Valentine’s Day Knitting Stitches: 3 fun ideas 💕

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If you’re back to the usual pre-Valentine’s Day rush, looking for new stitches to get your loved ones (and yourself) handmade gifts, you clicked on the right link: you’re about to discover 3 Knitting Stitches that you don’t see much around and perfect for this occasion!

Valentine's Day Knitting: original ideas for your hand-knitted Valentine's Day gifts.

Valentine’s Day Knitting Stitches

Hats, mittens, scarves, snoods, blankets, pillowcases, laptop and tablet covers are just a couple of ideas for projects you can dive straight into knitting as Valentine’s Day gifts. Get yourself started following our free patterns. Continue reading to get step-by-step instructions and charts of the following knitting stitches:

  • Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch: incredibly easy to remember, since you only repeat 2 rows
  • Hearts Ribbing Stitch: the must-have Valentine’s Day gift for rib stitches lovers!
  • Lace Hearts Stitch: so elegant that your loved one will be just as amazed as you (careful not to accidentally keep the gift to yourself 😅)

This heart-themed knitting trio is great for knitters who have been reading patterns and practising the basics for a while, but more experienced knitters can challenge themselves as well. Absolute beginners, go check out our knitting basics tutorials on BettaKnit’s YouTube channel!

Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch

This is a quite unique stitch: tiny hearts are spread all over the knit and are not as noticeable unless you take a really close look at it. We find this is an interesting feature that makes this stitch perfect for people who don’t like being flashy and prefer a subtle effect. Great for sweaters, scarves or shawls for every day, not only Valentine’s Day. Bonus: it doesn’t curl at the edges!

The Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch is a knitting stitch that creates cute little hearts all over your work; it is great for a simple yet classy Valentine's Day gift and it's very easy to memorize. You only have to repeat 2 rows until you reach the desired length.

Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch

To get a swatch as the one pictured above:

What knitting techniques do you need to know?

  • Knit
  • Purl
  • Elongated Stitch

Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch Tutorial

Cast on an even number of stitches.

Row 1:
  • Knit 1 selvedge stitch, *1 elongated stitch (knit the stitch wrapping the yarn twice around the right needle)*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 selvedge stitch.
Row 2:
  • Knit 1 selvedge stitch, *unravel the following 2 elongated stitches and place them back onto the left needle, then knit the 2nd stitch (going through the 1st stitch with your right needle), knit the 1st stitch*.

With every couple of elongated stitches (which you knit in reverse order), you will get a cross: you’ve just created a tiny heart.

  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 selvedge stitch.

Continue working repeating Rows 1 and 2.

Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch Chart

Here below is the Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch Chart.

The Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch Chart is definitely a confident-beginner level chart: you must know how to work knit stitches and elongated stitches.

Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch Chart

Hearts Ribbing Stitch

We say it all the time but you can’t really go wrong with a good rib stitch, because it applies to mostly every kind of project: scarves, cowls, tops… This version has so many cute hearts in vertical rows, alternating with purl stitches.

The Hearts Ribbing Stitch is a fun variation of the classic Rib Knitting Stitch. It is suitable for any kind of knitting project, especially Valentine's day handmade gifts. Great for thin and thick yarns.

Hearts Ribbing Stitch

To get a swatch as the one pictured above:
  • 5 mm / US 8 knitting needles (we used our Beechwood Knitting Needles) – you can choose the right needle size adjusting to your yarn and tension
  • BettaKnit’s Alpa Cotton (Alpaca fibers blown through a Mako cotton cage ☁️) in the shade Raspberry

What knitting techniques do you need to know?

  • Knit
  • Purl
  • Increase 4 rows below
  • Decrease: SKP (slip-knit-pass over), K2TOG (knit 2 stitches together)

Hearts Ribbing Stitch Tutorial

Cast on a multiple of 5 + 2 stitches.

Rows 1 and 3:
  • Purl 2 stitches, *knit 3 stitches, purl 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until the end of the row.
Rows 2 and 4:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *purl 3 stitches, knit 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until the end of the row.
Row 5:
  • Purl 2 stitches, *1 increase 4 rows below (insert the right needle into the 2nd stitch, 4 rows below, wrap the yarn around the needle and pull up a loop), knit 3 stitches, 1 increase 4 rows below (through the same stitch as the first increase), purl 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until the end of the row.
Row 6:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *slip 1 stitch purl-wise, purl 3 stitches, slip 1 stitch purl-wise, knit 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until the end of the row.
Row 7:
  • Purl 2 stitches, *1 SKP, knit 3 stitches, K2TOG, purl 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until the end of the row.
Row 8:

Repeat Row 2.

 

Continue working repeating Rows 5 – 8.

Hearts Ribbing Stitch Chart

For those who prefer following a graphic pattern, here it is!

Notice that Rows 1 – 4 are set-up rows. From Row 9 on, always repeat Rows 5 – 8.

The Hearts Ribbing Stitch Chart is an intermediate level knitting chart: this stitch is made on a multiple of 5 + 2 stitches and a 4-row repetition. The main technique you need to know is the "Increase 4 rows below".

Hearts Ribbing Stitch Chart

Lace Hearts Stitch

In this knitted stitch, each heart is defined by yarn-over stitches and decrease stitches (leaning to the left and to the right). The tricky step here is knitting 4 stitches together right where the heart humps are, but nothing extremely hard: just pay a bit more attention and make sure you are picking all 4 stitches with your needle before knitting them all together. To avoid leaving stitches behind and staggering the pattern, take your time while working through this part.

The Lace Hearts Knitting Stitch is super elegant for your Valentine's Day handknitted garments. By working with yarn-over stitches and decrease stitches, you will get hearts in vertical rows all over your work. This is an intermediate to advanced level stitch for more experienced knitters.

Lace Hearts Stitch

To get a swatch as the one pictured above:

What knitting techniques do you need to know?

  • Knit
  • Purl
  • Yarn over
  • Decrease: SKP (slip-knit-pass over), SK2P (slip-k2tog-pass over), Slip 4 and KTOG, K2TOG (knit 2 stitches together), K4TOG (knit 4 stitches together)

Lace Hearts Stitch Tutorial

Cast on a multiple of  12 +3 stitches.

Row 1:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *yarn over, K2TOG, knit 3 stitches, yarn over, knit 1 stitch, yarn over, knit 3 stitches, 1 SKP, yarn over, knit 1 stitch*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 stitch.
Row 2 and following even rows:

Purl all the stitches.

Row 3:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *knit 1 stitch, yarn over, K4TOG, yarn over, knit 3 stitches, yarn over, slip 4 and KTOG (slip 4 stitches knit-wise, one at a time, insert the left needle through the front loops of the slipped stitches and knit them together), yarn over, knit 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 stitch.
Row 5:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *knit 1 stitch, K2TOG, yarn over, knit 5 stitches, yarn over, 1 SKP, knit 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 stitch.
Row 7:
  • Knit 2 stitches, *K2TOG, yarn over, knit 7 stitches, yarn over, 1 SKP, knit 2 stitches*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 1 stitch left on the needle, then knit 1 stitch.
Row 9:
  • Knit 1 stitch, K2TOG, *yarn over, knit 9 stitches, yarn over, 1 SK2P (slip 1 stitch knit-wise, K2TOG, pass the slipped stitch over the 2 stitches knitte together)*.
  • Repeat from * to * until you have 12 stitches left on the needle, then yarn over, knit 9 stitches, yarn over, 1 SKP, knit 1 stitch.

 

Continue working repeating Rows 1 – 10.

Lace Hearts Stitch Chart

You can also follow the chart below to knit the Lace Hearts Stitch:

Attention: even rows are not shown in the chart. They are purled all across as normal.

The Lace Hearts Stitch Chart is an intermediate to advanced knitting chart: this stitch is made on a multiple of 12 + 3 stitches and a 10-row repetition. Aside from the basic stitches and decrease techniques, you will need to know how to knit 4 stitches together.

Lace Hearts Stitch Chart

 

Save these stitches on your Pinterest knitting board!

Bettaknit - Tiny Hearts Lace Stitch      Bettaknit - Hearts Ribbing Stitch      Bettaknit - Lace Hearts Stitch

 

Which one of these heart knitting stitches will you be trying for your Valentine’s Day gifts? Let us know in the comments below and share your creations on Instagram using the hashtag #bettaknit!

Last minute gifts? Download our free crochet patterns: My Favourite Book bookmark and That’s Amore Set, heart-shaped placemat and coaster!

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💖