Please note: This listing is for a downloadable PDF of the pattern instructions for making a Hippy Heart …there is no hard copy of the pattern available, nor a finished item. The pattern is available only in English :)

Hippy Hearts are the fifth of my patterns that makes use of the African Flower hexagon crochet motif and variations thereof, joined in a specific order to make a recognizable 3D item.
I love this African Flower pattern and the creative possibilities of using it to make 3D items.
Hippy Hearts are made using two different African Flower motifs: Hexagons and Pentagons. It’s also an excellent stash buster project, as you only need to use very small amounts of leftover sock yarn to make a motif.

:: Steps to making your own Hippy Heart ::

1. Read the whole pattern through properly, so you have a good overview.
2. Make sure you know how to crochet the African Flower hexagon crochet motif. I have included both written and charted instructions for the African Flower hexagon in this pattern. If you are a visual learner, you can see a step by step photo tutorial on my blog: http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/2010/05/african-fl...
3. Make sure you are able to crochet an African Flower Pentagon… for clarity: the pentagon has five petals and five sides. The difference is simply the number of “petal” repeats that you crochet…the pentagon is therefore equally easy to crochet. I have included written and charted instructions in this pattern on how to crochet an African Flower Pentagon. I have also posted a fully explained tutorial, on my blog, which can be found here:

http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/2011/09/african-fl...

1. Make sure you have gone through and practiced the join-as-you-go technique. This has been explained and illustrated in the PDF named Appendix : Joining Tutorials. Since the joining method is really very important to the success of the project, I strongly suggest that you practice joining on scrap yarn motifs before starting the project. If you would prefer to sew your motifs together, you won’t need to practice the join-as-you-go technique, but will need to be confident in your neat sewing ability. I have not included instructions on how to sew stuff together…there are plenty resources available on the internet…

2. Either choose your yarn for this project or use the sock yarn that you have left over from other projects. Make all the required motifs for your Hippy Heart BUT only up to Round 4 of the African Flower motif if you are doing a join-as-you-go method, or the full motif up to Round 5 if you are sewing up the motifs.

: : Materials Requirements : :

The Hippy Heart that has been crocheted for this pattern, was made using sock weight/fingering/#1 weight yarn. Using this weight yarn will give you a Hippy Heart measuring approximately 14cm measured top to bottom, and approximately 11cm at the widest point.

ALL THE CROCHET STITCHES USED IN THIS PATTERN ARE BASED ON AMERICAN CROCHET TERMS

Abbreviations : sc = single crochet dc = double crochet

Sock weight / Fingering weight yarn/ #1 in colors of your choice… this little heart is a great stash busting project as you can use small amounts of sock yarn for each motif, and the more colourful the hippier. I used random colors, keeping only to the pink colored yarn for Round 5 of each motif. Although I can’t tell you how much yardage of each color I used, I can tell you that the total weight of yarn for the whole heart was around 45g (unstuffed).

The yardage for the sock yarn I used is around 320m/100g (350yds/100g). It is a superwash merino yarn, but you can use any alternative fingering weight yarn you like…I suggest that animal fibre yarns would be preferable, as they have more stretch, making the stuffing and shaping of the heart easier.

Crochet Hook 1.75mm (You could use a 2.00mm hook if preferred)
If you are planning to make your Hippy Heart in a heavier weight yarn, adjust your hook size accordingly…
Keep in mind that you need to have a tight stitch density, so you need to use a hook size that is smaller than the generally recommended hook size for the yarn you are using.
Some basic guidelines- Every person has a different crocheting tension, so there are no hard and fast rules regarding exact hook sizes…you will need to see what works for you, however, as a rough guide, the following hook sizes can be tested with the corresponding yarn weights:

Lace weight: 1.0mm
Sock weight: 1.75mm – 2.00mm
DK weight: 2.5mm – 3.0mm
Aran weight: +/- 3.5mm
Chunky weight: +/- 4.5mm

Polyester toy stuffing Haemostats (for stuffing)
Scissors
Tapestry Needle used for sewing in ends
Patience and Determination!

: : Skills Requirements : :

Basic Crocheting Skills: Chain stitch (ch) , Single Crochet (sc), Double Crochet (dc), Slip Stitch (sl st), joining a chain to make a ring, joining in a new color yarn.

Join-as-you-go motif joining: This pattern will require that you join the crocheted motifs each stitch to each stitch. This is necessary to prevent the stuffing popping out of the heart. It is imperative that you are confident in your join-as-you-go ability. The method I use is explained in the Appendix pages found at the end of the pattern. These tutorials are illustrated by using actual motif chart illustrations with explanatory notes. This cuts down on printing.

However, if you are scared witless by the thought of doing a join-as-you-go joining method, all is not lost…you can simply make all your motifs in full (including Round 5), then sew them together. The order of motif placement and the number of sides needing to be joined stays exactly the same whether you join-as-you-go or sew up.

I have made this Hippy Heart using a slightly modified version of the African Flower. I have included a step by step photo and written tutorial in the pattern on how to make this version. You can choose either version to make your Hippy Heart, it doesn’t matter…I have also placed the photo tutorial in the pattern in such a way that you can leave them out when printing if you are making the original African Flower , without losing any important pattern instructions.

I have carefully checked the pattern for errors, but if there is something you spot, please kindly let me know via a pm…

Happy crocheting folks! ♥