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Free Lavender Heart Knitting Pattern

Jump to the free Lavender Heart knitting directions

Why Knit a Little Heart?

There’s something joyful about knitting these tiny hearts.

They're not a big dramatic project. Not something that takes weeks. Just a small, simple shape that fits in the palm of your hand and yet holds so much meaning.

I originally designed these little knitted hearts as wardrobe hangers - filled with dried lavender and hung over coat hangers to make my wardrobe smell nice and I called them Hanger Hearts. But over time, they’ve become something more. They’ve become tiny reminders.

Reminders to pause. To breathe. To create something beautiful just because you can.

And, because they’re knit from yarn scraps leftover from other project, each one holds a memory.

Now I’m sharing this lavender heart knitting pattern with you as a free pattern - and an invitation to slow down, to create and to enjoy your own yarn based memories.

Ways to Use Your Knitted Lavender Heart

These little hearts are surprisingly versatile:

Hang one over a coat hanger in your wardrobe
Tuck one into a drawer
Place one beside your bed
Add one to a gift
Tie one to a bunch of flowers
Keep one in your knitting bag as a reminder to breathe

They make thoughtful, handmade tokens for friends - especially those going through busy or overwhelming times - and they make equally beautiful gifts for yourself. Because self-love doesn’t always look like grand gestures. Sometimes it looks like lavender in a wardrobe and a quiet half hour with your needles.

A Mindful Knitting Invitation

As you knit this heart, I invite you to slow down just a little.

Notice the feel of the yarn between your fingers.

Notice the rhythm of your breath.

Notice how the stitches begin to curve into shape.

You don’t need to rush.

You don’t need to get it perfect.

If it feels fiddly at first, that’s okay. Let your hands learn. Let your body settle. After a few repeats, you’ll find your flow.

This isn’t just about making something pretty and practical.

It’s about creating a pocket of calm inside your day.

What you'll need to knit your Lavender Heart

Yarn, Needles & Notions

This mini-make uses just a few meters of yarn and can be knit using yarn scraps of any weight.

Choose needles to suit the yarn you want to knit with but consider going down a needle size to create a slightly firmer fabric. Here are some examples:

- Fingering / sock - 2.75mm / 3mm

- DK - 3.25mm / 3.5mm

- Aran - 4.5mm / 5mm

- Chunky - 6mm / 6.5mm

You’ll also need:

- a darning needle

- a couple of locking stitch markers or a scrap of yarn to hold stitches

- dried lavender & a small amount of toy stuffing (optional)

Abbreviations

k2tog - knit two stitches together (decrease)

k - knit

kfb - knit into the front and back of the stitch (increase)

rep / reps - repeat / repeats

ssk - slip, slip, knit, slip one st knitwise and slip one st purlwise then knit both slipped sts together through the back loop (decrease)

st - stitch / stitches

Lavender Heart Knitting Directions

Heart ‘top bump’ 1

Cast on: Using Judi’s magic cast on, cast on 6 sts, (3st on each needle)

Round 1: Knit all sts

Round 2: *Kfb, kfb, k1, rep from * to end of round

Round 3: As round 1

Round 4: *Kfb, k2, kfb, k1, rep * from to end of round

Round 5: As round 1

Break yarn and place sts onto stitch holders or waste yarn until needed. Locking stitch markers work well for this small number of stitches.

Heart ‘top bump’ 2

Rounds 1 - 5: Work cast on and rounds 1 to 5 as for top bump 1

In the next round you will join top bump 2 with top bump 1.

Round 6: Knit across the 7sts on side 1, without turning your work knit across the 7 sts of side one of top bump 1 that were held on a stitch holder, turn your work and knit across the 7 sts on side two of top bump 1 that were held on a stitch holder, knit across the 7 sts on side two of top bump 2.

You have now joined the two heart ‘top bumps’ and will continue to work in the round in one piece. There will be 28 sts in total, 14 for the front of the heart and 14 for the back.

Bottom of the heart

Round 7: Knit all sts

Round 8: *Ssk, k10, k2tog, rep from * once more (24 sts)

Round 9: As round 7

Round 10: *Ssk, k8, k2tog, rep from * once more (20 sts)

Round 11: As round 7

Round 12: *Ssk, k6, k2tog, rep from * once more (16 sts)

Round 13: As round 7

Round 14: *Ssk, k4, k2tog, rep from * once more (12 sts)

Round 15: *Ssk, k2, k2tog, rep from * once more (8 sts)

Round 16: Ssk, k2tog (4sts)

Finishing (and shaping) Your Knitted Heart

Break yarn and, using your darning needle, thread the tail through each of the live sts twice and pull gentle to close up the point at the bottom of the heart and use the yarn tail work a couple of hand sewn stitches to secure before pulling the excess yarn into the centre of the heart to hide the tail.

There will be a small hole at the top of your heart. If you wish to stuff your heart do so through this hole.

Then using the end of yarn from the cast on threaded onto the darning needle, close up the hole with a few hand sewn stitches and use the remaining yarn tail to form a hanging loop, securing with a few more stitches.

Alternatively, after closing the hole, pull the excess yarn into the centre of the heart leaving the tail inside then use a small length of ribbon, knitted icord or crochet chain, to create the hanging loop.