Pierced Heart Brooch
Pattern by Lisa Erikson (Kookis) One can knit in almost any material, not just yarn! Pick something you like and match (or mismatch) it up with other great stuff. I first tried knitting this project with steel wire, but the needles suffered way too much so I ended up knitting in ribbon instead. If you have a plastic covered wire I'm sure there'll be no problem. This is a really fast project and perfect as a last-minute gift.
For this 4 cm high brooch I used: Blue organza ribbon (6mm) Some thin silvered steel wire
Pearls (light-blue)
One brooch fastening
The pierced heart is knitted from pointy end (apex and upwards towards the heart ears. CO 1 st with the organza ribbon on a 5mm needle and k1. At the next round, CO 1 st at each side (makes a total of 3 st). Now purl these 3 st. Continue in st st and inc 1 on each side at every other round by CO 1 or M1 as long as you find appropriate. To create the heart ears, continue with half the number of stitches and make one ear at a time. Decrease by k2tog until you have only 1 st left. Pull the ribbon through this remaining stitch, thread it downwards to the other stitches in waiting and join to knit the second ear. When you're done, choose which side you think looks best for the front of the brooch (my wrong-side happened to turn out prettier so that's the one I picked). A heart needs its supporting tissue so thread wire all around along the edges (it is now possible to “heartify” the shape of the project if the people you know don't understand what you've knit already). Put as many pearls as you wish on a second piece of wire and pierce this through the heart, placing pearls on the front and locking them in place by twisting the wire on the back. The wire is kinder to the heart if you bend the pointy end in at the tip. Use a third wire to lock the brooch fastening firmly. Finish up by bending any snagging wire-ends in, tongs are great for this!
