Art History Make-Along

Hello friends! Allow me to introduce my latest KAL/CAL: The Art History Make-Along! This is the third themed MAL I’ve hosted (the previous ones being the Landscape and Vista Wrap Knit Along and Crochet Along in 2024 using Color Theory, and the Genres Make Along in 2025 for the Storyteller and Book Club Wraps made with Hue + Me), and once again I’ve created a fun, symbolism-rich experience that celebrates color exploration as we kick off the fall season. This time around we will be working with my newest Lion Brand collab yarn, Cottino, and the theme is Art History. As always there are two wraps—one knit and one crochet—and I’ve put together 22 curated color combos, all based on art history movements!

The official kick off date for the MAL is October 19 (check out the full calendar below), so now is the time to grab your kits, which are available to shop TODAY! This window of time prior to the start date will give everyone the opportunity to gather supplies, have a look at all of the color combo options, and even familiarize yourself with the patterns, which will be available for free on my blog on Monday, October 5th.

Read on for more details about the projects, all of the dates for the make-along, and a look at each of the mood boards.

Quick links:

Visit the MAL blog post at any time for all info and updates.

Watch the welcome video and all video tutorials for the Curator Wrap and Collector Wrap on the Two of Wands YouTube channel.

Purchase a kit for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap.

View the blog posts for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap. (available 10/5)

Purchase the printer-friendly PDF patterns for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap. (available 10/5)

Join the Crew of Wands Facebook Page to connect with other makers participating in the MAL. Here you can share your projects, get motivated, encourage others, and get technical support.

Follow along and post your WIPs and finished pieces on Instagram. Use the hashtags #ArtHistoryMAL #CuratorWrap #CollectorWrap #TwoOfWands #CrewOfWands and tag @twoofwands @lionbrandyarn

Not familiar with a make-along? A MAL is an online event where we all work on our projects together, share our WIPS (works in progress), and connect to provide encouragement and support. We are basically running a simultaneous knit-along (KAL) for the Curator Wrap and a crochet-along (CAL) for the Collector Wrap under the collective Art History Make-Along (MAL). I always get lots of questions about how to join when I launch a MAL, and since this is a free event all you have to do is follow along. There’s nowhere to officially sign up, and there aren’t even any rules about what yarn or color combos you have to use. You don’t have to start on time or end on time either! All of these resources are simply available for guidance and motivation 🙂

For this MAL, everything will be going down here on the blog, on IG, and in the Crew of Wands Facebook group. On IG you can share your projects with the official hashtags (#ArtHistoryMAL #CuratorWrap #CollectorWrap), and in the Crew of Wands Facebook group you can easily connect with other makers, share your projects, and get helpful feedback should you run into any difficulties with the patterns. I put a TON of work into this project, including video tutorials, giveaways, and 22 themed color combos complete with mood boards, so I hope you will enjoy the experience! First things first, let’s take a peek at the timeline:

October 1
Kits, welcome video, and mood boards launch

October 5
Free patterns go live on the Two of Wands blog

October 19
Official start of the MAL; video tutorials for brushstrokes 1-3 go live

October 26
Video tutorials for brushstrokes 4 and 5 go live

November 2
Video tutorials for brushstrokes 6 and 7 go live

November 9
Video tutorials for brushstrokes 8 and 9 go live

November 16
Video tutorials for brushstrokes 10 and 11 go live

November
That’s a wrap – share your styling!

In between you can expect color combo guidance, styling tips, and a lot of fun! Checking out everyone else’s color combos and progress is always one of my favorite parts of a MAL like this.

I always say that a wrap like this is like a blank canvas, and that really couldn’t be more true when it comes to this project. That concept is actually what inspired the whole make-along and the art history theme as I wanted these designs to truly reflect the idea of wearable art. The wraps have a top down modular log cabin construction, and instead of referring to each of these modular pieces as something like “sections” I have renamed them “brushstrokes.” Imagine a paintbrush sweeping its way back and forth down the wrap, leaving behind different colors and textures! Since Art History contains so many different styles and techniques, I didn’t want the wraps to look like they were representing only one vibe, so I had the idea to utilize this technique and turn these into sampler projects where you get to explore different stitches and techniques throughout the make-along.

The Art History MAL consists of two shawls—the knit Curator Wrap and the crochet Collector Wrap. They are rich with texture, color, contrast, and a variety of techniques to create beautiful works of wearable art. Each one contains a mix of basic techniques: dense squishy stitches, lighter lacy stitches, bold color blocking, and delicate color pairings. Each color is represented equally and is thoughtfully arranged to play together with all of the others. This means that regardless of how you arrange them, they are all sitting next to each other at some point so you get to see how each of them looks next to all of the others.

My absolute favorite part of putting together these themed make-alongs is choosing the color combos and making the mood boards. For the Art History MAL we have 22 “official” options that are all based on art history movements, and I threw in another 10 wildcards that don’t necessarily reflect a specific movement but are beautiful nonetheless. As usual it was next to impossible for me to narrow down all of the gorgeous combinations you can create with the 24-color Cottino palette, and I just had to share these 10 extras with you.

Did you know that since the 1970s, historians have not categorized art movements into such distinct categories the way they previously did? Instead they largely use the term “contemporary art” to describe anything from that point on as there has been no dominant movement and many styles now coexist. So let’s say those 10 extra combos are simply contemporary art, shall we? 🙂

Among the color combinations, there are cool tone and warm tone options, high and low contrast options, neutral and colorful options, some classic combos and some unexpected. There’s truly something for everyone! Of course you’re welcome to choose your own combo as well, but I hope the art history mood boards will inspire and guide you.

The current Cottino palette consists of 24 colors, with a beautiful array of pastels, neutrals, brights, and midtones. This assortment allows for the most incredible color combos! For reference, here is a look at the full palette:

And without further ado, let’s take a look at all of the art history movements! I hope you enjoy these mood boards as much as I do 🙂

BYZANTINE
(c. 330–1453) Gilded, Jewel-toned, Ornate
Featuring: Turmeric, Straw, Goose Down, Teddy, Jam

GOTHIC
(c. 1140–1500) Dramatic, Moody, Luminous
Featuring: Turmeric, Straw, Dove, Azul, Sailor

RENAISSANCE
(c. 1400–1600) Balanced, Harmonious, Natural
Featuring: Powder, Mineral, Cider, Goose Down, Teddy

BAROQUE
(c. 1600–1750) High-contrast, Opulent, Rich
Featuring: Ranger, Cider, Jam, Goose Down, Onyx

ROCOCO
(c. 1720–1780) Pastel, Playful, Romantic
Featuring: Dill, Sedona, Peony, Goose Down, Racquet Club

NEOCLASSICISM
(c. 1760–1830) Classical, Soft, Understated
Featuring: Sedona, Goose Down, Sweatshirt, Onyx, Limestone

ROMANTICISM
(c. 1800–1850) Dramatic, Fiery, Majestic
Featuring: Goose Down, Peony, Tomato, Onyx, Poppy

PRE-RAPHAELITE
(c. 1848–1900) Botanical, Jewel-toned, Lush
Featuring: Turmeric, Cider, Dill, Ranger, Mineral

ARTS & CRAFTS
(c. 1860–1910) Earthy, Organic, Rustic
Featuring: Powder, Cider, Straw, Goose Down, Dill

IMPRESSIONISM
(c. 1860–1886) Airy, Light-filled, Soft
Featuring: Peony, Straw, Eucalyptus, Powder, Wisteria

POST-IMPRESSIONISM
(c. 1886–1905) Expressive, Luminous, Vibrant
Featuring: Poppy, Turmeric, Straw, Eucalyptus, Mineral

SYMBOLISM
(c. 1880–1910) Radiant, Mystical, Poetic
Featuring: Straw, Turmeric, Dove, Jam, Wisteria

ART NOUVEAU
(c. 1890–1910) Elegant, Flowing, Organic
Featuring: Eucalyptus, Sedona, Turmeric, Goose Down, Cider

FAUVISM
(c. 1905–1910) Bold, Joyful, Saturated
Featuring: Turmeric, Poppy, Goose Down, Mineral, Azul

EXPRESSIONISM
(c. 1905–1920) Intense, Moody, Saturated
Featuring: Cider, Turmeric, Goose Down, Ranger, Tomato

CUBISM
(c. 1907–1922) Architectural, Muted, Neutral
Featuring: Powder, Dusk, Goose Down, Dove, Cider

BAUHAUS
(c. 1919–1933) Functional, Geometric, Restrained
Featuring: Ranger, Goose Down, Sweatshirt, Limestone, Teddy

SURREALISM
(c. 1924–1940) Dreamlike, Ethereal, Mysterious
Featuring: Goose Down, Sweatshirt, Powder, Dusk, Sailor

ART DECO
(c. 1920–1940) Elegant, Glamorous, Graphic
Featuring: Dill, Ranger, Dove, Straw, Onyx

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM
(c. 1943–1965) Atmospheric, Painterly, Organic
Featuring: Racquet Club, Turmeric, Eucalyptus, Straw, Cider

POP ART
(c. 1955–1970) Bold, Graphic, Vibrant
Featuring: Poppy, Turmeric, Azul, Goose Down, Onyx

MINIMALISM
(c. 1960–1975) Monochromatic, Neutral, Restrained
Featuring: Poppy, Goose Down, Sweatshirt, Onyx, Teddy

Just in case those weren’t enough, here are the 10 extra combos I put together. Using the 24-color palette of Cottino, you can actually put together 42,504 five-color combos so if you’re not feeling any of these, there are lots of other options 🙂

Stay tuned for the patterns, tutorials, styling tips, and more! In the meantime here are those important links again:

Visit the MAL blog post at any time for all info and updates.

Watch the welcome video and all video tutorials for the Curator Wrap and Collector Wrap on the Two of Wands YouTube channel.

Purchase a kit for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap.

View the blog posts for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap. (available 10/5)

Purchase the printer-friendly PDF patterns for the Curator Wrap or the Collector Wrap. (available 10/5)

Join the Crew of Wands Facebook Page to connect with other makers participating in the MAL. Here you can share your projects, get motivated, encourage others, and get technical support.

Follow along and post your WIPs and finished pieces on Instagram. Use the hashtags #ArtHistoryMAL #CuratorWrap #CollectorWrap #TwoOfWands #CrewOfWands and tag @twoofwands @lionbrandyarn

Don’t forget to share your projects made using Two of Wands patterns on Instagram with the hashtag #crewofwands to get featured on my page and be in the running for monthly pattern giveaways!

Join the Crew of Wands Facebook group to connect with other makers of Two of Wands patterns for help with techniques and pattern related questions.

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.