Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and I have the perfect knitting project for you to knit up in celebration. This adorable little heart pin is quick to make and very fun to wear. It’s from one of F+W’s upcoming knitting books, Closely Knit by Hannah Fettig. You can preorder it on Amazon.com right now, and it will be available for sale in bookstores in March. It’s a wonderful book filled with tons of ideas for the perfect knitted gifts for everyone in your life, including your mom, your sister, those pesky men in your lives, special friends and precious wee ones. The book really turned out lovely--we’ve gotten our advance copies already, and I’m very pleased. (Getting advance copies is just about the most exciting part of working on a book…although it can be a bit anticlimactic as it takes so long to get back from the printer that you’ve almost forgotten about it by the time it arrives.)
At any rate, here is the heart pin pattern.
Finished Measurements
11/2” tall x 11/4” wide (size varies with yarn and needles)
Yarn
1 skein Dale of Norway Baby Ull superwash wool in red (or use any scrap of yarn you may have in hand. If you don’t have a fine yarn like this, a worsted weight yarn works well, too. See the notes after the pattern for how to adjust for a thicker yarn)
Needles and Notions
Size US 2 (2.75mm) needles (or any DPNs that work with the yarn you chose)
Thin plastic, as from a produce container
Cotton ball
Yarn needle
Safety pin (or sew-on pin back)
Heart (make 2)
With size US 2 (2.75mm) needles, CO 4 sts. Knit 1 row, purl 1 row.
Row 3: K1, kfb, kfb, k1—6 sts.
Rows 4 and 6: Purl.
Row 5: K1, kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1—8 sts.
Rows 7-12: Rep Rows 5-6—14 sts after Row 12.
Knit 1 row, purl 1 row.
Shape Right Side of Top of Heart
Row 1: K1, SSK, k4, turn—6 sts.
Rows 2-4: Work even in St st.
Row 5: K1, SSK, k2tog, k1—4 sts.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: SSK, k2tog—2 sts.
Break yarn, pull tight through rem st.
Shape Left Side of Top of Heart
Reattach yarn with RS facing.
Row 1: K4, k2tog, k1—6 sts.
Rows 2-4: Work even in St st.
Row 5: K1, SSK, k2tog, k1—4 sts.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: SSK, k2tog—2 sts.
Row 8: P2tog—1 st.
Break yarn, pull tight through rem st.
Finishing
Trace around 1 knit heart onto thin plastic, such as from a produce container. Cut out the heart.
Join the 2 hearts using mattress stitch. When partway joined, insert plastic heart shape. Insert cotton ball on one side of plastic to puff out front. Finish joining. Attach safety pin through back.
*Note: My heart (the pink one shown) is worked in worsted weight yarn on larger needles. Here is how I adjusted the pattern to make it work (casting on just 2 sts and then increasing to 14 makes for a nicer point at the bottom of the heart with thicker yarn):
CO 2 sts. Knit 1 row.
Next Row: K1, m1, k1—3 sts.
Row 3: K1, kfb, kfb, k1—5 sts.
Rows 4 and 6: Purl.
Row 5: K1, kfb, k1, m1, k1, kfb, k1—8 sts.
Follow pattern as written.
I hope you enjoy the pattern! If you make the heart pin, please post pictures to our group gallery. We’d all love to see your efforts!
I’d also like to do some knitalongs with our online craftivity community, and we at F+W will knitalong with all of you. Please let me know what kinds of projects you’d be interested in for a knitalong. Perhaps something that says spring?? Post a comment and let me know, or visit the forums and leave a message there.
Jessica
