This heart is not uniform, it is not symmetrical, it is not perfect. But it is beautiful, just like you, and me and all of us. In the run up to Valentine’s Day, we get consumed by the ideals of love and romance, frustrated that we perhaps aren’t as loved up as the next Facebook couple – or perhaps we are just happy being single and have no interest in the blah that is Valentines…so take this time to love yourself. Take a long bath, relax, read books, crochet. Look in the mirror and find something you love about yourself – mine is a small freckle under my eye, a tiny reminder of how unique and different we all are. This heart mandala will look great on the side with a candle on top, or attached to a canvas bag, and it will be a little reminder to take a moment each day to love yourself.

Use scraps of cotton in any weight with the recommended crochet hook. I used double knit Paintbox cotton with a 4mm hook and used around 10g of each colour.