Spread Love with Hand-Knit and Crocheted Gifts this Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is at our doorstep, and love is in the air! With hearts and flowers being the symbols of the day, the feast has been celebrated for over 1500 years as a day of love and affection. We have just the perfect solution if you want to add a personal touch to your Valentine's celebration. 

With our fun and easy-to-make knitted and crocheted Valentine's Day patterns, you can surprise your sweetheart with a gift made straight from the heart. So why not let your creative side show and spread some love this month by crafting some one-of-a-kind surprises for your loved ones? 

Rosebud Wrist Warmers

These cute wrist warmers already bring a touch of spring and are the perfect way to brighten up anyone’s day. Whether you use double-pointed knitting needles or prefer the Magic Loop on circulars, making these stylish wrist warmers is an enjoyable experience. The four-round lace pattern, which is just a two-round staggered pattern, is easy to tackle, even for those new to knitting lace. And thanks to our clever swivel cables, the elaboration becomes even more effortless! 

Abbreviations:

k = knit stitch

p = purl stitch

YO = yarn over 

For our sample, we used Lantern Moon interchangeable knitting needles in size US 4 (3.5 mm) and 50 g of sport yarn to create a match. Once finished, we added the rose buds to the lace pattern by using a delicate Lantern Moon finishing needle in size 3 for sewing. 

Step 1: Cast on 48 stitches and knit five rounds using the single rib pattern (1k, 1p) in purple color.

Step 2: Introduce your 2nd color and knit 1 round maintaining the rib stitch, then 1 round in the primary color, two rounds in pink color, one round in purple, and the next round in pink.

Step 3: Knit 16 rounds in purple in the single ribbing stitch.

Step 4: Knit 2 rounds in purple in plain knit stitch.

Step 5: The lace pattern is a variation of the staggered eyelets design and employs a passover stitch to decrease one stitch after a yarn-over. These are the instructions to follow: 

- Round 1: k3, YO, k3 and slip first stitch over last two (1 decrease), *YO, k3, Passover first stitch over last two st.*. Repeat from * until the end of the round.

- Round 2: knit all stitches, knit all yarn-overs twisted. This will create a hole.

- Round 3: *YO, k3, Passover first stitch over last 2 st*. Repeat from * until the end of the round. You should now see a staggered lace pattern.

- Round 4: same as round two. 

Repeat this sequence of rounds seven times or until the piece measures 8.5 inches. 

Step 6: Knit four rounds in the single rib stitch.

Step 7: knit two rounds in pink using the single rib stitch.

Step 8: knit two rounds in purple in single ribbing pattern, bind all stitches off, and weave in all yarn tails with the Lantern Moon finishing needle. 

Using the Lantern Moon finishing needle, size 2.25 mm, and pink leftover yarn scraps, add decorative little buds to selected passover stitches using the whip stitch technique. 

Crocheted Heart Basket 

The delightful cotton basket is the ultimate present for your knitting and crocheting buddies. Its simple yet elegant design adds a touch of grace to any home and makes it the perfect place to store treasured Lantern Moon notions and ebony crochet hooks. 

For increased stability, the basket was crocheted using a technique that employs two different hook sizes: a size 7 hook (4.5 mm) for the base and a smaller size 6 hook (4 mm) for the basket’s border. This slight variation in hook size leads to a more polished and sturdy final product. 

This project requires approximately 100 grams of cotton yarn and basic crochet techniques, such as chain stitches, single crochets, slip stitches, and a sturdy darning needle. The end result is a functional work of art that takes just a few hours to create. 

Get started on your heart-shaped basket by first crafting the base. The actual heart is worked circularly, beginning at the center of the. 

1. Chain 14
2. Four sc in the first four chains, starting with the 2nd chain. The first loop serves as the first stitch., sc3tog. = single crochet three stitches together, four sc, three sc in the last chain.
3. Flip your work and continue the round on the opposite side of your starting row.
4. Ch one, five sc starting with 2nd st., place three sc into the next stitch to shape the bottom of the heart, five sc, two sc into the last st.
5. Continue working the rounds; it is important to alternate between decreasing and increasing the stitches with accuracy into the same stitches each round. You can place a stitch marker if you need help spotting them. Now your heart-shaped basket is coming together beautifully.
6. When your base has reached a diameter of around 20 cm, finish the round with a slip stitch for a seamless transition, cut the yarn and weave in the end.
7. Begin the border by working a round of slip stitches on top of the base.
8. Use the smaller hook to create the first round of the border by inserting the hook into each slip stitch and working a single crochet stitch around the heart's circumference. No adjustments for increases or decreases are needed during this stage.
9. If you want to add extra stability, consider incorporating two decreases in opposite points of the heart during your final round, which will gently curve the border inward.
10. If you'd like a lid for your basket, simply make another basket with a lower border and add an extra round for width to ensure it fits perfectly on top.

Surprise your loved ones this Valentine's Day with delightful gifts crafted using the exquisite Lantern Moon ebony knitting and crochet tools. We can't wait to see your creations and hope you'll share them on social media with the tag @LanternMoon.

Happy crafting!