meters of the contrast color.

ORIGINAL VERSION:
This is a top down sweater with a stranded colorwork yoke. Both visual charts and written instructions are included for the colorwork section.

SIZES:
M-108 cm/42 inches
L-116 cm/46 inches
XL-125 cm/49 inches
2XL-133 cm-52 inches
3XL-140 cm/55 inches
4XL-152 cm/59 inches
5XL-161 cm/64 inches

The sizes above represent the size of the sweater - choose a size that is 5-10 cm larger than your actual bust size.

The sweater will require 1000-2000 meters of DK yarn. The gauge is 21st/10cm.

The original version of the pattern is only available in sizes M-5XL, due to the smaller sizes having some fit issues during test knitting. My intention was to add more sizes later on, but instead I ended up creating the new version of the pattern, which is size inclusive in terms of having smaller sizes available.

If you have any questions about this pattern, send me an email @ klaraceciliaknitwear@gmail.com.
Happy knitting!