Knitted Short-row Hearts

Here is a knitted heart with smooth edges all around - thanks to short rows that allow you to shape the heart between cast-on and bound-off edges.

Happy Getting-ready-for-Valentine's-Day.

Knitted Short-row Hearts

Material:

Use a small amount of leftover yarn, whatever weight you have on hand. 

Dimensions: 
Worsted weight yarn on size US 6 needles: about 2 1/2 inches square.
Bulky yarn on size US 9 needles: about 3 inches square.
Bulky yarn held double on US size 15 needles: about 4 3/4 inches square.

All stitches are slipped purl wise.

wrap and turn: Slip next stitch with yarn in back, bring yarn in front and slip stitch back.

k 1 front left: Knit stitch through its front leg coming from the left side, thus twisting it.

kfb: Knit into front and back of stitch.

slip-bind off 2: Insert left-hand needle into second stitch on right-hand needle and pass stitch over first stitch on right-hand needle, slip next stitch on left-hand needle to right-hand needle and pass second stitch over.

cable-cast on 2: Slip stitch from right-hand needle to left-hand needle. Insert right-hand needle into stitch on left-hand needle as if to knit, pull loop through and place on left-hand needle next to original stitch. Insert left-hand needle between these two stitches, pull yarn through and place on left-hand needle.

Updated Solid Heart

Using long-tail cast on, cast on 16 stitches.

Row 1 k 14, wrap and turn

Row 2 k 12, wrap and turn

Row 3 k 7, k2tog, k 1, k2tog, wrap and turn

Row 4 k 8, wrap and turn 

Row 5 k 3, k2tog, k 1, k2tog, wrap and turn

Row 6 k 4, wrap and turn

Row 7 (k2tog) twice, wrap and turn

Row 8 k 1, wrap and turn

Row 9 k 1, wrap and turn

Row 10 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 11 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 12 slip-bind off 2, cable-cast on 2, k 2, k 1 front left, k 1, wrap and turn

Row 13 k 2, wrap and turn

Row 14 (kfb) twice, k 4, wrap and turn

Row 15 k 8, wrap and turn

Row 16 kfb, k 1, kfb, k 3, wrap and turn

Row 17 k 8, wrap and turn

Row 18 kfb, k 1, kfb, k 3, wrap and turn

Row 19 k 8, wrap and turn

Row 20 slip-bind off 2, bind off to end

Weave in ends. Block into shape.

Broken Heart

Rows 1-11 work as Updated Solid Heart

Row 12 slip-bind off 2, bind off to end.

Weave in ends. Block into shape.

Note on the update:

Depending on your personal tension and gauge, the heart can come out somewhat lopsided in the first version of the pattern (below). I have not seen that in my own knitting, but some of you have. This must be because in the first version the placement of the wrap-and-turns, and with them the alignment of the rows, is not symmetrical, but somewhat spiral - in the first half, the rows show diagonal, in the second, they show vertical. If your stitches' height is about the same as their width, it does not affect the shape; if, however, there is a difference, one side will pull in. I am sorry if that happened to you. I revised the pattern to be as symmetrical as I can get it. 


Solid Heart (first version)

Using long-tail cast on, cast on 16 stitches.

Row 1 k 14, wrap and turn

Row 2 k 12, wrap and turn

Row 3 k 7, k2tog, k 1, k2tog, wrap and turn

Row 4 k 8, wrap and turn 

Row 5 k 3, k2tog, k 1, k2tog, wrap and turn

Row 6 k 4, wrap and turn

Row 7 (k2tog) twice, wrap and turn

Row 8 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 9 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 10 slip-bind off 2, cable-cast on 2, k 2, k 1 front left, k 1, wrap and turn

Row 11 k 4, (kfb) twice, wrap and turn

Row 12 k 6 , wrap and turn

Row 13 k 3, kfb, k 1, kfb, wrap and turn

Row 14 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 15 k 3, kfb, k 1, kfb, wrap and turn

Row 16 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 17 k 6, wrap and turn

Row 18 slip-bind off 2, bind off to end

Tie ends in a knot and weave in. Block into shape.

Two Color Heart

Rows 1-9 work as Solid Heart

Row 10 slip-bind off 2, change color, cable-cast on 2, k 9, wrap and turn

Row 11 k 5, (kfb) twice, wrap and turn

Rows 12-18 work as Solid Heart

Weave in ends. Block into shape.

Broken Heart

Rows 1-9 work as Solid Heart

Row 10 slip-bind off 2, bind off to end.

Tie ends in a knot and weave in. Block into shape.

For personal use only. Copyright 2013 by laceandable.