An Easy Scarf Knitting Pattern Stitched with Love

This super sweet scarf knitting pattern would be fun to stitch up for Valentine’s Day, or to give to someone who you want to wrap in love.

The Shape of My Heart scarf from Annie Baker Designs is worked in fingering weight yarn (aka sock yarn or super fine) in a tube to the desired length. Hearts are randomly added in duplicate stitch using scraps. The pattern calls for stitching on the hearts after the whole scarf is done, but I think it would be easier to do as you knit because it’s easier to get to the center of the tube as you’re knitting it without having to maneuver around the whole rest of the scarf to make your stitches.

Either way, there are several heart patterns shown in the pattern so you can make solid or outline heart shapes, both upside down and right side up depending on what you need for where you are in your scarf.

This is such a cute and easy idea you could also do it with other weights of yarn. If you have more worsted weight yarn than you have sock yarn, for example, you could knit a tube of whatever width you like and use your leftovers to stitch on hearts in just this same way.

If you’ve never worked duplicate stitch before, it’s an easy way to add colorwork to knitting projects. It involves sewing on top of the knit stitches, literally duplicating the shape of the stitch so that it’s completely covered with another yarn. This makes the knit fabric thicker in those places but also makes the stitches you duplicate stand out, which adds an interesting texture to your project.

Check out this tutorial from Purl Soho if you need help with the basics. It doesn’t look like I’ve done a video on this so I”ll try to get to that soon!

The pattern is available for free on Ravelry.

[Photo: Annie Baker Designs]

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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