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!