knitted heart pattern

[lelah.livejournal.com]

valentine2
Originally uploaded by LelahOlender.

I blogged about this last year, but it's worth a repeat.

I looked all over the internet for a simple, flat, knit heart, but couldn't find anything that wasn't poorly written. Or where the math was way off. So I made up this pattern:
I recommend interchangeable needles, for dividing sts later.
With any yarn, and the corresponding needle size, Cast on 2 stitches.

Row 1: K2
Row 2: P2
Row 3: K1, M1, K1
Row 4: P3
Row 5: K1, M1, K until last 2 sts, M1, K1.
Row 6: Knit 4.

Continue to knit as in Row 5 until you get to the widest part of the part of the bottom triangle (Imagine a heart a triangle with two half-circles inverted on top). I did it until I reached 20 sts. Should you reach an odd number of stitches, like I did when I skipped an M1, Just take your number of sts, minus 1, then divide by two. Knit across from that number, then do a M1. Put the rest of the sts on a holder.

First half of heart, or first half-circle:
Put left side of sts onto holder (I put ten sts on). Keep Right half of triangle on your needles.
Row 1: (Right half of triangle) K1, P2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog, K1
Row 2: Purl across
Row 3: When you have six stitches on the needles: K1, K2tog, K2tog, K1 (4 sts).
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: K2tog, K2tog, BO the two stitches.

Repeat these last rows on left side of heart.
Weave in all ends.

Voila!