pattern: cute amigurumi crochet hearts

I'm never sure what to do with those yarn scraps that get left over once a project has finished, but I haven't the heart ('scuse the pun!) to throw them away, so my bag of odds-and-ends is over flowing. Anyway, I thought I'd have a little play around with my pretty red and pink scraps, to see if I could come up with something for the romantic season ahead ... cue cute, squishy, amigurumi style crochet hearts.

They are really quick and super simple to make, so if you're itching to make one for your other half, you're in luck. After dozens of distractions this week I thought Valentine's would be over before I finished this tutorial, but here at last is my latest attempt at pattern writing.

You will need to use single crochet (sc), decreasing by crocheting 2 together (sc next 2 tog), and a magic circle  - US terms (sorry fellow Brits!)

sc [single]: insert hook through stitch, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (two loops on the hook), yarn over and pull through two loops.

sc2tog [crochet 2 together]: insert hook through first stitch, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (two loops on hook), insert hook through second stitch, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook) yarn over and pull through all three loops.

magic circle: This YouTube video will explain how to do a magic circle better than I can!

1. Round 1: Start with a magic circle, 6 sc into ring, and pull tight (6 stitches).
2. Round 2: 2 sc into each stitch of the first round (12 stitches)

3. Round 3: 1 sc into next stitch, 2 sc into next stitch, repeat 6 times to end of round (18 stitches) and fasten off. Repeat the process to make a second circle but DO NOT fasten off this time.
4.  Next join the two circles together. Keeping your hook in the last loop of the second circle, insert it into the first circle in the same space that the last stitch went into.
5. 1 sc into this space - look where I have drawn the arrow, can you see I have made the joining stitch right next to the last stitch on the first circle.
6. Continue with 1 sc into each stitch all the way around the first circle.

7. Now insert the hook back into the second circle, again into the same space that the very last stitch went into. 1 sc into this space - look again at my arrow, can you see the joining stitch is right next to the  last stitch I made on the second circle.
8. Continue with 1 sc into each stitch ...
9. ... Until you get all the way around the second. This figure of eight will make the two top bumps of the heart.
10. Next you start to decrease to make the point of the heart. 1 sc in next 4 stitches (labelled these 1-4), sc2tog (labelled 5 & 6 - can you see the yarn that is pulled through stitch 5, and again through stitch 6, before finishing the stitch) - repeat this until you have roughly gone all the way around.

11. Then decrease again, 1 sc in next 3 stitches, sc2tog - repeat this until you have roughly gone all the way around. And again, 1 sc in next 2 stitches, sc2tog - once again repeating until you have roughly gone all the way around. Your crochet should be starting to look more like a heart now ...
12. Deacrease again, 1 sc into next stitch, sc2tog - repeat until the hole is about the size of your thumbnail.
13. Stuff with toy stuffing, but if you don't have any you can improvise with cotton wool ...
14. Continue decreasing (1 sc, sc2tog) until you can't do it any more.

 15. Fasten off, then thread yarn into needle. Insert the needle into the very tip of the heart, push through to the top, pulling yarn through. You can either trim the yarn or leave it long if you want to use it for something else.
16. Continue making lots more little hearts in scrummy jewel coloured hearts ... It is easy to vary the sizes of your hearts just by using different size hooks and yarns of differing weight. But to make a more dramatic difference in size simply make larger or smaller circle in the first 4 steps. See in the picture, I made a tiny little red heart, instead of 3 rounds I stopped after two (12 stitches) - jolly fiddly, but rather cute, in fact I'm going to use this little chappy in another project, so stay tuned ...

There are so many things you could use these for, I made one for each of my kiddos to hang over their bedroom door handle, and I filled a bowl to decorate our table ... but this might turn into bunting if I have the time ... I'd love to know if you make some, and what you decide to do with them too ...