So, once the holidays are over, and all those shows and custom orders are finished, I get a couple of months to just play. Sometimes, I try to write up a pattern. Sometimes I try out a new-to-me fiber technique. This year, I did both. 

currently, I am working on a pattern for some knitted hearts. It's at the end of this post, and I would love it if some of you were to try it out for me. If it's successful, I will probably add it to my Ravelry shop as a free download.

At the same time, I am experimenting with wet felting. Felting is good clean fun with lots of soap and hot water. You get to indulge in all of the rubbing, mashing, wringing, twisting, hot water agitation and high dryer settings that you are supposed to avoid when caring for hand-knits. Felting works best with all-natural animal fibers that have not been chemically treated to reduce shrinking. It won't work well with acrylics, cottons or linens. 

In my case, I used Lopi style wool roving suitable for knitting but without much twist in the ply. I knit up my hearts, using the pattern below. Then I pulled out the slow cooker. I filled it with hot water and lots of soap, set it on high, threw in my knit hearts and grabbed a potato masher. I cooked and mashed and squeezed and rubbed. The wool gets soft and kind of malleable so that you can do some shaping with it. For the finale, I put it in the dryer on a high setting heat setting for about half an hour. And voila, felted hearts!

Knit hearts

Anyway, here's the knit heart pattern. It hasn't been tested. If you try it, and see a way to round off the bumps on the sides, I'd love to hear about it.

Knit hearts

Gauge doesn't matter. 

Make 2. When complete, line up the 2 hearts with the purl sides together on the inside and the knit sides facing outwards. Use single crochet to join them.

  • Cast on 1.
  • Make 3 stitches by knitting into the front, back, and front of the cast-on stitch.
  • Purl across 3 stitches.
  • K1, YO, K1b, YO, K1.
  • Purl across 5 stitches.
  • K2, YO, K1b, YO, K2.
  • Purl across 7 stitches.
  • K3, YO, K1b, YO, K3.
  • Purl across 9 stitches.
  • K4, YO, K1b, YO, K4.
  • Purl across 11 stitches.
  • K5, YO, K1b, YO, K5.
  • Purl across 13 stitches.
  • K6, YO, K1b, YO, K6.
  • Purl across 15 stitches.
  • K7, YO, K1b, YO, K.7
  • Purl across 17 stitches.
  • K8, YO, K1b, YO, K8.
  • Purl across 19 stitches.
  • S1, K1, PSSO, K7, YO, K1b, YO, K7, K2TOG.
  • P9, S1, P1, PSSO, P8.

This should leave 2 sets of 9 stitches. Each set of 9 stitches will be worked separately, starting with those on the right side.

Right side

  • S1, K1, PSSO, K7.
  • Purl 8.
  • S1, K1, PSSO, K4, K2TOG.
  • Purl 6.
  • S1, K1, PSSO, K2, K2TOG.
  • Bind off 4. Break off yarn and then re-attach it to finish left side.

Left side

  • K7. K2TOG.
  • Purl 8.
  • S1, K1, PSSO, K4, K2TOG.
  • Purl 6.
  • S1, K1, PSSO, K2, K2TOG.
  • Bind off 4.