November Wrap Up

In November, I finally joined Instagram!  I've been sharing behind the scenes photos of my designs in process...as well as a few non-knitting pics.  The best part about Instagram is being inspired by the many creative people and their images.

Here's nine pics to sum up my November....home, knitting, reading, family, holidays, being thankful...

Clockwise from the top left corner:
- Home Felt Applique Pillow - pattern was published in November on Ravelry. 

- Felt numbers for new "design your own" felt applique pillow pattern that is in the works.

- Knitting with navy blue Loops & Threads Cozy Wool from Michael's Craft Store.

- My homemade jam and pickles set out for Thanksgiving dinner.  Much to be thankful for!

- My State Line Blanket knitting pattern published in November and available on Ravelry.

- Checking out the knitting section of my neighborhood Johnson County, Kansas library.

- Working on the Love Felt Applique Pillow knitting pattern design.  More details in this blog post.

- Getting out my homemade Christmas ornaments.  These are a few of my favorites!  Patterns available for the Felt Applique Mitten Ornaments and The Little House ornament.

- (Center) I bought this cute handmade USA ornament at Stuff in Brookside (Kansas City, Missouri).  The centrally located heart is placed right over my home state - Kansas.  This will be a great addition to our Christmas tree!

Hope you had a good November!  Lots to look forward to as we wrap up this last month of the year.

Peace : Love : Home - New Pillow Knitting Pattern with Felt Appliqué

I'm so happy to publish my new Peace : Love : Home pillow knitting pattern!

I started this design a year ago but it got sidelined.  A few weeks ago, I pulled the knitting back out and finally got to work on finishing these easy, fun pillows.  I love the combination of the chunky knitting with the felt applique letters!

This pattern is especially meaningful to me...in ways that I can't fully explain.  However, I'm sure most can agree...that these three words sum up the most important things in life.  It all comes back to a desire for Peace in our world...Love in our hearts...and Home with the people who are important to us.

The Peace : Love : Home pillow knitting pattern is knit with super bulky weight yarn and has felt applique letters. The pattern includes directions to knit the pillow cover flat in one piece and detailed instructions for stitching up the seams.  It also includes ready to print patterns for the felt applique letters for all three words.  The finished size is just a little larger than the 12" x 16" pillow form.

The Peace : Love : Home pillow knitting pattern is available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

Peace : Love : Home pillow knitting pattern with felt applique.

Felt applique patterns for three words: Peace : Love : Home

These pillows are knit with super bulky yarn.  They knit up very quickly!  I used Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in the color 'Granite' for the PEACE and HOME designs and 'Claret' for the LOVE design.  Loops & Threads Cozy Wool is sold through Michael's Craft Stores in the U.S.  It is very soft and good quality for a very reasonable price.  This pattern will also work well with other super bulky weight yarns including Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.

Quick & easy knitting pattern.  Makes a great gift!

The felt applique letters are added after knitting.  I like to use wool blend felt.  Sometimes you can find this at quilt shops or some of the craft stores will have a selection of higher quality felt.  I love the selection and quality of felt I have purchased from SweetEmmaJean on Etsy.

This pattern includes easy to print and cut patterns for the PEACE, LOVE and HOME letter designs. No resizing of patterns necessary!  Just pick the page for the word you want to use and print that page.  Carefully cut out the letter patterns, pin them to your felt, cut out the felt letters and you are ready to go.  The pattern includes detailed step by step instructions for finishing the pillow!  Tutorial photos included.

Detailed finishing instructions included in pattern. 

I used a very inexpensive 12"x 16" pillow form from the craft store.  Nothing fancy!  In addition to felt and a pillow form, you will also need DMC embroidery floss, embroidery needle, tapestry needle and good quality scissors for cutting out the felt letters.  Full details in the pattern.

This a fun, easy project!  The Love design is perfect for any time of the year but would be especially appropriate at Valentine's Day....of course!  

The Peace : Love : Home pillow knitting pattern is available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

You might also like my Joy & Believe Pillows or Merry & Cheers Pillows.  These pillow designs also have felt applique letter designs with the same letter style.

Thank you so much for your interest in my knitting patterns!  I love designing new project ideas and can't wait to get started on my next design.

Peace...and happy knitting.

State Line Blanket Knitting Pattern

I'm so excited to publish my newest blanket knitting pattern - the State Line Blanket.  This is a warm cozy blanket that is easy to knit with super bulky yarn.

State Line Blanket knitting pattern is available on Ravelry, Craftsy, LoveKnitting and in my Etsy shop.

February 2018 Update: State Line Blanket knitting pattern has been completely updated and now includes instructions for six blanket sizes!  Click here to read more on my new blog post.

State Line Blanket knitting pattern - easy to knit with super bulky yarn.

The name of this pattern is inspired by one of the key streets in Kansas City...my hometown.  One of the first things to know about Kansas City is that about half of the two million people in the metropolitan area live in the state of Missouri and the other half live in the state of Kansas.  As the name implies, State Line Road is the dividing line (at least in the southern part of the city).

I grew up two blocks east of State Line Road on the Missouri side.  When my husband and I got married we bought our house in Kansas....about two blocks west of State Line Road.

State Line Blanket - Knitting Pattern by Fifty Four Ten Studio

There are times State Line Road really is a "dividing line" for our big city...different taxes, different state governments, different public schools, etc.  But, most of the time it's not a big deal.

Recently, people from both sides of State Line Road got excited about the Royals baseball team winning the World Series!  In case you are wondering, the baseball stadium is located in Missouri.  The "little" parade we had last week (an estimated 800,000 people showed up!) to celebrate the Royals success was held in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.  It was a memorable day for our entire city!

Back to the blanket design...the State Line Blanket!  I love how the simple, repeating line design looks....short lines and long lines.

State Line Blanket by Fifty Four Ten Studio

SIX BLANKET SIZES:

February 2018 Update:  State Line Blanket pattern now has instructions for SIX sizes:

Approximate sizes after blocking blanket:

Baby Blanket: 30" wide x 31" long
Small Crib/Lap Blanket: 33" wide x 36" long
Medium Throw: 37" wide x 46" long
Large Throw: 41" wide x 51" long
XL Afghan: 45" wide x 56" long
XXL Afghan: 49" wide x 61" long

It's easy to make any of the blanket sizes longer by adding additional pattern repeats.  Each repeat adds about 5" to the length of the blanket.

SUPER BULKY YARN:

This pattern uses super bulky yarn and big needles so it knits up very quickly.  For the ivory colored throw blanket pictured above, I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the color 'Fisherman'.

Amount of yarn needed for each blanket sizes...

Baby: 350 - 370 yards
Small: 450 - 475 yards
Medium: 650 - 680 yards
Large: 800 - 830 yards
XL: 960 - 1000 yards
XXL: 1150 - 1200 yards

Be sure to purchase additional yarn if you plan to make your blanket longer than the dimensions listed above.  The pattern includes estimates of how much yarn is needed to make each size longer.

This pattern will work well with many super bulky weight yarns...including Lion Brand Hometown USA. (I used this yarn for a couple of other blanket knitting pattern designs including my Westport Blanket and Where the Sidewalk Ends blanket.)

The photo below is the baby size blanket I knit with Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in the color Sapphire.  I used approximately 350 - 360 yards of yarn for the baby size blanket.  (Note: Loops & Threads Cozy Wool is a hand wash only yarn.  I'm saving this for a special gift...probably long in the future...as a "for show" baby blanket!)

Pattern includes instructions for two sizes: Throw & Baby Blankets

WHERE TO BUY THE PATTERN:

The State Line Blanket knitting pattern is now available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting, Craftsy, and in my Etsy shop.

When I took the photo below on a beautiful fall morning, the sun was shining brightly outside on the orange maple tree in the front yard.  The orange-ish light reflected off of the tree and through my front door windows onto the old wood cabinet...making the cabinet and the floor appear much more orange than normal.  The magic of the light changing through the seasons!

Quick and easy blanket knitting pattern.

And...here's the street sign that inspired the name of the State Line Blanket...

State Line Road in Kansas City - the dividing line between Kansas & Missouri

Thanks so much for reading!  Happy knitting this fall and winter!

Mary Lee

Fifty Four Ten Studio

New Easy Scarf Knitting Pattern - Side Line Scarf

My Side Line Scarf knitting pattern is quick and easy to knit with super bulky yarn.

This chunky scarf knitting pattern is available for free on Ravelry and LoveKnitting.

Or....click here to download the *FREE* PDF pattern file for the Side Line Scarf.

Side Line Scarf Knitting Pattern

This scarf will keep you warm when you are sitting on the side lines at the game. 

And, the pattern is so easy you can knit this scarf while watching the game from the side lines. 

Grab some yarn in your favorite sports team's color and start knitting.  You only need about 180 - 200 yards of super bulky yarn to knit up this scarf.

I love the texture of this stitch pattern.  At first glance you might think is just simple garter stitch. Look again!

An easy K3, P3 repeat pattern creates a subtle striping effect.  (Reminds me of the lines on the football or soccer field!)

Side Line Scarf - Free Knitting Pattern

For the ivory colored scarf, I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick super bulky weight yarn in the color 'Fisherman'.

For the gray scarf below I used Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in the color 'Stone'.

Side Line Scarf - easy to knit with super bulky yarn.

This pattern will also work well with other super bulky yarns including Lion Brand Hometown USA.  I recommend solid color yarns so the texture shows best.

This scarf makes a great gift for anyone…men, women, teens and kids.

My daughter and I had a great time doing the photo shot for this scarf pattern.  We walked to our neighborhood park on a beautiful fall afternoon.  

Warm, cozy scarf pattern - Side Line Scarf.

If you like the texture of this scarf, you might also like The Boulevard Blanket...my cozy, warm throw blanket pattern knit with super bulky yarn.

You might also like my free Side Line Cowl knitting pattern...read about it here on my blog.

HOW TO GET THE PATTERN:

Click here to open the *FREE* PDF pattern file!

Or...click here to download the FREE Side Line Scarf pattern on Ravelry

Or...click here to download the free pattern on LoveKnitting.

Happy knitting!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

"Like a Sweater" Blanket - Cable Knitting Pattern

My new "Like a Sweater" Blanket knitting pattern was inspired by a conversation with my daughter.  I was working on knitting another blanket (The Boulevard Blanket) when she asked me if I knew how to knit cables.  That simple question led to a design for a chunky, cozy, cable knit blanket! 

You can find the "Like a Sweater" Blanket knitting pattern on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

"Like a Sweater" Blanket Knitting Pattern

Here's the brief version of the conversation that inspired this design...

Daughter: Do you know how to knit cables Mom?

Me: Yes…it’s done with a special cable needle. (I demonstrated using my work in progress)

Daughter: Would you be able to make me a blanket that looks like a sweater?

Me: What do you mean “a blanket that looks like a sweater”?

Daughter: A thick, chunky blanket with big cables…like a sweater!

Of course, I said "sure"!  We had fun talking about some ideas.  I showed her different cable designs and knitted up a few test squares.  I sketched out several design ideas.  In the end, she liked the idea of three large matching cables in the center with a simple seed stitch border.  

All through the designing and knitting process, I knew what the name would be for this blanket…“Like a Sweater”.

Three Large Matching Cables in this Blanket Knitting Pattern

The “Like a Sweater” Blanket is knit with super bulky weight yarn so it is quick to knit on big needles.  The blanket is knit flat, in one piece, back and forth on US size 13 circular knitting needles.  I used 32" long circular needles which worked perfectly.  Of course, longer circular needles would also work.

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease "Thick & Quick" in the color Fisherman.  I used about 800 yards of yarn.

This blanket is "throw" size.  Finished dimensions are 36" wide x 49" long.  It is possible to make the blanket longer by adding additional cable sequences.  Just remember to buy more yarn if you plan to make your blanket bigger!

My pattern is written in standard US knitting terms with row by row instructions.

This pattern is suitable for intermediate level knitters who have experience with cable knitting. Before knitting this blanket, make sure that you know how to knit cables!  You don't want to invest in a large quantity of yarn if you are not confident in how to knit cables.  

Cable knitting! 

This cable blanket is great for any decor and makes a nice gift for just about anyone.  Oh...by the way...my daughter loves her new blanket!

The "Like a Sweater" Blanket pattern is available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop. 

Happy knitting!

The Boulevard Blanket - New Free Knitting Pattern

The Boulevard Blanket….it’s quick, easy, chunky, warm and reversible!  

And best of all this throw knitting pattern is free on Ravelry and LoveKnitting!

You may also click here to download the PDF pattern file for free.  

If you need extra help with this pattern, you may download my free PDF tutorial.

The Boulevard Blanket by Fifty Four Ten Studio

At first glance you might think this pattern is just simple garter stitch...but it is not. Notice the subtle stripes? An easy K3, P3 repeat pattern creates this effect.  I love that the texture is the same on both sides for a reversible blanket.

The subtle stripes made me think of roads and all the beautiful streets we have here in Kansas City.  An old promotional slogan for Kansas City said "More boulevards than Paris, more fountains than Rome".  I'm not sure if either of these statements is true but we do have many beautiful tree lined boulevards in my hometown...which inspired the name...The Boulevard Blanket.  (My first pillow knitting pattern was also inspired by a favorite Kansas City street...The Parkway Pillow.)

Quick & Easy Blanket Pattern - Free on Ravelry

This throw knitting pattern is so easy to knit with big needles and super bulky yarn.  I used seven (7) skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the color Fisherman.  In order to find enough skeins in the desired color and the same dye lot, I ordered the yarn online. This pattern will also work well with Lion Brand Hometown USA and Loops & Threads Cozy Wool (sold at Michael's Crafts).  

Check out the Lion Brand Yarn Website for the largest selection of colors in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and Hometown.

I recommend solid color yarn so the texture of the pattern shows up best.

KNITTING NEEDLES:

The blanket is knit in one piece, back and forth on 32” long circular knitting needles (US size 13).  I used Knitter's Pride Nova Platina knitting needles which I purchased at my local yarn shop.  These are great knitting needles!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIX BLANKET SIZES: 

The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern has been completely updated to include instructions for 6 sizes.  

Baby/Infant Blanket: 28” wide x 28” long
Small (Crib/Lap): 35” wide x 40” long
Medium Throw: 38” wide x 46” long
Large Throw: 44” wide x 50” long
XL Afghan: 47” wide x 55” long
XXL Afghan: 53” wide x 60” long

It's easy to change the length by knitting additional rows if desired.  

This is a great pattern for a confident beginner.  If you know how to knit and purl confidently you can knit this blanket!

Once in a while, knitters have some difficulty getting on the right track with this blanket.  I created a free PDF tutorial for The Boulevard Blanket to address the most common mistakes.  (If you have trouble downloading it using the link above, send me an email and I would be happy to send it to you.  My email address is in the pattern.)

I was inspired to knit this blanket because I wanted to knit a warm, cozy throw and I wanted to knit an easy project that would take a while to knit.  The only problem is....it did not take long at all to knit this blanket!  

The Boulevard Blanket is easy & fun to knit!

March 2017 Update:
This winter I worked on a blue version of The Boulevard Blanket. (See photo above.) I used Lion Brand Hometown USA in 'Washington Denim'. I love how this yarn works with this pattern!  The yarn is extremely soft!

The Boulevard Blanket - free knitting pattern on Ravelry

You might also like my other easy chunky blanket patterns. 

Click here to shop all of my blanket knitting patterns on FiftyFourTenStudio.com.

Click here to shop all of my blanket knitting patterns on Ravelry. 

Click here to shop my blanket knitting patterns on Etsy.


HOW TO GET THE BOULEVARD BLANKET PATTERN:

The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern is available for free on Ravelry and LoveKnitting. 

Or....click the image below to download the PDF pattern file:

The Boulevard Blanket - CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PATTERN

Happy knitting!

Mary Lee

Fifty Four Ten Studio