How to knit a border with lace hearts

Add this small border with heart motifs into your knitting projects. We will use simple yarnovers to create the shape of the heart, so in reality it is not a complicated pattern. We think that it would look perfect on the sleeves of a cotton sweater, for example…

This stitch uses a multiple of 16 stitches + 2 for the border. The stitch is not reversible.

For this example, we have used Pima cotton in color salmon and 5 mm knitting needles.

Cast on 18 stitches onto one of the needles.

Row 1: knit 1, purl 2, knit 4, knit 2 stitches together, make 2 yarnovers, SKPO [slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over the knit 1], knit 4, purl 2, knit 1.

Row 2: knit 3, purl 3, purl 2 together with the yarn in back, make 2 yarn overs, slip the yarnovers from the previous row without knitting them, purl 2 together, purl 3, knit 3.

Row 3: knit 1, purl 2, knit 2, knit 2 stitches together, make 2 yarn overs, slip the yarnovers from the previous row without knitting them, SKPO, knit 2 purl 2, knit 1.
You will see that you begin to have several yarnovers together in the middle, this is what will make the heart shape in the panel.

Row 4: knit 3, purl 1, purl 2 together with the yarn in back, make 2 yarn overs, slip the yarnovers from the previous row without knitting them, purl 2 together, purl 1, knit 3.

Row 5: knit 1, purl 2, knit 2 stitches together, make 2 yarn overs, slip the yarnovers from the previous row without knitting them, SKPO, purl 2, knit 1.

Row 6: knit 3, purl 1, make 4 yarnovers. Purl together all of the yarnovers on the left-hand needle, don’t drop them from the left needle, then with your yarn in back, reinsert your needle knit together all the yarnovers and drop them off the left needle. Make 4 yarnovers, purl 1, knit 3.

With this step, you have turned all those yarnovers into only 2 stitches.

Row 7: knit 1, purl 2, knit 1, knit the 4 yarnovers with the yarn in back, forming 4 stitches. Knit 2, with the yarn in the back, knit the 4 yarnovers. Knit 1, purl 2, knit 1.