13 Charming Heart-y Patterns for a Meaningful Valentine’s Day

These delightful free heart-themed patterns will have you (and a special gift recipient) feeling the love

How do you feel about Valentine’s Day?

If you’re anything like me, your life’s journey is reflected in your feelings about the holiday.

When I was a young child, I loved Valentine’s Day. It was a day when everyone had to be nice to each other for one day 😂–that is, everyone had to bring valentine cards for all the other kids in the class. I can still remember the fun of decorating a little brown paper sack that would hold my valentine cards.

(Did you have this tradition when you were in school, too? If so, please comment and let me know what you remember!)

I felt this way about Valentine’s Day basically until I had reached a school age in which mass valentine card exchanges were no longer encouraged or required. Then, without warning, Valentine’s Day seemed to be designed to do one thing, and one thing alone: broadcast which girls in school had boyfriends, and which did not.

As you can imagine, this really soured me on the whole concept of Valentine’s Day. It was no longer a day to be nice to one another; it was now a day to showcase who was in a romantic relationship.

In short, it wasn’t fun anymore.

I continued to feel this way all the way until only a few years ago–around 2017, I think–when I learned the legend of the real St. Valentine and why we celebrate him with a holiday.

Who Was St. Valentine, and Why St. Valentine’s Day?

It seems that no one really knows the exact history of St. Valentine, but several legends circulate around him.

The most common one, and the one most tend to recognize (and use as justification for a holiday), states that St. Valentine lived in the time of Emperor Claudius II of Rome. Rome was involved in many hard and bloody wars at this time. Emperor Claudius II then found it difficult to recruit young men into his army because they did not want to leave their wives. The young men were afraid of what would happen to their wives if they were killed.

In order to prevent this issue, the emperor decided to prohibit all marriage.

According to this legend, St. Valentine–evidently a real romantic at heart–decided to defy this order. He secretly married young men and women who were thwarted by the emperor’s prohibition.

Sadly, St. Valentine’s ruse was discovered, and he was beaten and then executed. The Roman Catholic Church then honored his martyrdom with sainthood.

A Change in Valentine Perspective

Of course, we don’t know if this story is true. Even so, there’s a ring of truth to it. Governments, particularly monarchies and dictatorships, have long been known to make distasteful, even brutal, laws in order to achieve their goals.

Under such conditions, I think we would all like to imagine a brave man defying such a law to bring happiness to couples who simply wanted to make a commitment of marriage to one another. In essence, St. Valentine’s legendary risk shows love in its purest form.

So here’s what I suggest: rather than think of Valentine’s Day as merely a chance for the card, chocolate, and flower companies to get richer, let’s think of it as it was really intended: to represent the power of love.

And in that spirit, let’s take a look at some fun, quick-knitting patterns featuring hearts and heart themes. You’ll find coasters, bookmarks, sachets, and more!

Mark Your Spot with Love

Book Lover Valentine

• What you’ll need to make it: About 40 yards fingering weight, natural-fiber yarn; US Size 2.5 needles or smaller; 3 stitch markers; tapestry needle

• Why you’ll want to: This is one of the quickest-knitting patterns you’ll find on this page! It took me about an hour to create the bookmark you see here. This adorable bookmark features a long “stem” (made out of braiding three long strands of yarn) and a small, sweet heart at the top.

Chain of Hearts Bookmark

• What you’ll need to make it: Small amount of crochet cotton or fingering weight yarn; US Size 2 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern creates a lacy bookmark with hearts chained down the center. It’s a great way to use up leftover sock or lace yarn.

Hearts Bookmark/Lesezeichen mit Herz

• What you’ll need to make it: About 80 yards fingering weight yarn (divided into two colors); US Size 0 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern is written in both English and German, but note that it’s really just a chart for double-knitting, although it does tell you how many stitches to cast on.
  
  For a complete explanation on how to double-knit (and use this chart to do so), take a look at the Very Pink Knits video below.
  
  (I would like to note that when I’ve done double knitting in the past, I’ve cast on both yarn colors together, as if they were a single stitch (casting on half the number of stitches called for), and then work each color separately from then on. I do this rather than the way Staci of Very Pink Knits demonstrates in this video. I find it easier, but you may find Staci’s method easier. Do what works for you!

For Tender Loving Care of Drinks and Furniture

Knitted Heart

• What you’ll need to make it: About 20 to 25 yards super chunky yarn; US Size 11 needles

• Why you’ll want to: It doesn’t get any easier than this super-simple knitting pattern for a sweet little heart that is just the right size for a coaster. You can use it in other ways, too; check out the photo of the knitter who used a heart as an applique for a scarf!

Sweet Somethings

• What you’ll need to make them: 30 to 50 yards worsted weight cotton yarn; US Size 8 needles

• Why you’ll want to: These hearts have a similar shape to the preceding Knitted Heart, but they use a stitch design that creates a gentle wavy texture. The result is squishy enough to have many uses, including miniature washcloths.

Care for Your Hands with Hot Pads and Potholders

Heart Double Knit Hot Pad and Double Knit Potholder

• What you’ll need to make them:
  • For the Heart Double Knit Hot Pad: About 100 yards total (divided evenly into two colors) worsted weight cotton yarn; US Size 9 and 7 needles
  • For the Heart Double Knit Potholder: About 60 to 150 yards (divided evenly into two colors) worsted weight cotton yarn; US Size 7 needles

• Why you’ll want to: These two patterns are quite similar. They’re both double knitted, and they both feature hearts. The main difference is that the first has just a single heart, while the second features 4 hearts. I personally find the instructions in the first pattern a bit easier to follow. However, you could use the first pattern’s instructions and then go by the chart in the second pattern.

True Love Trivet

• What you’ll need to make them: 186 yards (divided evenly into two colors) worsted weight cotton yarn; US Size 10 DPNs (double-pointed needles)

• Why you’ll want to: As the name implies, the designer intended this as a trivet, but you can use it as a potholder as well. To create this trivet/potholder, you’ll knit several cords and then weave them together. It’s a fun way to combine knitting and weaving!

Offer Fragrance with Love

Heart Sachet

• What you’ll need to make it: About 30 to 50 yards DK weight yarn; US Size 5 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; tapestry needle; scented filling (however you wish to create it); ribbon

• Why you’ll want to: This adorable pattern creates a tiny bag featuring a heart emblazoned on one side. Fill it with something heavenly-scented, then tie a ribbon at the top into a bow.

Lavender Hearts

• What you’ll need to make them: Two colors (one main, one complementary) of a small amount of fingering weight 100% wool yarn; US Size 4 needles; US Size C crochet hook and/or tapestry needle; scented filling

• Why you’ll want to: These adorable heart-shaped sachets with a contrasting border are meant to be felted. However, if you wanted, you could knit these in whatever kind of yarn you wish and just go down a needle size or two to create a very dense fabric. The pattern also offers instructions for creating a twisted cord from which you can hang the heart.
  
  You can choose to crochet a border around the heart and/or embroider it, as the designer did, or you can simply sew it up and leave out the embroidery.

Toasties

• What you’ll need to make them: About 50 to 70 yards (divided evenly into two colors) of worsted weight yarn; US Size 3 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; stuffing of your choice (scented or uncooked rice)

• Why you’ll want to: These adorable hearts have several potential uses. First, they make great first colorwork projects. Second, you can use them as sachets. Finally, you could use them the way the designer intended (imagine that!) and fill them with rice so they can be warmed and used as hand and feet warmers.

Bonus: These More Time-Consuming Patterns Will Have Your Heart

If you’re finding this post when you have more time, consider one of these two patterns that make loving gifts (for yourself or others).

Love Me Knot Socks

• What you’ll need to make them: About 440 yards (divided evenly into two solid colors) fingering weight sock yarn; US Size 0 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: These socks are unusual in that they use illusion knitting, a fun technique that produces a pattern that you can see from one angle but that “disappears” from another. If you look at these socks straight on, you see simple stripes. But if you look at them from an angle, voila–hearts appear! This pattern has landed squarely in my “must knit someday” list.

Heart Baby Blanket

• What you’ll need to make it: 1400 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 6 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern is so adorable I could cry just looking at it. It produces a checkerboard-type pattern, only with hearts inside each square. Not only would this make an amazing baby gift, but it would also be a delightful lap blanket for almost anyone.

One thing I love about these patterns is that in addition to making great gifts, they make great charity projects too.

Imagine giving a bunch of these to a homeless or domestic violence shelter, or popping them into boxes to go to soldiers overseas. What a lovely way to let others feel love, comfort and support.

Can you think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?