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