Last Minute Valentine's Day Project: Little Heart Pillow

In case you just realized that you need something quick for someone--a teacher, a friend who knits, or maybe just for yourself, this new pattern of mine will do the trick.  Although I knit fairly quickly, I think that even the beginning knitter can accomplish this pattern in under an hour.  It's knit on a circular needle.  Why on a circular needle you may ask?  Well, I tried three patterns from knitting cyberspace to make some little hearts for my daughter's teacher, and they all involved the dreaded DPNs.  After I accomplished each little heart, my hands hurt, my wrists hurt, or both.  Who needs that kind of agony for small projects, especially if you knit and have arthritis like I do?  This pattern is easily accomplished with one circular needle and I knit it pain-free.  Bonus! 

I will say that if you don't know how to do a figure-eight cast on, you will need to check out this great little tutorial following the pattern because the pattern begins with this cast-on method (just like my soap sock pattern) but then few skills are required afterward.  The video tells you that you need to use a 32" circular needle or longer, but I used a 16" circular for my pattern and it worked out just as well

And now for the Little Heart Pillow pattern! (P.S. If you do this pattern in wool, you can felt it.)

Little Heart Pillow

Little Heart Pillow

Materials:  US 8 ( mm) circular needle with 16" cable; worsted weight yarn (approximately 30 yards). Note:  100% wool was used to create the pillow in the picture.  This product can be felted if 100% wool is used. Heart shown is not felted. 

Gauge: 5 stitches x 6 rows (stockinette)

Finished measurements (measured flat, not stuffed): 4 inches wide by 4 inches high.

To Begin:

Co 8 stitches using figure 8 method (4 stitches on each needle).

Knit one round.

Round 2 (Front): knit 1, m1 (from front of fabric, knit through back of stitch), knot across the row, end m1 (from front of fabric, knit through back of stitch), k1.  Repeat for back side of work.

Round 3: knit across front and back of fabric.

Repeat rounds 2 & 3 until there are 24 stitches on each side of the heart.

Decreasing:

Round 1:  knit 12, place next 24 stitches on waste yarn, knit remaining 12 stitches.

Round 2: k1, ssk, knit 6, k2tog, k1; repeat on back side.

Round 3: knit all stitches.

Round 4: k1, ssk, k4, k2tog, k1; repeat on back side.

Round 5: knit all stitches.

Round 6: k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1; repeat on back side

Round 7: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1; repeat on back side. (4 stitches remain on each side of the heart.)

Round 8: ssk, k2tog; repeat on back side.

Cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches; pull taught. Secure and weave in end.

Side 2

Pick up stitches from waste yarn from back side (completed side of heart facing to the left). 

Join yarn. Repeat rounds 1-8 for second side of heart.

A small hole will remain in the top middle of the heart for stuffing.  Stitch closed using mattress stitch to finish.  Weave in ends.

Copyright 2012, Keya Kuhn.  This pattern is intended for personal use only.  Permission must be obtained from the pattern designer for reproduction rights for sale of items made from this pattern.

Here's the tutorial link for the figure-eight cast-on method:

http://youtu.be/mouMa_hiZEw