Hearts and flowers for Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day coming up on the weekend we thought hearts and flowers and shades of pink and red were appropriate. This little project is great for using up yarn leftovers and a lovely way to let someone know you are thinking of them more often than just one day a year.

Materials:
End of ball … we used ~5g (15m) of cowgirlblues Merino Sock variegated yarn
3mm crochet hook
2 pieces of cotton fabric 14x14cm
~15cm of ribbon
Lavender flowers to fill
Or … make a stuffing by cutting up your yarn scraps, sprinkle with lavender essential before closing up the bag

Gauge:
~16 double crochet and 6 rows to 5x5cm

Size:
If the heart were square it would measure ~9x9cm

Instructions:
– You’re working from the bottom point upwards using mainly US double crochet (dc) stitch
– Most rows start with ch3 which becomes the first dc of the row
– Each row is worked into the previous rows dc, this explanation is not repeated for every row

To crochet the heart:
R1: Chain 3, 2dc in the first chain, turn (3dc)
R2: Chain 3, 1dc in first two dc from previous row, 2dc in last one, turn (5dc)
R3: Chain 3, 1dc in first two dc, 2dc in third dc, 1dc in fourth dc, 2dc in last dc, turn (8dc)
R4: Chain 3, 1dc in first three dc, 2dc in each of next two dc, 1dc in next dc, 2dc in last, turn (12dc)
R5: Chain 3, 1dc in each dc, 2 dc in last dc, turn (14dc)
R6: Repeat R5 (16dc)
R7: Repeat R6 (18dc)
You’ll work the heart “petals” one side at a time
R8: Chain 3, 1dc in first 8dc, hdc in ninth dc, turn,
R9: ch1, hdc in next two dc, 6dc, 1hdc in last dc, turn
R10: (no turning chain)1sc, 1hdc, 5dc, 1hdc, 1sc
work back down to the V with 2 slipped stitches down the side of your half heart then work the other half
R11: ss, ch3, 8dc, hdc in 9th,
R12: ch1, 2hdc, 6dc, 1hdc
R13: 1sc, 1hdc, 4dc, 1hdc, 1ss
Finish the heart by working a round of single crochets into the whole outside edge of your heart

To make the bag:
Cut the fabric to the correct size and lay out as a diamond
Centre the heart on the diamond and hand-stitch to right side of one fabric piece
Make a loop of the ribbon and position it on the right side so the raw ends point out of the top corner (you’re going to stitch it in when you sew up your bag, and it will be at the top when you turn right side out)
Sew around your bag, catching in the ribbon
Turn right side out and press

Finishing:
Stuff your bag with lavender flowers, or yarn scraps scented with lavender oil
Sew closed your opening
Wrap and gift

And if you’re not into all that hard work, then you could just go straight to the lavender. Use some pretty yarn ends to tie up a bunch and hang that in the closet without the bag 🙂

Abbreviations:
dc – double crochet, US
hdc – half double crochet, US
sc – single crochet, US
ss – slipped stitch