Thanks to Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana for Hosting a Fifty Four Ten Studio Trunk Show!

Recently, I shipped five of my favorite blanket samples off across the country for a trunk show at Yarn Bar...a yarn shop in Billings, Montana.  After the box arrived safely, Sue and Linda, the owners of Yarn Bar, sent this lovely photo of the trunk show set-up.  The blankets will be on display through Saturday, October 5, 2019.

I'm so appreciative of their thoughtful, attractive display of my blanket samples!

Fifty Four Ten Studio trunk show at Yarn Bar in Montana

It's feeling very appropriate that my first 'out-of-town' trunk show is in Montana.  A few months ago, my aunt mentioned that she enjoyed reading my January blog post that mentioned the Yarn Bar store.  She reminded me that her father (my grandfather) worked for a while in Billings, Montana when he was a young man.  He was a traveling salesman - selling candy, playing cards and other small items wholesale to grocery stores - around the Montana and northern Wyoming region.  It was the mid-1930's - early 1940's.  Times were tough.  Jobs were hard to come by.  He didn't talk about this time in his life very often....but he did just enough for us to know that he had persevered through some hard times.

In 1942, he took a chance on a job offer in Kansas City.  One of the biggest challenges was finding a place to live - it was war time and housing options were very limited.  He was able to rent a one- bedroom apartment on the 7th floor of a 'hotel'.  Soon, his wife and two very young daughters joined him in Kansas City.  It was a tight living situation that he thought would be short term.  The four of them lived in the one-bedroom apartment for eight years...far longer than he planned.

After looking for a long time (housing was scarce during the war years) - they purchased their first home.  The house number was 5410....the number that inspired the name Fifty Four Ten Studio.  Here's a favorite winter photo of the house....

My grandparent's house - 5410.

My frugal, hard-working grandfather would be quite pleased that I've made this connection with a yarn shop in Billings.  He died in 1998...so it would be hard for him to comprehend that I connected with Sue and Linda through the internet and social media!  He was of the paper, pencil and land-line telephone era.

Here's a closer look at the blankets that I sent to Yarn Bar for the trunk show...

Fifty Four Ten Studio - blankets for knitting trunk show!

The patterns shown in the photo above - clockwise starting from the top:

Click links to learn more about the patterns here on my blog...

Green: Prairie Fields blanket
Blue: On the Map blanket
Stone: Stay on the Ridge blanket
Turquoise: Dance on the Breeze blanket
Light Stone / Tan: Northern Trail blanket

Sue and Linda added their store sample of my 'On the Porch' blanket knitting pattern to the trunk show.  They have had this beautiful yellow blanket on display in their store for quite a while.  They used Cestari Sheep Mount Vernon worsted weight yarn in the colorway 'Daffodil'.  (Sue and Linda rave about this yarn - it's on my list to try!)  This blanket is so full of sunshine!

On the Porch blanket - store sample by Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana

One of these days I'm going to make it out to Montana to meet Sue and Linda in person!  I can't thank them enough for all their kindness and support.

In other news....I'm working on a couple of new knitting projects (more on those soon!), reading a good book (Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson), watching the Country Music series by Ken Burns on PBS, and patiently waiting for some nice, cool fall days to arrive here in Kansas City!

Have a great day!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Many Thanks to Two Darling Yarn Shops!

Many thanks to my friends at Yarn Social in Kansas City and Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana for helping make January such a fun month for me and my Fifty Four Ten Studio knitting design business.  I can't thank them enough for their kindness and for recommending my knitting patterns to their customers.

THANK YOU - YARN SOCIAL IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI!

Yarn Social hosted a five day trunk show of about ten of my knitting pattern samples at their darling shop in Kansas City, Missouri.  This was my first knitting trunk show and it was such an honor to be invited to display my samples at Kansas City's newest yarn shop!

My husband built this beautiful display stand for my blanket and scarf samples the night before the show.  (I didn't give him much notice!)

Fifty Four Ten Studio trunk show at Yarn Social in Kansas City, Missouri.

Samples shown on display in the photo above (from top to bottom) - click any link to read more about each pattern here on my blog:

On the Porch blanket (ivory)
Quality Time scarf (dark blue)
Prairie Fields blanket (green)
Northern Trail blanket (tan)
On the Map blanket (blue)

Quality Time scarf and Prairie Fields blanket knitting pattern samples.

Last weekend I taught my first knitting class at Yarn Social.  It was so fun to spend the afternoon with eight delightful, enthusiastic knitters!  They worked on small sampler projects using stitch patterns from four of my patterns and we talked about a variety of knitting topics, including blocking.  (Blocking is one of the best things you can do to improve the appearance of your finished project! Click here to read my blog post about blocking.)

Here's a photo of the knitting class in progress...sampler pattern instructions, pretty yarns, blocking demonstration and snacks!

Knitting class at Yarn Social!

The 'Toast' shade of yarn that I used for the examples of the sampler project (photo above) is Spud & Chloe 'Sweater' yarn from Blue Sky Fibers. I love how this yarn knits up!  Great stitch definition and it blocks beautifully. 

Spud & Chloe 'Sweater' is a blend of wool and cotton.  It's available in a beautiful selection of colorways...see Yarn Social's display below.  I'm looking forward to using this yarn in a future project! (Shh...a secret plan is in the works!)

Spud and Chloe 'Sweater' yarn in beautiful colorways at Yarn Social.

If you live in the Kansas City, or are visiting from out of town, be sure to make time to stop in at Yarn Social!  Trish has a beautiful selection of yarns and she has created a warm and inviting shop. 

Yarn Social is located in the West Plaza / Westport area...near 45th & State Line Road.  

Address: 1707 W. 45th Street, Kansas City, MO (near the antique shops)

Check the Yarn Social website for hours!

Yarn Social - yarn shop in Kansas City, Missouri

THANK YOU - YARN BAR IN BILLINGS, MONTANA!

In January, Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana hosted a 'Cheers to Nifty Fifty Four Ten Studio KAL' - how fun is that?!  They suggested using any of my Fifty Four Ten Studio blanket or pillow knitting patterns as cozy winter project for the knit-a-long (KAL).  

One of their customers finished a throw size Prairie Fields blanket! (Photo below.) I love that she used a beautiful ivory colored yarn so her stitches really shine!  Lovely knitting and blocking. 

Prairie Fields blanket (ivory) made by a Yarn Bar customer!

And, the yellow blanket...that's my On the Porch blanket design that Sue and Linda made up as a sample for their shop!  They tell me the yarn is Cestari Sheep Mount Vernon in the colorway 'Daffodil'.  This blanket is so cheery and full of sunshine!

On the Porch blanket on display at the Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana.

On their website, Sue and Linda shared that the 'On the Porch' blanket pattern has been quite popular with their customers: 

Our friend Teddy zipped in to knit a second one as soon as she got a request from the 'hipster' niece who had received the original one Teddy made, gets the 'where did you get that blanket' comment from fellow hipster parents, and wanted another one in different color.

Such a fun story!

I'm so honored that Sue and Linda hosted this knit-a-long and that they have been recommending my patterns to their customers for a long time.  One of these days I'm going to make it out to Billings, Montana to meet them in person!! 

__________________________________

I'm excited about other plans in the works for the coming months.  There's lots happening behind the scenes...if only I could knit faster!

Thank you so much for reading!  Happy knitting!

Mary Lee 

Fifty Four Ten Studio

New Blanket Knitting Pattern - On the Map

I'm so happy to announce my newest blanket knitting pattern - On the Map.

The On the Map blanket is easy to knit with worsted weight yarn.  The pattern includes instructions for six sizes...see details below.

The pattern is now available on Ravelry, Craftsy, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

On the Map - easy blanket knitting pattern.

I love maps!  In fact, I still prefer paper maps to using a GPS.  Ask my family and they will tell you that I bring our well worn 2005 Rand McNally Atlas on every road trip.  I have written dots, arrows and notes on the map showing the location of favorite restaurants and convenient gas station stops, as well as travel dates and times, for just about every trip we've taken in the last 12 years.  It's sort of like a trip journal!

My 'On the Map' knitting pattern also reminds me of the way much of Kansas City (my hometown) was planned with a very even, grid system of streets.  The tiny squares in the knitting pattern remind me of the intersections of the main thoroughfares in our city.

Enough about my obsession with maps!  Here's some more info about the pattern...

I really enjoyed knitting this blanket with Valley Yarns 'Valley Superwash' in the color 'Colonial Blue' from WEBS.  This yarn is lovely!  It's made of 100% extra fine merino wool. It's so soft and a delightful to knit with.  And...the color really speaks to me...it reminds me of my childhood home where this color could be found in almost every room.

WEBS offers a kit to make my On the Map blanket using the same yarn shown in these photos!  Visit their website for the details.  How nice that they offer the kit (yarn and pattern) in a choice of all six blanket sizes!

I used Valley Yarns 'Valley Superwash' yarn in 'Colonial Blue'.

Directions for 6 Sizes:

Approximate sizes after blocking...

Baby: 28.25" wide x 31" long

Small (Crib/Lap): 30" wide x 34" long

Medium Blanket: 33" wide x 43.5" long

Large Throw: 37.75" wide x 46.5" long

XL Afghan: 42.5" wide x 50" long

XXL Afghan: 47.5" wide x 53" long 

Any of the blanket sizes may be made longer by adding pattern repeats.  The pattern includes estimates for additional yarn needed to add length to each blanket size.

Worsted Weight Yarn:

Baby: 600 - 620 yards

Small: 710 - 730 yards

Medium: 970 - 1000 yards

Large: 1240 - 1280 yards

XL: 1500 - 1550 yards

XXL: 1750 - 1850 yards

Be sure to buy additional yarn if you plan to add length to your blanket.

I made the medium size blanket (shown in the photos) which is about 33" wide and 43.5" long.  I used about 980 yards of yarn.

This pattern is designed for worsted weight yarn. And, it may also be used with DK or Aran weight yarn or similar.  Just pick the needle size that gives the best appearance for your yarn and knitting tension.  Finished size and amount of yarn needed may vary based on the weight of the yarn used.

On the Map - easy to knit blanket pattern with directions for 5 sizes.

I used US size 9 circular knitting needles.  Pick the needle size that gives the best appearance for your yarn and knitting tension.  

My gauge was about 15 stitches to 4" in stockinette stitch. Exact gauge is not essential.  However, you may use a bit more yarn (or less) if your gauge is significantly different.

I have had a few knitters ask me about how I maintain such clean edges on my blanket knitting projects.  One key is to change from one skein of yarn to the next in the middle of a row of knitting.  The only reason I would do an end of the row change is if I was changing from one color to another. 

End of the row changes are great when making a project with seams...such as a sweater.  However, with a blanket I would much rather weave in the ends in the middle of a row...like in the photo below.

Blocking Finished Blanket Improves Appearance:

Another way to improve the overall appearance of your finished blanket is to carefully block the finished knitting with blocking mats and pins.

Here's what my blanket looked like before blocking...

On the Map Blanket - BEFORE BLOCKING

Notice how the stockinette stitch section is sort of puckering and the entire middle section of the blanket looks kind of lumpy.  The purl stitches that make up the 'dots' in the pattern appear almost lost.

Here's the blanket after blocking.  The stockinette stitch areas are completely flat and smooth...almost like it was ironed!  Now the purl stitches that make up the 'dots' in the center pattern really pop.  And...the puckering situation is gone.  The seed stitch border gives a lovely texture contrast to the smooth stockinette stitch.

On the Map Blanket - AFTER BLOCKING

See tips on blocking a blanket on this blog post and on this blog post.

I have to admit....I have been knitting for over 40 years (I can't believe it's been that long!) and I had never blocked a piece of knitting until early 2016!  I have found that blocking has improved the final appearance of every blanket I have blocked.  

My 'On the Map' blanket knitting pattern is now available on Ravelry. Craftsy, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

Thanks so much for reading and for your interest in my knitting patterns.  I have lots of knitting plans in the works right now that I'm looking forward to sharing with you in the months to come.

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

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