Last Minute Valentine Gift-Knitted Heart

Here's a quick and easy project for a last minute Valentine's Day gift, or any time of the year when you want to knit up a fun and quick heart.

You can use chunky yarn and big needles or lightweight yarn and small needles. The big chunky yarn on large needles (10-15) knits up at the same rate as the smaller heart but you get a small almost pillow size heart.

These hearts were made with metallic yarn using size 2 needles. If you want to use bigger needles, say 4 or 6, they will work as well but the fabric won't be as solid. I used circular needles but straight needles will also work fine.

First, make the first bump:

CO 3
K3
KFB, P1, KFB
K5
KFB, P3, KFB
K7

Cut the yarn and push the bump back along the needle. Now CO 3 on the opposite needle of the circular needle, or empty needle if using straight needles. Leave a tail 7-9" to weave in.

Make the second bump exactly like the first.

CO 3
K3
KFB, P1, KFB
K5
KFB, P3, KFB
K7

Now push the two bumps together and
K1, P12, K1
K14
K1, P12, K1
K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1
K1, P10, K1
K1, SSK, K6, K2tog, K1
K1, P8, K1
K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1
K1, P6, K1
K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1
K1, P4, K1
K1, SSK, K2tog, K1
K1, P2, K1
SSK, K2tog
bind off by doing slip 1, k1, psso

By casting on to the other needle for second bump you will correctly position it so that when you join the two bumps the knit sides and purl sides match correctly. When you are knitting the row K1, P12, K1 you are knitting the first of the two bumps then the second of the two bumps, thus joining them together. That first stitch when you purl into the second bump can be loose, just tug it back down to tighten it up.

Now make a second heart exactly like the first. Leave a tail from binding off long enough to use to sew the two pieces together. 2x the length of the perimeter might work but I allow a generous 3x to be sure.

The only tail I weave in is in the middle, to stabilize it since it's more flimsy. Using the long tail from the cast off, put the two heart pieces right sides together and sew them together. All those single knit stitches on the sides are for this reason, to make them easy to see and give a nice edge to the finished heart. Leave an opening to turn the hearts right side out. About an inch and a half will do. Stuff the yarn tails up into the heart through the opening. You can stuff the heart with yarn scraps or wool scraps or stuffing or even some pleasant dried herbs. Sew the opening closed, being careful to stay with those edge knit stitches to give it a seamless looking join.

Have fun!

The Reverse Crafting Trend

Craft

noun

an activity involving skill in making things by hand.

verb

exercise skill in making (something).

There is a growing trend in home crafting.

That is a statement that stretches across many decades. I think it’s human nature to want to create, to learn a craft that means that we use our own hands and artistic talent to form a product that is functional and aesthetic that we can say that we made ourselves.

Knitting has come and gone in popularity. Knitting used to be something a majority of housewives used to know how to do but over time it was seen negatively, as something only grandmothers do. Now the slope has reversed and it’s most popular among the younger generation.

One of my favorite newly discovered crafts is using a lucet to make cords. I only learned of the lucet in the past two years yet the lucet was used by Vikings so it’s been around for a very long time. It’s such a simple tool and the movements required to wrap and manipulate the string, thread, yarn, or leather is a basic figure 8 with a tug. Somehow the lucet has managed to survive for hundreds of years despite its low-key visibility.

Sewing is another craft that cycles up and down in popularity. When Singer came out with the first electric home sewing machine every house seemed to have one. Fewer and fewer people seem to sew at home these days. Oh, I think a lot of people actually own sewing machines but fewer and fewer people actually use those machines. Like knitting, I suspect it’s a cyclic popularity which means a return to interest in sewing again.

I like to collect old crafting books. The styles and materials may change but the basic methods remain the same. Everything changes. Yet there is a limit to what exists so we cycle, recycle, visit, and revisit all these methods and items. Pinterest has sure given home crafting a boost. Pinterest has almost become synonymous with the word crafting. But don't limit yourself to Pinterest when exploring crafting options.

I have tried my hand at stained glass, wood working, carving, clay sculpture, jewelry, beading, metalwork, and of course fiber work in all its glorious diversity. I understand that not everyone is driven to tackle every form of crafting out there but I am often puzzled (and even sad) when I learn how many people don’t have any creative outlet hobby at all. Most of the reasons given are that they aren’t “crafty” or “talented” or wouldn’t know where to start.

No one is perfect when they start. Like everything, it takes practice to achieve success. It’s the joy in the discovery that is the most satisfying.

As stated above, craft is the skill of making something by hand. I hope you feel emboldened to try your hand at some craft. There is something so satisfying in taking a raw material and forming it into something that looks recognizable. It could be as simple as getting a crochet hook or knitting needles and a few skeins of yarn and creating an afghan or as complicated as building a stained glass lamp shade. The important thing is to realize that the journey is as much a part of the success as the end product and practice always improves the skill.

Whether carved stone gargoyles will ever come back in style is a mystery. But there is definitely a movement for more people to try their hand at home crafting.