My Favorite Knitting Projects from 2018

Before we get too far into the new year, I wanted to take a minute to say THANK YOU for your interest in my knitting designs, for purchasing my knitting patterns and for all your kind feedback. It means so much to me to hear that you have enjoyed using my patterns!

In November, I celebrated five years of designing and publishing knitting patterns. This past year was an outstanding and rewarding year for my little home based business...I appreciate your support so much!!

Here's a collage of my favorite knitting photos and projects from 2018...

Fifty Four Ten Studio - Favorite Knitting Projects from 2018

Here's a guide to the photos shown.  Click the links to see the blog post about each pattern:

Top Left: Childhood Wishes cable blanket knitting pattern
Top Right: Piece of Home blanket knitting pattern
Center Left: Quality Time scarf (and blanket) knitting pattern
Center: River of Dreams bed runner blanket knitting pattern
Center Right: Plymouth Select yarn I used for my Stay on the Ridge blanket pattern.
Lower Left: Game Time blanket knitting pattern
Lower Center: Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern
Lower Right: Window Seat blanket knitting pattern

THREE FAVORITES:

It's hard to pick favorites...because I only publish the designs that I really love! (Yes - there are designs that didn't make it past a few inches of knitting...or I finished but wasn't pleased with the results.)  Here's my three favorite knitting pattern designs from 2018:

1. My favorite project of 2018 is my River of Dreams bed runner blanket!  I absolutely love how this project turned out!  And...I love that knitters have really enjoyed using this pattern.

My goal for this design was to create a classic style with a modern twist...take a basic, simple cable and make it really stand out with super bulky yarn.   The bed runner has a seed stitch border on all of the edges.  The pattern includes instructions for twin, full, queen and king size bed runners.  (Note: this is an accent blanket intended for the end of the bed...it does not cover the entire bed!)

River of Dreams bed runner blanket knitting pattern

River of Dreams bed runner knitting pattern is available on Ravelry, Craftsy, LoveKnitting and Etsy.

Designed for Super Bulky Yarn:
I used Lion Brand Hometown USA super bulky yarn for my River of Dreams bed runner.  I picked the 'Springfield Silver' shade which looks great with the neutral color palette in our guest room.

Lion Brand Hometown USA is very soft and very economically priced. The yarn is available in a wide range of colors. I especially love the neutrals such as 'Dallas Grey' (see it shown in my Westport Blanket knitting pattern), 'Chicago Charcoal' (see it shown in my North of the River blanket), and 'Houston Cream' (I'm working on a project with this right now!).

Note that 'Springfield Silver' is one of the "print" or "tweed" colorways and comes in 64 yard skeins.  Solid color Hometown USA skeins are 81 yards.  Be sure to double check the yardage when purchasing.

If you prefer a woolly texture and appearance...try Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.  I've used it with many designs - such as my Game Time blanket below.

Working on my River of Dreams bed runner blanket knitting design.

2. My second favorite pattern from 2018 is my Game Time blanket (and scarf) design.  In late September, I decided I really wanted to make a fall inspired blanket and it called for branching out from my standard blue and gray color palette!  I ordered 8 skeins of the 'Mustard' colorway of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. The day the yarn arrived I cast on for this blanket...and I finished knitting the blanket within eight days!  I enjoyed knitting outside on some beautiful fall days when the leaves were changing colors...matching my mustard yellow yarn.

Game Time blanket knitting pattern.

Game Time blanket & scarf knitting pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy    and LoveKnitting.

This pattern uses an easy to remember four row repeat stitch pattern that gives great texture and is reversible!

I made the medium size throw which is 41" wide x 45" long.  The pattern includes instructions for 6 blanket sizes...plus a scarf.

This blanket is a favorite because I loved the experience of knitting it last fall, outside when the weather was beautiful, and I'm so pleased with how the color worked with the texture of the pattern.

3. And...my third favorite pattern from 2019 is my Quality Time scarf (and blanket) knitting pattern.  It's the worsted weight version of the Game Time blanket (above).  This pattern is a favorite because of the memories of the day I bought the yarn...and because I have worn this scarf on every cold day this winter!

Quality Time scarf knitting pattern by Fifty Four Ten Studio.

Quality Time blanket and scarf knitting pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy, LoveKnitting and Craftsy.

I used two skeins of Malabrigo Rios in 'Bobby Blue' which I bought at a cute shop in Fairfield, Iowa called At Home Store.  They have a beautiful selection of kitchen, home and baby gifts...as well as a lovely selection of yarn!  This scarf  reminds me of one of my favorite days of 2018 when I got to spend some quality time with someone special.

_________________________________________

Here's a sneak peak at one of the projects I'm working on right now...

Working on a new blanket knitting pattern design.

The yarn for this project is Lion Brand's new 'Color Made Easy' bulky weight yarn in the colorway 'Basalt'.  I'm thrilled with the stitch definition of this yarn and I absolutely love the color.  A really nice rich medium gray...a lovely neutral shade.

I have a long list of knitting goals for 2019!  Stay tuned!  I'll share updates on Instagram and  Facebook.  And, sign up for my email announcements using the 'Subscribe to our email list' option on the right side of your computer screen - near the top of the blog page. (This may not show up as an option when viewing on your phone - still working on how to successfully provide this option without annoying pop-ups!)  

To learn more about each of my patterns, visit my pages on Ravelry, LoveKnitting, Etsy and  Craftsy (soon to be called Bluprint).

Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Celebrating Four Years Designing Knitting Patterns! My top 10 best-selling knitting patterns are...

Four years ago this week I published my first knitting pattern!

Each year in early November I reflect back on all I have learned and accomplished since I started with just one little Christmas ornament pattern.  I am so appreciative of the interest in my knitting designs and all the purchases of my patterns. Thank you so much!

My first knitting pattern that I published in November 2013 was a mini sweater ornament.  This design perfectly represents how I feel...both now and when I first started...having pursued this creative endeavor that I absolutely love!

Mini Sweater Ornament - My first knitting pattern!

Buy the Mini Sweater Ornament Knitting Pattern on Ravelry, Etsy or FiftyFourTenStudio.com.

Designing knitting patterns has brought so much joy to me....I love every step of the process...coming up with a new idea, selecting the yarn and color, knitting the project, finishing the last steps of the project, photographing the finished design (lots of photos and lots of editing!), writing the instructions, learning how to navigate several websites where I publish my patterns, helping knitters when they need assistance, seeing photos of customers' finished projects on Ravelry and Instagram (that always makes my day!)...and always looking forward to the next project.

TOP 10!

Before I get back to work on my next knitting design...I thought it would be fun to take a look at the  "Top 10" knitting patterns in my collection of 43 knitting patterns I have published in the last four years.

This top 10 list is based on customer purchases on Ravelry, Etsy, and LoveKnitting.

This list does not include my "always free" knitting patterns.

This is the first time I have compiled the number of sales by pattern design across each of the four websites.  It's fun to see which patterns are my customer's favorites!

#1 Best Selling Knitting Pattern: Third Street Blanket

Third Street Blanket - My Best Selling Knitting Pattern!

Running away with first place is my Third Street Blanket!  The Third Street Blanket has been my top selling pattern every month since I published the design in September 2016.

This blanket is easy to knit with super bulky yarn.  I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the lovely shade of 'Glacier'. I updated the pattern this year to include instructions for six sizes...there's directions for every size from a little baby blanket up to an XXL afghan.

Read more about the Third Street Blanket on my blog post.

Third Street Blanket knitting pattern is available on Ravelry and Etsy.

#2 : Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern

Over the Rooftops - Chunky Blanket Knitting Pattern

I published my Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern in January 2017.  I was completely bowled over by the enthusiastic response to this design!

This chunky blanket is fun to knit and it is so cozy!  I used Lion Brand Hometown super bulky yarn in 'Dallas Grey' for this design.  Read more about the pattern here on my blog.

#3: Westport Blanket

Westport Blanket Knitting Pattern - Easy to knit!

The Westport Blanket is knit with super bulky yarn so it's quick to knit.  I love the chunky texture of this blanket!  I used Lion Brand Hometown USA in 'Dallas Grey'...one of my favorites shades in this yarn that includes so many color choices.

The pattern includes instructions for five blanket sizes.  Read more about the pattern here on my blog.

#4: Summer Sidewalk blanket

Summer Sidewalk - Blanket Knitting Pattern

Summer Sidewalk is the most recently published pattern in my 'Top 10' list!  I published this pattern in March 2017. 

This blanket is very easy to knit with DK, worsted...or similar...weight yarn.  This is a great pattern for a confident beginning knitter!  

The pattern includes instructions for five blanket sizes.  Read more about the pattern here on my blog.

#5: Stones in the Road blanket

Stones in the Road - Blanket Knitting Pattern

Stones in the Road blanket is fun to knit with super bulky yarn.  I used Loops & Threads Cozy Wool from Michael's. 

The design includes a seed stitch border and matching seed stitch "stripes" for the center design.  Read more about the Stones in the Road pattern on my blog.

#6: Brookside Blanket

Brookside Blanket - Afghan Knitting Pattern

The Brookside Blanket is named for the neighborhood where I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri.  This was my fourth blanket design and it quickly became quite popular with knitters!  

In October 2017, I updated the Brookside Blanket pattern to include instructions for six blanket sizes.  Read more about this knitting pattern on my blog.

#7: Felt Applique Mitten Christmas Ornament 

Felt Applique Mitten Christmas Ornament - knitting pattern

This little mini-mitten felt applique ornament pattern was my second published knitting pattern back in November 2013!  

I updated the pattern in January 2016 to add more felt applique options including letters and numbers. I love knitting these little mittens and stitching on felt designs to make each little mitten unique.  Click to read more about this pattern here on my blog. 

#8: Where the Sidewalk Ends blanket knitting pattern

Where the Sidewalk Ends - Easy Blanket Knitting Pattern

Where the Sidewalk Ends blanket is very quick and easy to knit! I love the simple, chunky, striped texture of this design.  And...the bright white yarn adds to the modern design.  This yarn is Lion Brand Hometown in 'New York White'.  Read more about this pattern here on my blog.

For a light weight version of this design, see my Summer Sidewalk blanket pattern at #4 above.

#9: Belleview Blanket

Belleview Blanket knitting pattern for super bulky yarn

The Belleview Blanket is designed for super bulky yarn.  It was my 5th blanket design.  Read more about the Belleview Blanket knitting pattern on my blog.

This year, I was thrilled when Lion Brand Yarn asked if they could use this design to offer a knitting kit for sale on their website!  The kit includes the pattern and enough yarn to make a large throw using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the color 'Glacier'...as shown in the photo above.

#10: The Parkway Pillow

The Parkway Pillow knitting pattern

I published The Parkway Pillow knitting pattern in April 2014.  It's very easy to knit with super bulky yarn.  Read more about this pattern and the name for this Kansas City inspired design on my blog.

Most Popular Free Knitting Pattern

And....my 'Top 10' list would not be complete without acknowledging my most popular free knitting pattern...The Boulevard Blanket.  

The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern for super bulky yarn.

As of November 2017, The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern has been downloaded a total of over 20,000 times on Ravelry and LoveKnitting!  I'm so happy that knitters have enjoyed using this pattern!  

2023 UPDATE: Click here to download the updated PDF file of The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern.

Thanks so much!

Thank you so much for your interest in my knitting designs!  I have learned so much in four years...I learn new things every day!   Your interest in my designs...by purchasing my patterns, and reading my blog...helps make me curious and excited to create new knitting designs.  I am really excited about working on new designs in the coming months and years.

It's a beautiful fall day here in Kansas City.  The trees have turned beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red...Mother Nature is really showing off!  Hope you have a great day!

Happy knitting!

Mary Lee

Fifty Four Ten Studio

Spring Knitting...Lots of Projects in the Works

Spring is here!  After about two weeks of off and on rain everything looks beautiful again in Kansas City!  Last weekend I cut a few branches off the Royal Raindrops Crabapple trees in our backyard.  They only lasted for a couple days in the vase but I loved how they brightened up my messy studio table.  (In case you are wondering, I purchased the vase at IKEA in March 2017.)

Cuttings from our crabapple trees.

We've been working on a lot of projects at our house this past month...knitting, sewing, woodworking, gardening...and more.  Something about spring arriving really gets us motivated to do projects and make things!

For about two weeks I have been working on a chunky cable blanket design.  First I did a test knit using some leftover yarn.  It's Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in 'Glacier'.  I love using this leftover skein over and over for testing out pattern ideas because it's one of my favorite colors...and the lighter color really shows off the pattern details well as the design comes together.

Test knitting with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick 'Glacier'.

After I established a plan for this big chunky cable blanket I cast on with the dark gray yarn I picked for the blanket. The photo below is from last weekend when I was working on this big blanket. I finished knitting the blanket yesterday...so watch for an announcement about this pattern in the next couple of weeks.  (It takes a while to finish the final steps...block the blanket, let it dry, photograph the blanket and finish all the details writing the pattern...and then the pattern can be published!)

  

I love how the pink Crabapple blossoms look with the rich dark gray yarn! The yarn is Lion Brand Hometown USA in 'Chicago Charcoal'.  This yarn is incredibly soft and I love how it worked with this chunky cable blanket design.  More details coming soon!

A few weeks ago my in house woodworking team (husband & daughter) built a headboard for the guest room at our house. They painted it a medium/dark gray....Sherwin Williams 'Software'...and it looks fabulous next to the white bedding (from IKEA).  I love how my Westport Blanket adds texture to the room!  (And...that's my Peace Pillow knitting pattern adding a comforting message.  The design includes felt applique letters.)

Westport Blanket knitting pattern - along with new headboard!

When my daughter was on spring break we pulled out the sewing machine and dug through all the fabric in the house and made a big stack of dinner napkins.  We love how they turned out and the assorted fabric patterns remind us of past projects.  And...we're using a lot fewer paper napkins!

We used the directions from this Craftsy tutorial.  Learning to do the mitered corners was the trickiest part of this project but my daughter figured that out!

Homemade dinner napkins made with stash fabric.

It took a lot of hours to make this stack of napkins!  The first challenge was finding stash fabric with big enough sections to cut 18" x 18" squares for each napkin.  We washed, dried and ironed all of the fabric because some had been stored in plastic bins for a long time. We wanted it all to smell fresh and clean.  Then we cut fabric, marked fold lines, sewed the tricky little corners for a professional border (this part took a little practice), used a knitting needle to poke out the corners carefully, ironed folds again and sewed down the final edges.

Marking fold lines.

A knitting needle is helpful for adjusting the corner seams.

All of the fabric was from our stash - leftover from quilting, sewing class projects, etc.

We worked on this project for several days!  It was a fun project to do together and the finished napkins look really cheery at dinner time.

Earlier this week I stopped in at Yarn Shop & More....a LYS in Overland Park, Kansas.  This cute shop is located in Downtown Overland Park....or some call it "Old OP".  It's a quaint, small town feeling shopping district in a suburb of Kansas City.  Yarn Shop & More has a beautiful assortment of yarns!  It's fun to step in the door and see the yarns arranged by color on the shelves...like a rainbow...

Yarn Shop & More in Overland Park, Kansas

Even though the bright colors were very tempting, I ended up purchasing a lovely neutral colored yarn by Blue Sky Fibers...it's Organic Cotton Worsted in the color 'Drift'.

Blue Sky Fibers - Organic Cotton Worsted in 'Drift'

I splurged on this gorgeous yarn to knit a blanket for our house. I tested a few stitches with the yarn and I fell in love with how it looks in a simple garter stitch.  So...this new blanket design will definitely have a wide garter stitch border...

Look for more photos on this project in a future post. :)

Thanks so much for reading.  Hope you have a fabulous day!

Happy spring!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Favorite Photos from the #YarnLoveChallenge

As you may have read in my previous post, this month I am participating in the #yarnlovechallenge over on Instagram. The organizers of this fiber themed challenge came up with themes for each day of the month in February 2017 and encouraged any yarn enthusiasts to share their photos related to the themes. It's been so fun to participate and I particularly like the themes for the second week of February and thought it would be fun to share a few of those photos here on the blog...in case you missed them.  

The theme for day 8 of the #yarnlovechallenge was "where I craft".  This photo was taken in my home studio where I spend a lot of my time.

My home studio.

I bought the sturdy, white table for my first college apartment many years ago.  This table is fantastic for crafting.  I love the durable white surface and it fits in right next to a big east facing window so I have lots of natural light.  My husband built an awesome desk and cabinets that run along the wall (behind the table).  That's where I have my computer and printer.  We live in an old house and this room was originally the kitchen when the house was built in the 1940's.  In case you are wondering...the grey blanket draped on the chair in the center of the photo is my Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern.  The blue blanket on the table was made using my free knitting pattern...The Boulevard Blanket.  The blue yarn is Lion Brand Hometown USA in the color 'Washington Denim'.

The theme for day 9 of the #yarnlovechallenge was "tools".  I love knitting tools!  It was fun to create a flatlay design using some of my favorite knitting tools...plus a few old treasures...

Some of my favorite knitting tools.

The Susan Bates US 13 straight knitting needles on the right are from the 1980's.  I haven't used them in years!  These days I primarily use circular knitting needles for flat knitting (working back and forth just like with straight needles) and double pointed needles for hats and other small in the round projects. My stitch markers, tape measure, tapestry needles and old Susan Bates gauge ruler are a few of my most used little tools.  I use a clip board with paper or a simple spiral notebook to keep notes when I am working on a new knitting design. I always have several ballpoint pens and basic pencils handy for taking notes, editing patterns, jotting down pattern name ideas, etc.

The theme for day 10 brought back a lot of memories..."oldest stash".  I pulled out my bin of really old yarn and dug to the very bottom to find some of these yarn treasures from the 1980's...

My oldest stash yarn.

I bought a lot of this yarn when I was in high school and college when I worked a couple summers in a little yarn shop.  Apparently I spent a lot of my earnings on yarn!  I knit mohair sweaters with the ivory and blue yarns (top corners).  A mohair sweater sounds dreadfully itchy to me today!  But...I did wear those sweaters. The raspberry colored yarn is alpaca and I knit a very soft, over-sized sweater for myself with that yarn.  I used the medium gray blue yarn (center) to knit a short sleeved pullover top that I wore many times in the spring and summer.  The greenish and gray blue yarns in the lower right of the photo are Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted. I knit many sweaters with various colors of this reliable yarn back in the 80's and 90's.  In more recent years, I used up some of my leftover Lamb's Pride Worsted by knitting hats and mittens for my kids.  The ivory ribbon marketed for knitting and crochet was purchased in the 80's.  I never used it for knitting so these days I use it for wrapping packages and as a background prop in my knitting photos.

"Travel Projects" was the theme for day 11.  My favorite travel project is to visit a local yarn shop and bring home some beautiful yarn as a memento of the trip. I also love going to local book stores when I'm on a trip. Books and yarn are my favorite souvenirs!

The Yarn Barn in Lawrence, Kansas & Purl Soho in New York City.

 Last weekend I took a day trip to Lawrence, Kansas with my daughter.  It's only about 40 minutes from our house.  We went to Mass Street Music for her to check out some guitar accessories.  It's a really nice guitar store!  We also stopped in The Yarn Barn which is a lovely little yarn shop on Massachusetts Street.  (Locals call it "Mass Street".)  The Yarn Barn carries a great selection of yarn for knitting and crochet, as well as a huge section of supplies for weaving. (If you are interested, they print a beautiful annual catalog filled with their products.) I bought some beautiful yarn...see photo below.  One year ago I went to New York City and loved having the opportunity to go to Purl Soho. Their wall of yarn is gorgeous!  (FYI: check Purl Soho's hours before you go...when we were there they did not open until noon.)  Also...I would suggest previewing their yarn online before you go so you have an idea of what to look at first.  There's so much to see in this small but well stocked store!

Here's the gorgeous yarn I purchased at The Yarn Barn last weekend.  It's Malabrigo Rasta - a super bulky weight yarn that is kettle dyed.  The color is called 'Solis'. I'm making plans for this yarn!

Malabrigo Rasta - kettle dyed yarn in 'Solis' #809

Now I should get back to working on one of my knitting projects. I have a couple things in the works. Honestly...one idea has been slow to come together.  Trying new ideas takes time and patience!

If you would like to see more behind the scenes photos and follow along with the #yarnlovechallenge follow me on Instagram...@fiftyfourtenstudio.

Hope you have a wonderful week!  Happy Valentine's Day!  Happy knitting!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Three Year Blog Anniversary!

This week marks three years since I started this Fifty Four Ten Studio knitting blog!  It's been such a fun way to share my knitting patterns, extra details about my patterns, knitting tips and behind the scenes photos of my work in progress. It also helps me record my progress on my knitting endeavors. I really appreciate all who have read my blog!

This month I'm participating in a fun "challenge" on Instagram called the #yarnlovechallenge. If you have not heard about it...the organizers set up the @yarnlovechallenge Instagram page and posted a list of themes for each day for the month of February 2017.  The idea is for any yarn enthusiasts to share photos based on the daily theme.  Themes include: "currently making", "stripes", "where I craft", "tools", "happy color", "yarn love", and more. They came up with a great list of ideas and it's been fun to decide what to share on each day.

In case you are not in Instagram, I thought it would be fun to share a couple of the photos I used...

The theme for Day 1 of the #yarnlovechallenge was "introductions".  This is a photo of me taken on the first day of school...either 2nd or 3rd grade.  I picked this photo because my mother taught me to knit when I was about this age.  As a girl I loved to sew, design clothes for my dolls, knit draw and paint.  I love this photo...my navy blue sailor dress, my metal lunch box, the red ribbons in my hair, the wallpaper in the kitchen of my childhood home, and the umbrella hanging on the doorknob...it all brings back a lot of wonderful memories.

The theme for Day 5 of the challenge was "community".  I made a collage of favorite photos that all relate to my community...Kansas City.  I have lived in the Kansas City area my entire life.  I love my hometown!  We're right in the middle of the US...some call this "fly over country" but those of us who have lived here a long time know we have a lot that makes our city special....friendly people, great BBQ, the amazing Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Kansas City Royals baseball team and so much more.  See below for details on this collage of photos.

Kansas City - my community - my hometown. 

Here's the details on this photo collage...starting at the top left and working row by row:

1. The Parkway Pillow - my knitting pattern named for Ward Parkway, one of the prettiest and most well known streets in Kansas City.

2. Meyer Circle Fountain - it's located along Ward Parkway and is representative of the many fountains in our city.  Kansas City is known as "the city of fountains".

3. Brookside Blanket knitting pattern - named for the neighborhood where I grew up.

4. Shuttlecock sculptures at the Nelson-Atkin's Museum of Art - our world class art museum!  These sculptures were very controversial when they were installed in 1994.  Now, they are a KC landmark!

5. My Third Street Blanket knitting pattern - the name was inspired by the old River Market area in KC.

6. Sunflowers in Kansas - a photo I took at Grinter Farms in September 2016.  Their sunflower farm is absolutely beautiful...but best to avoid the crowds by going out there during the week.

7. My Westport Blanket knitting pattern - named for one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kansas City.

8. State Line Road - about half of the KC metropolitan area is located in Missouri and half in Kansas.  (I live in Kansas!)

9. The Boulevard Blanket - my free knitting pattern named in honor of our beautiful KC boulevards.  An old promotional slogan for KC was "More boulevards than Paris, more fountains than Rome."

The theme for Day 4 of the #yarnlovechallenge was "speed".  I used this photo...more below...

The Boulevard Blanket - a free knitting pattern.

In terms of speed as it relates to knitting...I am a very slow knitter and I'm ok with that!  I've seen videos on Instagram of knitters who knit so fast it makes me anxious.  It doesn't look relaxing at all to me!  For me knitting is about the process...not about how quickly I finish a project.

The pattern I used for the blue blanket above is my always free pattern...The Boulevard Blanket.  It's very easy to knit with super bulky yarn.  The yarn I used is Lion Brand Hometown USA in the color 'Washington Denim'.  This yarn is so soft and cozy.  It's very economical but don't let the low price fool.  The price is low but the quality is nice.  It's not "sticky" like some acrylic yarns.  I really enjoy knitting with this yarn!  It comes in a wide variety of colors.  I particularly like the softer, muted colors like 'Dallas Grey', 'Houston Cream' and 'Washington Denim'.

I have a couple of projects in the works right now.  Sorry no details ready to share yet but I'm really excited them and I'll post info as soon as it's ready!

January 2017 was a record month for my pattern sales on Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy!  I am so appreciative of all the purchases and kind feedback on my patterns!  THANK YOU! 

In the past couple weeks, I've enjoyed helping a couple of knitters via their email questions. One knitter told me that she taught herself to knit using online videos. I was so impressed especially because her stitches were so well done with very even tension. It's very hard to teach a new knitter how to achieve even tension! I was so happy to be able to help her as she worked on my Where the Sidewalk Ends blanket.  I was thrilled to receive her email a couple days ago with a photo of her beautiful finished blanket!  If you ever have any questions when using one of my patterns, email me using the email address provided in the pattern. I'm happy to help!

Thanks so much for reading this long post!  If you would like to know more about the #yarnlovechallenge you can check out the @yarnlovechallenge Instagram page or see all my photos related to the challenge on my Instagram page.

Have a great week!  Happy knitting! :)

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

January: Knitting, Reading & Early Spring Cleaning

I'm working on a new blanket design this week.  I can't show too much of the design yet but I'm really pleased with how it's coming together.  I'm nearly finished knitting the blanket so I hope to be ready to share more details in the near future.

I'm using Lion Brand Hometown USA in the color 'Dallas Gray' for this new blanket.  Here's a sneak peek...seed stitch border for the blanket...

This week: knitting, reading & drinking hot tea.

UPDATE: The project above is my Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern...read more about it on my other blog post.  What a pleasant surprise that it became one of my customer's favorite knitting patterns!

I often use favorite objects from around my house in my knitting photos.  In the photo above there's an old 8 oz. weight that brings back fond memories of going to antique fairs with my dad.  I include this weight in many of my photos...I just love the simple, round shape and the way it anchors the white background. The old mason jar has an assortment of buttons...some were my grandmother's. 

I've been reading "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain.  I highly recommend this book!  The section about the power of working alone and how it sparks creativity is especially interesting to me.  If you are an introvert, live with an introvert, work with introverts, are the parent of an introvert...you should check out this book. (Just a coincidence that the book cover matches my yarn perfectly!)

Westport Blanket - an easy to knit blanket.

This month I'm also trying to get caught up on sorting through piles of stuff that accumulated over the holidays (and for months and years before that!). 

The photo above was taken in the now peacefully organized guest room in our house.  I painted this room last fall so that forced me to empty everything out of the room and carefully evaluate what would go back in. (Within the next couple months I hope to do the same to at least one other room!) 

The gray blanket in the photo is my Westport Blanket knit with Lion Brand Hometown USA in 'Dallas Grey'. I love how this soft, chunky blanket looks tossed at the end of the bed.  

And, in case you are wondering, the white duvet cover and pillow shams are from IKEA (purchased fall 2016).  I made the Peace Pillow when I designed my "Peace : Love : Home" pillow knitting pattern a couple years ago.  The pillow cover is knit with super bulky yarn. The letters are cut from felt and stitched on with DMC embroidery floss.  

If you like seeing behind the scenes photos like the ones included on this post, follow me on Instagram.  

Happy knitting!  

Mary Lee

Fifty Four Ten Studio

My Favorite Knitting Pattern Highlights from 2016

Today I'm reflecting on all that I accomplished and enjoyed in 2016.  It was a great year!  I enjoyed many fun times throughout the year with my family and dear friends. I really appreciate all the purchases of my patterns and the kind feedback I have received from customers.

I recently celebrated my third year of designing knitting patterns.  I love what I am doing and feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to publish my patterns online.  

These are three of my favorite easy to knit blankets I designed in 2016...

Third Street Blanket 
My Third Street Blanket knitting pattern was my best selling pattern in 2016! 

This blanket pattern is designed for super bulky yarn and there are instructions for six blanket sizes from baby blanket up to XXL afghan.  The blanket shown below was made with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in 'Glacier'.

Click here to read more about this pattern on my FiftyFourTenStudio.com website.

This pattern is available to purchase on my website, Ravelry and on Etsy.

Third Street Blanket knitting pattern for super bulky yarn.

January 28, 2020 UPDATE: Please visit my new website at FiftyFourTenStudio.com! 

Stones in the Road Blanket 
My Stones in the Road blanket design features a seed stitch border and seed stitch 'stripes'.

Click here to purchase the Stones in the Road blanket on Ravelry.  

Click here to purchase the pattern on the Fifty Four Ten Studio website. 

The pattern is also available on Etsy.

Stones in the Road blanket knitting pattern.

Westport Blanket
My Westport Blanket is fun to knit with super bulky yarn.  The design features a garter stitch border and stockinette stitch 'windows'.  I used Lion Brand Hometown super bulky yarn in the color 'Dallas Grey'.

Click here to purchase the Westport Blanket knitting pattern on Ravelry. 

Click here to purchase the pattern on the Fifty Four Ten Studio website.

The pattern is also available on Etsy.

Westport Blanket knitting pattern by Fifty Four Ten Studio

All of these blankets are knit with super bulky yarn and are very easy to knit.  All of these blankets have directions for five or sixe sizes so it's easy to make a baby blanket or a large throw.

Easy to knit blankets!

Click here to shop all of my knitting patterns on my Fifty Four Ten Studio website.

These patterns are also available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting and Etsy.

In 2016, I also enjoyed knitting a few items using my previously published patterns.  I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the lovely color 'Glacier' to make The Parkway Pillow.  I love how it turned out!  (See more about this project on my August 2016 blog post.)

The Parkway Pillow knitting pattern is available on FiftyFourTenStudio.com, Ravelry and Etsy.

The Parkway Pillow made with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in 'Glacier

In this first week of January 2017, I'm catching up after a fun holiday season.  I'm carefully packing away my collection of Christmas decorations.  All of my homemade ornaments get packed in a special box.  (If you missed it...I wrote about my homemade Christmas ornaments in December.)

Also, I am making lists of things to accomplish this year.  There's a few house projects on the list such as cleaning out all of the kitchen cabinets and painting a couple rooms.  I told my family my new year's goals are to read more and knit more!  Right now I'm reading "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking"...it's very interesting!

My list of knitting project ideas for 2017 is pretty long! This week I started working on a new blanket design.  I'm using Lion Brand Hometown super bulky yarn in the color 'Dallas Grey'.  I'm looking forward to sharing more details as the pattern comes together!

New blanket design in progress with Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn.

2021 UPDATE: The work-in-progress photo shown above... became my 'Over the Rooftops' blanket knitting pattern.  It quickly became one of the most popular blanket patterns in my collection! 

Read more about my Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern.  

This pattern is available to purchase on FiftyFourTenStudio.com, Ravelry and Etsy.

Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern for super bulky yarn.

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I hope the new year is off to a great start for you!  Thank you so much for reading!

Happy knitting in 2017! :)

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Knitting my way into the new year!

It's possible that I did more knitting in December than any other month last year!  I was definitely motivated to knit several Christmas ornament gifts as the deadline for wrapping up gifts approached.  (Happens every year doesn't it?!)  Then, in the last week of the year I got started on gifts for Christmas 2016.  It's possible (maybe!) that I won't be in such a rush next Christmas.  :)

Here's a few photos of my December knitting projects...

I made this mini sweater Christmas ornament for a sweet girl who is like a niece to me.  I stitched on a felt heart with DMC embroidery floss and added an old button to the center of the heart. (By the way...my pattern includes directions for how to make a mini wire hanger!)

Mini Sweater Christmas Ornament with Felt Heart Applique

I liked the aqua sweater with a heart so much that I made one in red!  I used Lamb's Pride Brown Sheep worsted weight yarn to knit these ornaments.

Mini Sweater Ornament in Red with a White Felt Heart

Buy the Mini Sweater Ornament Knitting Pattern on Ravelry, Etsy or FiftyFourTenStudio.com.

For a boy who played football last fall, I modified my mini sweater ornament pattern to make a "jersey" style ornament with his team colors and his #11 jersey number.  I hear that he loved seeing his jersey number on his custom ornament.  (I'm working on writing up the pattern for this short sleeve sweater ornament with options for felt applique numbers and letters....more info soon!)

These are just a few of the small knitted gifts I made for Christmas gifts! To see all the photos check out my Instagram page.

After all the Christmas festivities were done I had time to do more knitting.  I pulled out that red yarn again and knit a few little red houses.

I used my knitting pattern - The Little House - which can be found on Ravelry, Craftsy and Etsy.

Little Red House..."under construction".

After sewing up the seams on the base structure of the house, I knit the roof in white...to represent a snowy roof.  Did you notice the cute holiday sweater napkin in the photo below?  My sweet sister-in-law gave a package of those to me last year.  Pretty much a perfect little gift for a knitter!

Roof construction in progress.

Then I stitched a felt door to the front with DMC embroidery floss. A french knot makes the perfect door knob.  I added tiny windows to each side of the house.  After the felt applique pieces were complete, I stuffed the house with a little bit of polyfil and stitched on the roof piece.  I will thread a piece of yarn to the top of my tiny red house to use it as a Christmas ornament on our tree next year.  And, I have a few more of these little red houses in progress to give as gifts next Christmas!

Finishing up a few little red houses!

The Little House knitting pattern is available on Ravelry.

I also ended 2015 having discovered Instagram...finally!  I love it!  I'm so inspired by the many talented knitters, makers, photographers and artists I have discovered on Instagram.  If you would like to see more behind the scenes photos of my knitting, follow me on Instagram @FiftyFourTenStudio.

I'm really looking forward to designing more knitting patterns in 2016!  Happy knitting and best wishes for the new year.  :)

I love how these little red houses turned out!