Solid Heart Granny Square

So, recently I’ve been on something of a side-quest to collect as many heart-themed crochet projects as I can find… for reasons even I’m not entirely sure about.

(It’s kind of like trying to collect all the evolved forms of a specific Pokemon, because I’m too impatient to make my own evolve on its own… yes, I am, in fact, a nerd)

In this entry we have a more classical granny-square design featuring a heart-shaped centered made separately and then encircled with a contrasting border. I recommend learning this pattern, because it’s a lot like learning 2 patterns in 1: the separate heart motif, and then the surrounding border - mainly because the heart can be made to imitate leaves and other floral-themed projects, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious!

Materials:

• Size J/10 crochet hook

• 2 skeins of 4 medium weight yarn: traditional colors = 1 skein red, 1 skein white
  (you can also use any two colors of your choice!)

• Snips 

• Stitch markers (OPT.)

Close up completed square, unblocked

Instructions:

Heart:

1. Ch. 4 then sl st to create ring; ch 3 then dc 12 times into the center ring sp;

2. Sl st into the 3rd st of starting ch;
   Then wrap YOH 2 times and skip next st;
   Then trc into the next dc;
   Tbc 7 more times into the same st (for a total of 8 trc)

3. Dc into the next st, then dc 1 and hdc 1 into the same st;
   2 hdc into the following st;
   Hdc 1 and dc 1 into the next st;

4. To turn the point of the heart, repeat the same pattern in reverse:
   <dc & hdc>
   <2 hdc into the same st>
   <1 hdc & 1 hdc>
   <1 dc>
   < 8 trc into the next dc>

5. Skipping the last dc, sl st into the next st (previous sl st);

6. snip yarn, leaving at least ½ inch of yarn (crochet over this while making border for a seamless finish), and secure with a sl st;

Border:

1. Using your contrasting yarn, sl st into the 15th st from the heart’s last st st
   (this will be the point of the heart);

2. Ch. 1 and sc into the next st;

3. Then hdc into the next st; dc into the next st;

4. In the 4th st, create first corner by <dc 1, trb 1>, then ch. 3;

5. In the next st, <trb 1, dc 1> and then dc 1 into the next st;

6. In the following st <hdc, sc>, then sc 1 into the next st;

7. <sc 2> into the next st, then <hdc>;

8. To turn the next corner: <hdc, dc> in same st, then ch.3;

9. Then crochet across row:
   <dc & hdc> <hdc> <hdc><dc>
   1 trc into the ch sp between starting ch and last dc of first rnd;
   <dc><hdc><hdc><hdc & dc> then ch 3 to turn corner;

10. For the third side of the square:
    <dc 1 and hdc 1> into the next st;
    Then <hdc><2 sc> <sc>;
    <sc & hdc> into the same st;
    <dc>< dc & trc> in the same st, then ch. 3 to turn corner;

11. Then, in the last 3 sts:
    <trc & dc in same st; dc, hdc>

12. Sl st into the 1st  sc of rnd;

13. Ch. 3 and dc into the same st;
    Dc strait to corner, then in corner ch sp <2 dc, ch. 3, 2 dc> to turn;

14. Dc strait across sides of square, turning each corner with above pattern;
    To finish the rnd, sl st into the 1st dc; 

15. For last rnd, ch. 1 then *sc strait until corner;
    In corner ch sp: <sc, ch. 2, sc>*
    Repeat (*) across rnd, then sl st into 1st sc to finish rnd and square;

16. Clip yarn and secure with sl st; then block square prior to piecing