St Margaret’s is looking for volunteers to help us to create Love Hearts. These are soft, cuddlable hearts that we offer to patients and families. They can offer an emotional link to those experiencing loss and separation, held close as a reminder of shared love and affection.
We are always very grateful for offers of help with knitting and stuffing the pairs of hearts.
They need to be:
- Washable
- Size- approx. 6cm
- 3D
- Yarn- MUST be clean/washable
- Stuffing –MUST be new/clean/fireproof and washable (If you don’t have stuffing, enclose enough wool for the heart to be sewn up at a later date once we have added the stuffing)
- Child-safe – no detachable parts or chokingn hazards
- In matching pairs
- Colours- anything nice! However, blues and greens are the most popular.
- Plain design
- Knitted or crocheted (suggested patterns below)
- Unfortunately we are not able to accept felted hearts.
Once they are made:
- Please bring or post to our hospice hub in Taunton (Heron Drive TA1 5HA) or Yeovil (Little
Tarrat Lane BA20 2HU) for the attention of Ann Fulton, Spiritual Care Coordinator - If you would be willing, please add your name and contact details
Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you very much.
Download the Patterns Here!
Crochet Pattern 1
Yarn
Scrap yarn from your stash or something environmental friendly.
Crochet hook
A size that works with the yarn.
Abbreviations
r = row, st = stitch, sl st = slip stitch, ch = chain stitch, sc = single crochet, inc = increase, dec = decrease.
1st half sphere
- This part is crocheted in spiral.
- r 1: 2 ch, 6 sc in the second ch from the hook. (6) = magic circle
- r 2: [inc]x6. (12)
- r 3: [sc, inc]x6. (18)
- r 4: [2 sc, inc]x6. (24)
- r 5: [3 sc, inc]x6. (30)
- r 6: [4 sc, inc]x6. (36)
- r 7-12: 36 sc. (36)
- Cut off the yarn and fasten the ends.
2nd half sphere
- This part is crocheted in spiral.
- r 1: 2 ch, 6 sc in the second ch from the hook. (6) = magic circle
- r 2: [inc]x6. (12)
- r 3: [sc, inc]x6. (18)
- r 4: [2 sc, inc]x6. (24)
- r 5: [3 sc, inc]x6. (30)
- r 6: [4 sc, inc]x6. (36)
- r 7-12: 36 sc. (36)
- Crochet the two half spheres together with 6 sc. (see pdf for picture)
The rest of the heart
- Crochet around both spheres. You should have 60 stitches in total.
- r 13: 60 sc. (60)
- r 14: [dec, 26 sc, dec]x2. (56)
- r 15: [dec, 24 sc, dec]x2. (52)
- r 16: [dec, 22 sc, dec]x2. (48)
- r 17: [dec, 20 sc, dec]x2. (44)
- r 18: [dec, 18 sc, dec]x2. (40)
- r 19: [dec, 16 sc, dec]x2. (36)
- r 20: [dec, 14 sc, dec]x2. (32)
- r 21: [dec, 12 sc, dec]x2. (28)
- r 22: [dec, 10 sc, dec]x2. (24)
- r 23: [dec, 8 sc, dec]x2. (20)
- r 24: [dec, 6 sc, dec]x2. (16)
- r 25: [dec, 4 sc, dec]x2. (12)
- Stuff your heart.
- r 26: [dec, 2 sc, dec]x2. (8)
- r 27: [dec]x4. (4)
- Cut off the yarn and fasten the ends.
Crochet Pattern 2
Supplies
- DK (8 ply) weight cotton –I needed only 8 grams of yarn for each heart!
- Crochet hook 2.5 mm
- Polyester fiberfill
- Darning needle.
Abbreviations
sc – single crochet, st(s) – stitch(es), rep – repeat
Work in continuous rounds.
Do not join or turn unless otherwise instructed.
It would be wise to use a stitch marker and place it in the first stitch of each round to mark the beginning of it.
- 1. Work 6 sc in a magic ring [6]
- 2. Work 2 sc in each st around [12]
- 3. (Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) rep 6 times [18]
- 4-5. Sc in each st around
- Cut the yarn leaving a short tail for sewing. Make another piece just like the previous one by
repeating rounds 1-5. Do not cut the yarn as we will continue using the yarn of the second piece. - 6. Crochet the pieces together. Work 9 sc on the second piece, 18 sc around the first piece and
again 9 sc on the second piece [36]. Sew the hole between the two pieces closed. - 7. Sc in each st around
- 8. (Sc in each of next 4 sts, sc2tog) rep 6 times [30]
- 9. Sc in each st around
- 10. (Sc in each of next 3 sts, sc2tog) rep 6 times [24]
- 11. Sc in each st around
- 12. (Sc in each of next 2 sts, sc2tog) rep 6 times [18]
- 13. Sc in each st around
- Fill the heart with fiberfill. Add a bit of stuffing after the next rounds as well.
- 14. (Sc in next st, sc2tog) rep 6 times [12]
- 15. Sc in each st around
- 16. (Sc2tog) rep 6 times
- Cut the yarn leaving a tail for closing the piece. Weave the threaded needle through the front
loops of all remaining stitches and pull tightly to close.
Knitted Pattern
Supplies
Yarn
- Each heart uses a few grams of DK weight yarn (double knitting or light worsted weight).
- Needles
- A pair of 3.75 mm (US 5) single pointed needles, minimum length 20 cm.
- A darning or tapestry needle for seaming.
Other
- A handful of toy filling or cotton wool balls to stuff.
- A stitch holder.
Notes
Each heart is knitted in stockinette and made from one piece, stuffed, and seamed up the back to
make a puffy heart.
Work flat: The heart is knitted flat (back and forth) on a pair of straight single pointed knitting
needles, not in the round.
Casting on: Use the long tail cast on for this pattern.
Pull through to cast off: Cut the yarn leaving at least a 30 cm tail. Thread the tail onto a darning
needle and sew through the remaining sts on the knitting needle. Pull the sts off the knitting
needle on to the yarn, gather together tightly and secure the yarn.
One size: The finished heart is approximately 6.5 cm high and 6.5 cm wide.
Tension: 22 sts x 28 rows for a 10 cm x 10 cm square in stockinette stitch on 3.75 mm needles.
Don’t worry about tension for this pattern, it is not critical.
Abbreviations
k = Knit
k2tog = Knit two stitches together (decrease by 1)
m1 = Make one stitch by picking up the horizontal bar between the needles, place it on the lefthand needle and knit into the back of this loop (increase by 1)
p = Purl
RS = Right side
ssk = Slip the next stitch on the left needle knit-wise, then slip the next stitch on the left needle
purl-wise. Take the left needle and knit through the front of the two slipped stitches on the right
needle (decrease by 1)
st(s) = Stitch(es)
WS = Wrong side
- Make 1 per heart. Cast on 6 sts on 3.75 mm needles. Start at the bottom tip.
- Row 1 and all following WS rows before row 16: Purl.
- Row 2 (RS): [K1, m1] twice, k2, [m1, k1] twice. (10 sts)
- Row 4: K2, [m1, k1] twice, k3, [m1, k1] twice, k1. (14 sts)
- Row 6: K3, [m1, k1] twice, k5, [m1, k1] twice, k2. (18 sts)
- Row 8: K4, [m1, k1] twice, k7, [m1, k1] twice, k3. (22 sts)
- Row 10: K5, [m1, k1] twice, k9, [m1, k1] twice, k4. (26 sts)
- Row 12: K6, [m1, k1] twice, k11, [m1, k1] twice, k5. (30 sts)
- Row 14: K7, [m1, k1] twice, k13, [m1, k1] twice, k6. (34 sts)
- Row 16: Knit. The bottom section of the heart is now complete. Now work the first “bump”
at the top. - Row 17: P17, do not break the working yarn, and transfer the last 17 sts from your knitting
needle onto a stitch holder to hold them to work later for the second “bump”. (17 sts) From
row 18, work the 17 sts on your knitting needle for the first “bump” with the working yarn. - Row 18: Knit.
- Row 19: Purl.
- Row 20: [k1, k2tog, k3, ssk] twice, k1. (13 sts)
- Row 21: Purl.
- Row 22: [k1, k2tog, k1, ssk] twice, k1. (9 sts)
- Pull through to cast off. The first “bump” is complete. Now work the second “bump”. Transfer the held 17 sts from the stitch holder onto your knitting needle with the WS facing you ready to purl, and rejoin the working yarn for row 1.
- Row 1 (WS): Purl.
- Row 2 (RS): Knit.
- Row 3: Purl.
- Row 4: [k1, k2tog, k3, ssk] twice, k1. (13 sts)
- Row 5: Purl.
- Row 6: [k1, k2tog, k1, ssk] twice, k1. (9 sts)
- Pull through to cast off.
Making up: Use mattress stitch for seaming. Sew the side edges of the first heart “bump”
together from the gathered cast off sts down to row 17, and repeat with the second “bump”. You
should have two finished bumps at the top of your heart. Add some stuffing, and then sew the
side edges of the bottom of the heart together (rows 17 down to row 1). This seam runs down
the centre back of the heart. Finish by gathering the cast on sts together at the bottom of the
heart.