purlJam

# Sweetheart Rectangle

A cozy 7" × 9" knitted rectangle featuring a classic heart motif in the center, framed by a tidy garter-stitch border. This beginner-friendly project is perfect for practicing stockinette, garter borders, and your very first colorwork or duplicate-stitch motif. Use it as a mug rug, mini wall hanging, doll blanket, or sachet front.

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## Finished Measurements
- **Width:** 7 inches (18 cm)
- **Height:** 9 inches (23 cm)

## Materials

- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (medium / #4)
  - **Main Color (MC):** approx. 50 yards (46 m) — background color
  - **Contrast Color (CC):** approx. 15 yards (14 m) — heart color (traditionally red or pink)
- **Needles:** US 7 (4.5 mm) straight or circular needles
- **Notions:**
  - Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
  - Optional: stitch markers to flag the heart chart edges
  - Scissors

## Gauge

- **20 stitches × 28 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)** in stockinette stitch on US 7 needles, after blocking.
- That works out to **5 sts per inch** and **7 rows per inch**.
- Take time to check gauge — it determines your finished size.

## Abbreviations (US Terms)

- **k** — knit
- **p** — purl
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **RS** — right side
- **WS** — wrong side
- **MC** — main color
- **CC** — contrast color
- **rep** — repeat

## Pattern Notes

- The rectangle is worked **flat, in one piece, from the bottom up**.
- The first and last 2 stitches of every row are worked in **garter stitch** (knit every row) to form the side borders.
- The first and last 2 rows are worked in **garter stitch across all stitches** to form the top and bottom borders.
- The heart motif is worked using the **separately attached stitch chart**. You may either:
  - **Option A (recommended for beginners):** Knit the entire piece in MC, then add the heart later using **duplicate stitch** with CC and a tapestry needle.
  - **Option B:** Work the heart in **stranded colorwork** (intarsia is also fine for a single, small motif), carrying or twisting CC across the back.
- Stitch counts: **35 sts cast on, maintained throughout. Total rows worked: 63.**

## Attached Stitch Chart

A separate stitch chart panel is attached to this pattern showing the heart motif as a visual grid. **Refer to that chart for the heart shape — it is not reproduced inline here.**

**Where the chart fits in the pattern:**
- The chart is **11 stitches wide × 11 rows tall**.
- It is worked across the **center 11 stitches** of the body section, beginning after Row 26 of the body and ending on Row 36 of the body (see step-by-step instructions below).

**How to read the chart:**
- Each square represents **one stitch**.
- **Read RS rows (odd-numbered chart rows) from RIGHT to LEFT.**
- **Read WS rows (even-numbered chart rows) from LEFT to RIGHT.**
- Empty/background squares = MC (knit on RS, purl on WS).
- Filled/heart squares = CC (knit on RS, purl on WS) — *or* leave as MC and add later in duplicate stitch.

**Color management notes:**
- For stranded colorwork, **carry the unused color loosely across the WS**; never tighter than the fabric. With an 11-st-wide motif, floats should be no longer than about 4–5 sts at the widest point — well within easy carry distance.
- **Twist MC and CC together every 3–4 stitches** on long floats to anchor the strand and keep the back tidy.
- For duplicate stitch, knit the chart area in MC and embroider the heart afterwards following the chart grid.

**Stitch-count integration math:**
- Body row total stitches = 35.
- Side borders = 2 sts each side (garter, always in MC) → 4 sts.
- Stockinette interior = 35 − 4 = **31 sts**.
- Chart width = 11 sts. Plain stockinette flanking the chart = (31 − 11) ÷ 2 = **10 sts of MC stockinette on each side of the chart**.
- So during chart rows: **k2 (border) + 10 sts MC stockinette + 11 chart sts + 10 sts MC stockinette + k2 (border) = 35 sts.** ✓

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## Instructions

### Cast On
With MC, cast on **35 stitches** using a long-tail cast on (or your favorite cast-on method).

### Bottom Border (Rows 1–2)
- **Row 1 (RS):** Knit across. (35 sts)
- **Row 2 (WS):** Knit across. (35 sts)

*Math check: 2 garter rows = bottom border complete.*

### Body — Lower Plain Section (Rows 3–26, 24 rows)

Work in stockinette with garter side borders:

- **Row 3 (RS):** K2, knit to last 2 sts, k2. (35 sts)
- **Row 4 (WS):** K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2. (35 sts)

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 a total of **12 times** (= 24 rows worked: Rows 3–26).

*Math check: 24 rows ÷ 2 = 12 repeats ✓. After this section you have completed Rows 1–26 = 26 rows total.*

### Body — Heart Chart Section (Rows 27–37, 11 rows)

Place the attached heart chart now. Mark the center 11 stitches with stitch markers if helpful (after st 12 and after st 23).

- **Chart Row 1 / Pattern Row 27 (RS):** K2 (border, MC), k10 (MC), work Chart Row 1 across 11 sts (read right to left), k10 (MC), k2 (border, MC). (35 sts)
- **Chart Row 2 / Pattern Row 28 (WS):** K2 (MC), p10 (MC), work Chart Row 2 across 11 sts (read left to right), p10 (MC), k2 (MC). (35 sts)

Continue in this manner, working the chart over the center 11 sts and keeping the 10 sts on each side in MC stockinette and the 2-st garter border each side, **through Chart Row 11 / Pattern Row 37**.

*Math check: 11 chart rows worked = Rows 27 through 37 inclusive ✓. Stitch count remains 35 throughout ✓.*

### Body — Upper Plain Section (Rows 38–61, 24 rows)

Resume plain stockinette body with garter borders, all in MC:

- **Next row (RS, Row 38):** K2, knit to last 2 sts, k2. (35 sts)
- **Next row (WS, Row 39):** K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2. (35 sts)

Repeat these 2 rows a total of **12 times** (= 24 rows worked: Rows 38–61).

*Math check: 24 rows ÷ 2 = 12 repeats ✓. Rows complete so far: 26 + 11 + 24 = 61 ✓.*

### Top Border (Rows 62–63)
- **Row 62 (RS):** Knit across. (35 sts)
- **Row 63 (WS):** Knit across. (35 sts)

### Bind Off
With RS facing, bind off all 35 stitches knitwise loosely. Cut yarn, leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) tail, and pull through to secure.

*Final row tally: 2 (bottom border) + 24 (lower body) + 11 (chart) + 24 (upper body) + 2 (top border) = **63 rows total** ✓.*
*Final dimensions: 35 sts ÷ 5 spi = **7 inches wide** ✓; 63 rows ÷ 7 rpi = **9 inches tall** ✓.*

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## Finishing

1. **Weave in ends.** Use the tapestry needle to weave all yarn tails into the WS of the fabric. For colorwork, weave CC tails into CC areas where possible to keep them invisible.
2. **Duplicate stitch (if using Option A):** With CC threaded on a tapestry needle, embroider the heart motif over the center 11 sts × 11 rows following the attached chart, working one duplicate stitch over each indicated stitch.
3. **Block the rectangle.** Soak in lukewarm water with a drop of wool wash for 15–20 minutes. Squeeze out excess water (do not wring), lay flat on a blocking surface, and gently pin to **7" × 9"** (18 × 23 cm), squaring the corners. Allow to dry completely before unpinning.
4. **Trim** any remaining yarn ends close to the fabric.

Enjoy your finished Sweetheart Rectangle! 💗