String of Hearts Crochet Garland

Beginner friendly, a yarn stash buster, a fun project to sneak in before Valentine’s Day = this String of Hearts Garland! This garland uses slip stitch, double crochet, and even triple crochet! MATERIALS Yarn – size 4 or 5* Hook – 8.00 mm hook for size 4 yarn, 10.00 mm hook for size 5 yarn Scissors Spray starch, thin cotton cloth, iron Material Notes: * You can use any type of yarn. I used size 4, acrylic, Loops and Thread Impeccable yarn in “red hot” from Michaels and size 5, wool and acrylic, Hue + Me yarn in “rose water” from Lion Brand. Wool yarn looks the best for this project, but less expensive acrylic yarn comes in a close second, plus it makes more sense for seasonal decor. If you use cotton yarn, I recommend using a stiffer cotton, not mercerized (shiny). You may also need to go down a hook size if the heart looks too open and misshapen. NOTE: I do not recommend using a super bulky or size 6 yarn or larger because the hearts get too puffy and misshapen. Of course do what you want. If you do go up that large, I recommend using a 12 mm hook. You can also use a size 2 or 3 yarn for itty bitty hearts. You’ll have to experiment to see which hook will work best. SIZING Because you have to crochet a base of chains to start, you have to decide ahead of time how long you want your garland to be. The hearts tend to stretch out a little when pressed and hung, so I have listed an approximate range for the width of each heart. The weight stays the same though, so I listed the weight of each heart to help you determine how many hearts you can make with the amount of yarn you have. This project makes for a great stash buster! Size 4 Yarn 1 heart = approx. 1 g 1 heart = approx. 2.25 to 2.75 inches wide (5.72 – 6.99 cm)* 6 ft. garland = approx. 29 hearts Size 5 Yarn 1 heart = approx. 3 g 1 heart = approx. 3.0 – 3.125 inches (7.62 – 7.94 cm)* 6 ft. garland = approx. 25 hearts GAUGE There is no gauge, but be aware that if you crochet looser or tighter than the heart sizes I listed above, this may affect how long your garland is and how much yarn you’ll need to complete it.