Center Heart Knit Square (Two-color, Acrylic, Worsted)

Bright, quick garter-edged stockinette square with a centered heart in contrasting Color B. Finished square is approximately 8" (20 cm) blocked. Worked flat in two colors using intarsia for the heart (alternate: duplicate stitch if you prefer no colorwork while knitting).

Finished size & gauge

Finished: ~8" / 20 cm square after blocking.
Gauge: 18 sts x 24 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette on needles below. Check gauge and adjust needle size if necessary.

Yarn (acrylic)

Worsted / Medium (Weight 4). Example spec: ~200 yd / 183 m per 100 g skein (typical acrylic worsted).
Amounts (approx): Color A (background) – 120 yd / 110 m. Color B (heart) – 60 yd / 55 m. You will have plenty leftover; adjust if you want a larger square.

Needles

Recommended: US 7 / UK (old) 7 / 4.5 mm circular or straight needles (use short circular if you prefer).
Alternates: US 6 / UK (old) 6 / 4.0 mm (tighter), US 8 / UK (old) 8 / 5.0 mm (looser). Make a swatch to reach gauge.

Notions

Yarn needle for weaving ends.
Small bobbins or separate small balls for intarsia color changes, or leftover mini-skeins.
Stitch marker (optional) to mark center).

Abbreviations

CO = cast on, BO = bind off, k = knit, p = purl, st(s) = stitch(es).
RS = right side, WS = wrong side.

Techniques used

Intarsia color changes for the heart: twist yarns at color join to avoid holes; use separate bobbins or small balls for Color B blocks.
Alternate: if you prefer not to do intarsia, knit the whole square in Color A and embroider the heart with duplicate stitch using Color B after blocking.

Pattern notes

Square is worked flat. Begin and end with garter borders to reduce edge curl: 6 garter rows top and bottom.
The heart chart is 20 stitches wide x 17 rows high and is centered in the 36-st wide square.

Instructions

Cast on 36 sts with Color A (background).
Work 6 rows garter (knit every row) in Color A. This forms the top border.
Setup and body: Now you will work 36 rows of stockinette (RS: knit all sts, WS: purl all sts) that include the heart chart. Work as follows:
- Rows 1–9 of this stockinette section: work in Color A (stockinette: RS knit, WS purl).
- Rows 10–26 of the stockinette section: work the 17-row heart chart (rows 1–17 of the chart), centered horizontally: leave 8 sts in Color A at the beginning of each chart row, then work the 20-st chart row, then finish with 8 sts Color A. On RS rows knit background and heart stitches as marked; on WS rows purl background and heart stitches. Use intarsia technique: when changing colors, twist yarns to avoid holes.
- Rows 27–36 of the stockinette section: work in Color A (stockinette).
After completing the 36 stockinette rows (which includes the heart), work 6 rows garter in Color A.
Bind off all sts loosely in pattern (knit the knits, purl the purls if you prefer matching tension for the first bind-off row) using Color A. Weave in ends from intarsia bobbins and secure well.
Block gently to an 8" / 20 cm square, pinning to shape. Acrylic responds to steam blocking—use light steam and do not press hard; allow to cool before removing pins.

Heart chart (20 sts wide x 17 rows high)

Legend: '.' = Color A (background), 'B' = Color B (heart)
Row 1:  .....BBB....BBB.....
Row 2:  ....BBBBB..BBBBB....
Row 3:  ...BBBBBBBBBBBBBB...
Row 4:  ..BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB..
Row 5:  .BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB.
Row 6:  BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Row 7:  .BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB.
Row 8:  ..BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB..
Row 9:  ...BBBBBBBBBBBBBB...
Row10:  ....BBBBBBBBBBBB....
Row11:  .....BBBBBBBBBB.....
Row12:  ......BBBBBBBB......
Row13:  .......BBBBBB.......
Row14:  ........XXXX........
Row15:  .........XX.........
Row16:  .........XX.........
Row17:  ....................

Notes on the chart: Replace 'X' in rows 14–15 with 'B' if you want the tail of the heart to be B color; chart above uses 'X' visually but treat as 'B' when knitting the heart. Each chart row is 20 stitches. Center by knitting 8 sts Color A, then the 20-st chart row, then 8 sts Color A.

Intarsia tips

When you change colors, twist the old and new yarns once around each other so there is no hole at the join. Keep strands untensioned—intarsia tends to pull tight; leave a small loop when joining and adjust over next row if needed.
Use separate small bobbins for each block of Color B. Wind off small amounts as you go. Secure bobbins so they don’t tangle.
On WS rows (purl rows), bring the yarns to the front when working a Color B purl; twist to catch the color change before purling the next stitch.
Weave all ends neatly on the wrong side. Because this is acrylic, ends will stay put; add a small knot if you expect heavy use.

Finishing

Weave in ends securely with a yarn needle, following intarsia joins back into the nearest color block to hide them.
Lightly steam-block to dimension. Acrylic should not be soaked in very hot water; use steam from an iron held above or a handheld steamer and smooth to 8" square on blocking mat.

Alternatives & customization

To make a larger or smaller square, alter the number of cast-on stitches in multiples to keep the heart centered; increase/decrease the garter border or the stockinette body proportionally.
If you dislike intarsia, knit the entire square in Color A and embroider the heart by duplicate stitch with Color B using the same chart after blocking.

If you need help with intarsia joins or adjusting the chart to a different stitch count, email team@verde.uk with the subject 'PurlJam Heart Square' and include your gauge and desired finished size. Visit https://purljam.verde.uk and connect with #purljam for more patterns and support.

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