Knitting is a versatile and rewarding craft that allows you to create beautiful and functional items with just a pair of needles and some yarn. One popular project for beginners is knitting a small heart. This simple shape can be used to embellish garments, accessories, or even as a standalone decoration. In this step by step tutorial, we will guide you through the process of knitting your own small heart.
To start, you will need some basic knitting supplies, including a pair of knitting needles and a ball of yarn. You can choose any size needles and yarn, depending on how big you want your heart to be. Thicker yarn and larger needles will result in a bigger heart, while thinner yarn and smaller needles will produce a smaller heart.
Once you have your supplies ready, cast on a small number of stitches, around 10-15, depending on the size of your heart. This will be the base of your heart shape. Knit a few rows in garter stitch, which is simply knitting every stitch on every row. This will create a sturdy and uniform fabric for your heart.
Tip: You can personalize your heart by using different colors and types of yarn. Consider using variegated yarn for a striped or multicolored effect, or try a fuzzy or sparkly yarn for a textured look.
Once you have knitted a few rows, you will start shaping your heart. This is done by increasing and decreasing stitches to create the signature curves of a heart shape. The increases are made by knitting into the front and back of a stitch, while the decreases are made by knitting two stitches together.
Continue shaping your heart until you reach the desired point at the bottom. Then, carefully bind off your stitches to secure the shape. You can leave a long tail of yarn for sewing the heart onto other projects, or you can use the same yarn to sew the two halves of the heart together for a stuffed heart decoration.
Learning how to knit a small heart is a great way to practice your knitting skills and create adorable handmade gifts or decorations. With a little practice, you can easily knit hearts of different sizes and incorporate them into various projects. So grab your needles and yarn, and let’s get started on this lovely knitting adventure!
Materials needed for knitting a small heart
Before you start knitting a small heart, make sure you have the following materials:
- Yarn: Choose a soft and lightweight yarn in the color of your choice. It should be suitable for knitting needles of size 3-4mm.
- Knitting needles: You will need a pair of knitting needles in the appropriate size for your chosen yarn.
- Scissors: Keep a pair of scissors handy for cutting the yarn.
- Tapestry needle: A tapestry needle is used for weaving in loose ends of yarn and seaming your knitted pieces together.
- Stuffing material: To give your knitted heart a plush and squishy feel, you will need some stuffing material like polyester fiberfill or cotton batting.
- Stitch markers: Stitch markers can be useful for keeping track of your stitches or marking specific points in your knitting.
- Embroidery floss: If you want to add decorative embroidery or details to your heart, you may want to have some embroidery floss in contrasting colors.
- Optional: You may also want to have a tape measure or ruler handy to ensure correct gauge and measurements.
Once you have gathered all the necessary materials, you will be ready to start knitting your small heart.
Step 1: Casting on stitches
Before you start knitting the heart, you need to cast on stitches onto your knitting needles.
- Hold the knitting needle with your dominant hand and the end of the yarn with your non-dominant hand.
- Make a slipknot by making a loop with the yarn. Place the loop on the knitting needle and pull the end of the yarn to tighten the loop.
- Insert the knitting needle into the slipknot loop. Hold the looped yarn with your non-dominant thumb and forefinger to prevent it from slipping off.
- With your dominant hand, wrap the yarn around the knitting needle and pull it through the slipknot loop to create a new loop on the knitting needle.
- Repeat step 4 until you have cast on the desired number of stitches for your heart pattern.
Note: The number of stitches you cast on may vary depending on the size of the heart you want to knit. For a small heart, you can start with around 20 stitches.
Once you have cast on the stitches, you can move on to the next step of knitting the heart.
Step 2: Knitting the first row
Now that you have cast on your desired number of stitches, it’s time to start knitting the first row of your small heart.
Follow these steps:
- Hold the knitting needles with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.
- Insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle, going from left to right.
- Wrap the yarn around the right needle, crossing it in front of the left needle.
- With the right needle, pull the loop of yarn through the first stitch, creating a new stitch on the right needle.
- Slide the original stitch off the left needle, transferring it to the right needle.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for the remaining stitches on the left needle, until all stitches have been transferred to the right needle.
After knitting the first row, your stitches will now be on the right needle. You have successfully completed the first row of your small heart.
Step 3: Creating the point of the heart
Once you have completed the first two steps of knitting the heart, it is time to create the point of the heart. This will give the heart a more defined shape and make it look more like a heart.
To create the point, follow these steps:
- Take the last two stitches on your left needle and knit them together. This is called a decrease.
- Knit the next stitch on your left needle.
- Slip the right needle into the first stitch on your left needle and pass it over the stitch you just knit. This is called “passing the slipped stitch over”.
- Repeat steps 1-3 until you have only 3 stitches left on your left needle.
At this point, you should have a triangular shape at the end of your needle, resembling the point of a heart.
If you are a beginner, this step may feel a bit challenging at first. Take your time and be patient with yourself. With practice, you will be able to create the point of the heart easily.
Once you have completed this step, you can move on to the next step, which is shaping the top of the heart.
Step 4: Shaping the sides of the heart
Once you have finished knitting the base of the heart, it is time to shape the sides to give the heart its distinctive shape.
Here is how you can shape the sides of the heart:
- At the beginning of the row, knit the first stitch and then knit the next two stitches together. This will decrease the number of stitches by one.
- Continue knitting the next stitches until you reach the last three stitches of the row.
- Knit the next two stitches together, just like you did at the beginning of the row.
- Knit the last stitch of the row.
By knitting two stitches together at the beginning and end of each row, you are gradually reducing the number of stitches and shaping the sides of the heart.
Repeat these shaping steps for a few more rows until you have reached the desired point at the bottom of the heart.
You can try different variations of decreasing stitches to achieve different heart shapes. For example, instead of knitting two stitches together, you can slip the first stitch and then knit the next stitch, and then pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch. This technique creates a neater decrease.
Continue knitting the remaining rows following the pattern until you reach the top center of the heart.
Once you have finished shaping the sides of the heart, you can move on to the final step of the tutorial to complete the heart.
Step 5: Decreasing the stitches
Once you have completed the desired number of rows for your heart, it is time to decrease the stitches. Decreasing helps shape the heart and gives it a more defined point at the bottom.
To decrease, do the following:
- Knit 2 stitches together (K2tog): Insert your right needle through the next two stitches on the left needle as if to knit. Wrap the yarn around the right needle and pull it through both stitches. Slide the two stitches off the left needle, and you have decreased one stitch.
- Purl 2 stitches together (P2tog): Insert your right needle through the next two stitches on the left needle as if to purl. Wrap the yarn around the right needle and pull it through both stitches. Slide the two stitches off the left needle, and you have decreased one stitch.
Continue alternating between K2tog and P2tog across the row until you have decreased the required number of stitches. Remember to always knit or purl the stitches as they appear on the left needle.
For a small heart, you may need to decrease until you have just a few stitches left on your needles. This will give your heart a nice, pointed bottom.
Once you have decreased the stitches, continue knitting the remaining stitches until you have only a few stitches left on your needle.
Now you’re ready to move on to the next step and finish your knitted heart!
Step 6: Binding off
Once you have finished making your small heart through knitting, it’s time to bind off or cast off the stitches to secure your work and prevent it from unraveling. Here’s how you can do it:
- Knit the first two stitches of your row as usual.
- Insert the left-hand needle into the first stitch on your right-hand needle.
- Lift this stitch over the second stitch and off the needle.
- Now you have one stitch left on your right-hand needle.
- Knit the next stitch on your row.
- Insert the left-hand needle into the first stitch on your right-hand needle.
- Lift this stitch over the second stitch and off the needle.
- Continue this process until you have only one stitch remaining on your right-hand needle.
Once you have bound off all the stitches, cut the yarn, leaving about a 6-inch tail. Thread the tail through the last stitch and pull it tight to secure it.
Your small knitted heart is now complete! You can use it as an embellishment on clothing or accessories, or even as a cute decoration on its own.
Finishing touches and variations
Once you have completed knitting your small heart, there are a few finishing touches you can add to make it even more special. Here are some ideas:
- Embroidery: You can use embroidery thread to add decorative stitches to your heart. For example, you could embroider your initials or a small design on one side of the heart.
- Buttons: Sewing small buttons onto your heart can add a cute and whimsical touch. You could sew them on randomly or create a pattern with them.
- Ribbons or bows: Attaching a small ribbon or bow to the top of your heart can give it a dainty and feminine look.
- Beads: Stringing beads onto a thin thread and sewing them onto the heart can give it some sparkle and shine.
Here are some variations you can try to make your small heart unique:
- Striped heart: Instead of knitting the heart in a single color, you can alternate between two or more colors to create stripes. This adds visual interest to the heart.
- Lace heart: Using a lace-weight or finer yarn can give your heart a delicate and lacy look. The resulting stitches will be daintier and finer.
- Felted heart: If you knit your heart using a wool yarn, you can try felting it to shrink it down and make it more solid. This will give your heart a unique texture.
- Buttoned heart: Instead of stuffing the heart, you can leave an opening and insert a small piece of cardboard or felt inside. Then, you can sew buttons onto the heart to secure the opening.
With these finishing touches and variations, you can create a small knitted heart that is truly one-of-a-kind. Have fun experimenting and personalizing your hearts!
FAQ:
What materials do I need to knit a small heart?
You will need yarn (any color you like), knitting needles (size 4 or 5), a yarn needle, and a pair of scissors.
How long does it take to knit a small heart?
It depends on your knitting speed and experience. On average, it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
What type of stitch should I use to knit a small heart?
You can use any basic stitch such as the knit stitch or the purl stitch. Both will work fine for knitting a small heart.
Can I use a different color yarn for the border of the heart?
Yes, you can use a different color yarn for the border to add some contrast to your small heart.
Can I use a crochet hook instead of knitting needles?
No, this tutorial is specifically for knitting a small heart using knitting needles. Using a crochet hook will produce a different result.