My Top 10 Knitting Memories from the Last 10 Years
Ten years ago this week I published my first knitting pattern! To mark this milestone occasion, I’m sharing ten favorite knitting memories from the last ten years of designing patterns for my Fifty Four Ten Studio collection.
TOP 10 KNITTING MEMORIES FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS:
Some of my favorite knitting memories from the last ten years! Read below for all the details. Click here to see all of my knitting patterns.
#1 - MY FIRST KNITTING PATTERN - MINI SWEATER ORNAMENT:
The first memory on my “Top 10 List” is publishing my first pattern in November 2013 - the Mini Sweater Ornament. I spent weeks knitting samples of the design, taking photographs, writing the pattern instructions and figuring out how to open a shop on Etsy and list my knitting patterns on Ravelry. There was so much to learn!
The Mini Sweater Ornament knitting pattern includes instructions for five duplicate stitch designs to add a festive touch. I have fond memories of brainstorming all the duplicate stitch designs!
I used my very basic jewelry making skills to make a little wire hanger for the sweater ornaments. There are step-by-step instructions in the PDF pattern.
Get more details and purchase the Mini Sweater Ornament PDF knitting pattern on my website or Ravelry.
#2 - A SURVEY: HOW DID YOU LEARN TO KNIT:
In a 2022 newsletter, I offered an opportunity to participate in a survey about how knitters learned to knit. I was bowled over by the response! More than 300 knitters took a few minutes to participate in the survey. Click here to see the survey results and read more than 100 heartwarming, personal stories knitters shared about learning to knit.
#3 - THE BOULEVARD BLANKET – THE FIRST OF MANY BLANKET KNITTING PATTERNS:
In 2015, I was going through a sad time in my life and I needed an easy knitting project. I ordered a bunch of super bulky yarn and a set of US 13 circular knitting needles. I selected a simple, reversible stitch pattern and cast on stitches to knit a large blanket.
The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern is FREE to download every day in the blog post about the pattern or on Ravelry.
Knitting that blanket brought comfort to my heart in a challenging time. And, that blanket project became my first blanket knitting pattern - The Boulevard Blanket. At the time, I did not realize that this project would be the first of many more blanket knitting designs!
The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern is FREE to download every day in the blog post about the pattern or on Ravelry. The free PDF pattern includes instructions for six blanket sizes.
This free pattern has been downloaded 1000’s of times over the years. I’m thrilled that so many knitters have enjoyed using this pattern to knit cozy blankets.
#4 - SEEING CUSTOMER PROJECTS:
Over the years, it has been heartwarming to see how knitters around the world use my patterns to make special hand knit gifts to show their love for family and friends.
It’s a treat to see knitter’s projects shared on Ravelry and Instagram. And, I enjoy receiving emails with photos of finished projects and the stories related to the project.
Though there have been many beautiful project photos, it is often the stories of the knitting projects that stick with me such as:
The knitter who used the Over the Rooftops blanket knitting pattern to knit more than 20 blankets for every member of her family including her adult children, their spouses, grandchildren, in-laws and more.
The knitter who had the opportunity to watch sheep being sheared, obtained the fleece from one of the sheep, had it spun into yarn and knit an heirloom blanket for her home using the On the Porch knitting pattern.
The emails from knitters who say they want to “knit a very large afghan for my 6’ 4” tall son-in-law”. I have heard this countless times!
The many knitters who find comfort in their knitting projects during challenging times.
Seeing how my patterns are used by knitters has been the unexpected joy in the design process!
#5 - DESIGNING SQUARE #16 FOR THE TRAVELING AFGHAN:
In 2020, it was an honor to be part of Lion Brand Yarn’s Traveling Knit Afghan project along with 24 other knitting designers. The Traveling Afghan started in New York City at the beginning of 2020 and journeyed to a new designer every two weeks through the year. Along the way, each designer created a 10"x 10" square to add to afghan. I designed Square #16. As each square was revealed, the designers shared the instructions for how to knit their square on their website.
The Traveling Knit Afghan on July 31, 2020 after I added square #16 to the lower right corner. At this point in the project, the blanket had traveled to 16 designers around the U.S. and each designer had attached their square. By the end of the year, eight more squares would be added to the afghan. Click here to get all the details on the Traveling Afghan Project including links to instructions for each afghan square.
This project was a huge undertaking that required collaboration and commitment from each designer… as well as a bit of good luck with the mail service as the blanket was mailed from one designer to the next.
Click here to get all the details on the Traveling Afghan Project including links to instructions for each afghan square.
#6 - KNITTING A TEMPERATURE BLANKET:
Earlier this year, I knit a temperature blanket and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite knitting projects. There is something intriguing about making a plan to knit a blanket and picking a set of 14 yarn colors… and then letting the ever changing daily high temperatures determine the arrangement of the yarn colors.
Since I used last year’s weather data (2022) I was able to knit my temperature blanket in a little less than three months. I knit a garter stitch blanket in three panels that were seamed together.
In a couple of blog posts I shared everything I learned through this project and exactly how I knit my temperature blanket. Click here to get all the details.
#7 - THE LITTLE HOUSE KNITTING PATTERN:
In early 2014, I published one of my all-time favorite knitting patterns… The Little House. This project blends knitting and felt-applique to create a three dimensional little house. Add a loop of yarn to the roof top and it’s a hanging holiday ornament. I have made a lot of these little house ornaments over the years to give to friends and family.
Each little house only requires about 40 - 45 yards of worsted weight yarn (about 25 yards for the house and about 15 yards for the roof). This is a great stash-buster project! The finishing touch is stitching on felt “doors” and “windows” using good quality felt and DMC embroidery floss.
Get more details and purchase The Little House PDF knitting pattern on my website or on Ravelry.
#8 - NAMING EACH NEW KNITTING PATTERN:
One of my favorite parts of the knitting design process has been naming each of my patterns… and sharing the inspiration for the name.
The process for naming each pattern has varied from one project to the next. Sometimes a name occurs to me while I am knitting the sample. Occasionally, the sample is done and the pattern instructions have been written but the design still does not have a name. In those moments, I brainstorm ideas and it can take a while until the appropriate name takes shape. And, there are times when I have a pattern name in mind and work to design something to suit the name including choosing the appropriate color of yarn for knitting the sample.
Over the years, I have compiled several pages of pattern name ideas. There are some favorite names that I hope to use in the near future!
A couple favorite names from my knitting pattern collection are:
Look for Happiness blanket - Inspired by this quote from author Gretchen Rubin: “Look for happiness under your own roof.” In a blog post from years ago, she wrote about actively looking for happy moments on ordinary days.
The Look for Happiness blanket is designed for #4 weight worsted or Aran yarn. The pattern has instructions for six blanket sizes… from baby blanket up to XXL afghan. Click here to get more details and buy the PDF pattern.
All These Places blanket - Inspired by all these places that bring back memories from my childhood… woven together with love for the people who were there: my grandparents’ home that inspired the name Fifty Four Ten Studio, the living room where we gathered for holiday celebrations, the room where I used my mother’s sewing machine, and the stores where we shopped in our neighborhood.
All These Places blanket is fun to knit with bulky #5 weight yarn. The perfect combination of knit and purl stitches creates the illusion of basket weaving. Click here to get more details and purchase the PDF pattern.
These Days Blanket - The stitch design for my These Days Blanket pattern reminds me of the boxes on my paper calendar where I write notes about each day. Some days bring life’s biggest challenges. Other days bring happy, memorable occasions. And, some of the best days are the delightfully ordinary days. Keeping notes on my calendar helps me remember to enjoy these days.
These Days Blanket knitting pattern is easy to knit with worsted #4 weight yarn. The design features a six-row repeat stitch pattern that creates a modern ‘triangle-in-a-square’ texture that is reversible! Click here to get more details and purchase the PDF knitting pattern.
#9 - MY FRIEND’S ONE-OF-A-KIND BABY BLANKET PROJECT:
A few years ago, my dear friend knit a pretty baby blanket using my On the Porch blanket knitting pattern and some beautiful yarn she purchased when on vacation. We've known each other almost our entire lives and knitting is one of our many common bonds. It was a special experience to help her block the finished blanket and take some photographs before she sent this lovely baby gift off in the mail.
This blanket is truly one-of-a-kind due to the dappled, multi-color yarn. My friend used approximately 2.5 skeins (about 630 - 660 yards) of Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus Dappled in the 'Lily by the Sea' colorway (#109). This yarn paired beautifully with the simple design of the On the Porch blanket pattern. Click here to get all the details on this project.
Get more details and purchase the On the Porch blanket knitting pattern on this website or on Ravelry.
#10 - ALL THE YARN!
Last, but certainly not least… all the yarn! I never get tired of yarn and the fun of visiting a yarn shop… checking out all of the choices, feeling the texture of various yarns, and seeing the wide variety of color options.
Over the last ten years, I have used many different yarns for designing my knitting patterns and I’ve discovered some favorites. There are still many more yarns to try because there are so many great options available to knitters!
A couple years ago, I worked on expanding my knowledge of yarns (especially for knitting blankets) and wrote three blog posts to help knitters discover options for their project needs. Click on the links below to see some of my favorite yarns in a variety of fibers and price levels:
25+ Worsted & Aran #4 Weight Yarn Suggestions
15+ Bulky #5 Weight Yarn Suggestions
12+ Super Bulky #6 Weight Yarn Suggestions
It’s been fun to explore the many beautiful yarn options available for knitting these days.
One of my favorite yarns for blanket knitting is Blue Sky Fibers Sweater. It’s a heavy worsted #4 weight yarn that is a blend of organic cotton and superwash wool. It’s lovely! I used the ‘Sea Horse’ colorway for my Touch of Kindness blanket knitting pattern.
Thank you so much for your interest in my knitting patterns! Thank you for purchasing my knitting patterns and telling your knitting friends about my patterns.
There are thousands of knitting patterns to choose from these days. It means a lot to me that knitters choose to use my Fifty Four Ten Studio knitting patterns for their special projects.
