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I've recently been contacted by a local Nurse asking for knitters help as the Covid -19 End of Life ward is rapidly running out of Hearts.
"In the covid ward when a patient is at end of life they put a heart in the patient's hand and give one to the family member so that their hearts are still together, but they are running low."
I created a simple pattern for knitters, you can see that one here, and then realised that the happy hookers among us shouldn't be left out so I have a new heart pattern for you to crochet here with both US terms and UK terms.
The hearts are again worked in pairs and crochet in the round, starting with a magic circle.
Each heart uses around 5 - 6g of DK yarn on 3.75mm hooks.
This is absolutely one of those occasions when I would love for people to spread details of this pattern far and wide. If your local NHS needs some little hearts it really is the very least we can do to help ease a families suffering. These little hearts take maybe 15 minutes to crochet and sew together. If you only have enough yarn to make two sides in a single colour not four don't forget you can mix and match and create a pair of hearts with two colours, one on each side.
Abbreviations - UK Terms
ch chain
dc double crochet
htr half treble
tr treble crochet
dtr double treble
sl slip stitch
rnd round
st(s) stitch(es)
Instructions - UK Terms
Start with a Magic circle (video if you need one)
Rnd 1: ch2, 7htr, join with sl to top of first chain. Pull the circle tight. (8 sts)
Rnd 2: ch2, htr in first st, 2htr in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, sl, 2 htr in next 3 sts, join with sl to top of chain. (16 sts)
Rnd 3: ch2, htr in first st, 3 dc, (htr, tr) in next st, 6dtr in next st, sl 2 sts, 6dtr in next st, (tr, htr) in next st, 3 dc, htr, tr, join with sl to top of chain. (28sts)
Rnd 4: ch1, 5dc, 2htr, 2tr in next 4 sts, htr, sl across previous 2 sl, htr, 2tr in next 4sts, 2 htr, 5dc, (htr, tr in next st, (tr, htr) in next st, join with sl to first ch1 st. (38sts)
Cut yarn.
I'll bet that was faster than you expected right?
How long to make another matching 3 hearts do you think?
Abbreviations - US Terms
ch chain
dc double crochet
hdc half treble
tr treble crochet
sc single crochet
sl slip stitch
rnd round
st(s) stitch(es)
Instructions - US Terms
Start with a Magic circle (video if you need one)
Rnd 1: ch2, 7hdc, join with sl to top of first chain. Pull the circle tight. (8 sts)
Rnd 2: ch2, hdc in first st, 2hdc in next 2 sts, 2 tr in next st, sl, 2 hdc in next 3 sts, join with sl to top of chain. (16 sts)
Rnd 3: ch2, hdc in first st, 3 sc, (hdc, dc) in next st, 6tr in next st, sl 2 sts, 6tr in next st, (dc, hdc) in next st, 3 sc, hdc, tdc, join with sl to top of chain. (28sts)
Rnd 4: ch1, 5sc, 2hdc, 2dc in next 4 sts, hdc, sl across previous 2 sl, hdc, 2dc in next 4sts, 2 hdc, 5sc, (hdc, dc in next st, (dc, hdc) in next st, join with sl to first ch1 st. (38sts)
Cut yarn.
I'll bet that was faster than you expected right?
How long to make another matching 3 hearts do you think?
Finishing
Once you have your two pairs of heart place them together with the right sides facing outwards. That is place the smoother centres together. Join using dc/sc through both hearts stitches. Dc/sc around the edge, leaving a small gap in the middle of one for the sides for your stuffing.
One of the bonuses of this method is that you don't need to use stuffing if you don't have any. Simply joining the two hearts creates a puffy finished piece. Remember to keep all your tails inside the hearts then you don't need to weave in the ends!
If you do want to use some stuffing you can use anything, yarn ends, fabric cabbage or indeed real wadding material.
Once the stuffing is in place, and evened out, you can continue to dc/sc the gap closed and you are done.
When you have a pair they are ready to go to the NHS. Most local communities are collecting or you can contact your local hospital to find out where to drop them off.
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