I was keen to make another no-sew heart, with slightly different proportions and with a bit of texture. It took me a few sample knits to get it to where I wanted it to be, but I am finally happy with the results. The original No-Sew Heart is very simple, a pair can be whipped out in and hour or two, if you do the two at a time, as you would socks. It looks like this:
I will add the NEW PDFs right at the beginning then get on with the explanation so I don’t get 100 comments or emails asking where they are!
The Nearly No-Sew Textured Heart
The Nearly No-Sew Subtle Textured Heart
The new, textured version has a few more rounds, and a few special tricks to make closing the gap in the middle a bit easier. Here are a couple of samples (the subtle version sample photo is right at the end):
On the last pattern I talked about the KFSB (knit front, slip back) alternative to KFB. I explained how knitting into the front of the stitch, then inserting the needle into the back of that same stitch as if you were going to go ahead and knit into the back, but instead slipping that stitch over to the right needle still produces two stitches but omits that little bar across the front you get with KFB. I offered the KFSB as an alternative to KFB, and said feel free to KFB if you prefer, it would be fine.
This one? Not so much. In order to make the pattern work, the increases need to be on the first and last stitch of the increase rows rather than one stitch in. The KFSB give a far neater and snugger line of increases.
Can you see the KFB stitches (on the left) are just a little baggy and open?
This is the KFB seen along the edge – see the gaps above the “braid?”
and this is the KFSB seen along the edge – much tighter and neater!
I hope I have convinced you to give this a go!
One other small change. When dividing for the heart bumps, in this version you will have an uneven number of stitches. The round has 21 stitches and can’t be divided evenly. This makes for a happy accident, I think. When you begin heart bump #1, you will knit 10 stitches from the front needle, then slip on to waste yarn the heart bump #2 stitches.
You will move 11 from the second half of the front needle and then 10 from the beginning of the back needle. You will then begin heart bump #1 with a K2Tog, which brings the two halves together, beginning to close the gap.
Once you complete heart bump #1, and are ready to begin bump #2, you will need to join your yarn in the middle. Re-organize your stitches so there are 10 stitches on the front needle and 11 on the back needle, BUT you must then move the extra stitch in the middle from the BACK needle to the front, to then K2tog in the same way.
This seems like a bit of palaver but it helps to both simplify stitch pattern AND results in fewer sewn stitches needed to close the gap.
Now, I don’t have an issue stuffing the heart nicely thru the open bumps and the centre gap, but it IS easier if you fully stuff the tip and lightly stuff up to the gap then do bump #2 and finally fully stuff the bumps before you fully close the gap.
I was lucky enough to get a fellow Ravelry user, who knit the original, review the pattern and knit a sample. I think her sample photos show the superior look of the KFSB along the side edge as well!
Many thanks to MingleYarns for her help. It is much appreciated!
As a bonus, there is yet another way to make this pattern that you might prefer. The texture is more subtle, but if you hate purling then this will be better. All you need to do is read every PURL stitch as a KTBL (knit thru the back loop, or make a twisted knit stitch, as you prefer.)
With this very simple change, and making only knit stitches (well, sort of!) you get texture like this:
I went ahead and did a replace P with Ktbl edit and created what I am calling A Nearly No-Sew Subtle Textured Heart Pattern. Just know that that is quite literally the ONLY CHANGE in Subtle Textured vs Textured – just substituting a knit thru the back loop for a purl.
Lastly, if the proportions of the textured versions are more pleasing to you, you need only add 5 knit rounds after round 18 on the original No-Sew heart pattern. The original is as streamlined as I could make it for charity knitting, but the textured versions (and the + 5 rounds version) are great for any other heart-as-gift.
scrappystickyinkymess 