Life Is Sampler - Knitting Pattern For Home in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

Life Is Sampler – Knitting Pattern for Home in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

The Life Is Sampler is a charming beginner-friendly knitting pattern from MillaMia that produces a decorative home textile featuring an inspirational motto. Worked as a flat piece of stocking stitch, the finished sampler measures approximately 38cm/15in wide by 19cm/7½in high, making it a versatile piece of homeware that can be displayed as a framed textile, a decorative panel, or a thoughtful handmade gift.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a single-size decorative sampler — a classic style of textile art reimagined in knitting. The sampler features a positive, inspirational motto rendered in Swiss darning (also known as duplicate stitch) over a smooth stocking stitch background. The result is a crisp, bold lettered design that stands out beautifully against the knitted fabric. It is categorised as both a decoration and a piece of homeware, sitting perfectly in any room as a reminder to focus on the positive.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat — the sampler is knitted back and forth in rows on a pair of straight needles, making it ideal for beginners who are not yet comfortable with working in the round.
• Swiss darning (duplicate stitch) — rather than using traditional stranded colourwork, the motto lettering is embroidered onto the finished knitted fabric using Swiss darning. This technique involves threading a tapestry needle with a contrasting yarn and tracing over the knitted stitches, perfectly mimicking the V-shape of each stitch. The result is a sharper, more pronounced finish than colourwork knitting would typically produce. MillaMia notes that colourwork is an option, but Swiss darning is recommended for the crispest effect.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) — the entire background of the sampler is worked in stocking stitch, alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This creates the smooth, flat fabric surface that makes the Swiss-darned lettering stand out clearly.

Skill Level and Sizing

This pattern is rated Beginner level, making it an excellent project for those who have mastered basic knit and purl stitches and are looking to develop their finishing skills through Swiss darning. The pattern comes in one size only, with finished dimensions of approximately 38cm/15in wide by 19cm/7½in high.

Materials – Yarn and Needles

The pattern calls for MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino, a sport weight yarn available in 50g/1¾oz balls. This yarn is a premium merino wool known for its softness, stitch definition, and wide colour palette — all qualities that make it particularly well suited to a project where clean stitch definition is important for the Swiss darning technique.

• Main colour (M): Midnight 101 — one 50g ball
• Contrast colour (C): Snow 124 — one 50g ball
• Needles: A pair of 3.25mm (US 3) straight knitting needles

Tension / Gauge

The recommended tension is 25 stitches and 34 rows to 10cm/4in over stocking stitch using 3.25mm (US 3) needles. Achieving the correct tension is important to ensure the finished sampler reaches the intended dimensions and that the Swiss-darned lettering sits proportionally on the fabric.

Suggested Alternative Colourways

MillaMia offers several suggested alternative colourway combinations using MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino, allowing knitters to personalise their sampler. Suggested shades include Ice 125, Scarlet 140, Putty 121, Fuchsia 143, and Grey, giving a broad range of options from bold and vibrant to soft and neutral. These alternatives make the Life Is Sampler easy to adapt to any interior colour scheme or