Paw Print Heart

Paw Print Heart Knitted Decoration by Stana D. Sortor

What Is Being Made

The Paw Print Heart is a small knitted decorative ornament designed by Stana D. Sortor. This charming craft project creates a finished heart-shaped decoration measuring 5.5 inches (14 cm) in length. The design combines a classic heart silhouette with paw print detailing, making it an ideal decoration for pet lovers, holiday displays, or handmade gift-giving. The piece is constructed as a three-dimensional form that requires stuffing to achieve its final shape.

Craft and Construction Method

This project uses knitting as its primary craft technique. The decoration is worked in the round using double-pointed needles, a fundamental method for creating seamless, tubular knitted pieces. Working in the round eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, professional finish on all sides of the ornament. The construction method allows for continuous circular knitting, which is essential for shaping the three-dimensional heart form with integrated paw print details.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This intermediate-level project employs several essential knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stockinette Stitch – The primary stitch used throughout the project, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric with a distinct right side and wrong side
• Knit (K) – The fundamental knit stitch that forms the base of the fabric
• Knit Two Together (K2tog) – A decrease technique that combines two stitches into one, used to shape the heart and create the paw print details
• Knit Front and Back (KFB) – An increase technique that creates two stitches from a single stitch, used to expand the fabric where needed
• Slip Stitch (SSK) – A slip, slip, knit decrease that provides a left-leaning decrease for shaping
• Cast On (CO) – The foundation technique for beginning the project
• Stitch Markers (PM) – Used to mark the beginning of rounds and track pattern sections
• Stitch Holders – Employed to temporarily hold stitches during construction

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Paw Print Heart is designed to be worked with worsted weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn category ideal for creating well-defined stitch definition and a fabric with good structure. The suggested yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash, which is composed of 100% superwash wool. This yarn offers 220 yards (200 meters) per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) per skein.

The project requires two colors of Cascade 220 Superwash:

• Color #809 Really Red – Used as the main color (MC), requiring 40 yards (37 meters)
• Color #871 White – Used as the contrast color (CC), requiring 15 yards (14 meters)

One skein of each color provides more than enough yardage to complete the project. The superwash treatment makes this yarn ideal for decorative items that may require occasional gentle cleaning.

Needles and Tools

The project is worked on double-pointed needles (DPN) in US size #5 (3.75 mm), preferably a set of five needles. Double-pointed needles are the traditional choice for knitting small items in the round, allowing stitches to be distributed across multiple needles while maintaining even tension. Alternatively, the pattern notes that knitters may use their preferred needles for knitting in the round, which could include circular needles or other methods.

Additional tools required include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming, scissors, a stitch marker to denote the beginning of each round, stitch holders for managing stitches during construction, and a small bag of polyester fiberfill for stuffing the completed ornament to create its three-dimensional form.

Gauge and Sizing

The recommended gauge for this project is 20 stitches and 26 rows equals 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the finished decoration to measure the intended 5.5 inches (14 cm) in length. Knitters should knit a gauge swatch before beginning the project to ensure their needle size and tension will produce the correct