Tonks (photo)

Stabbity Stab Stab
Updated 7/23/08

I know I'm not the only knitter alive who has looked over at those large wooden needles and felt safe in the knowledge that she is prepared for a vampire attack. I know that when that day comes, I will not only be prepared, but also practiced at stabbing hearts with my size 15s. I set to making a cabled human heart needlepoint cover when an online knitting design site challenged us all to knit something for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but truth be told? I just wanted practice shots at the stabbity stabs.

by Tonks

Suggested Listening

Salem's Lot by Stephen King (audiobook)

Difficulty

Strong Intermediate
Click here for definitions of difficulty levels.

Finished Measurements

Approx. 4" (10cm) H x 3" (7.5cm) W x 3" (7.5cm) D

Materials

• Red yarn – worsted weight
• US 6/4mm set of 5 DPNs
• Fiberfill
• Stitch markers
• Tapestry needle
• Waste yarn in contrasting color

Gauge

N/A for amigurumi.

Design Notes

Project is worked in reverse stockinette stitch.

Special Stitches
C1b2 (right-leaning two-stitch cable): Put one purl st on cable needle and hold to back. Work two knit sts from dpn, purl st on cable needle.

C1b (right-leaning one-stitch cable): Put one purl st on cable needle and hold to back. Work one knit st from dpn, purl st on cable needle.

C1f (left-leaning one-stitch cable): Put one knit st on cable needle and hold to front. Work one purl st from dpn, knit st on cable needle.

Directions

Main Portion of Heart:

Stabbing action!
Tonks (photo)
click image to enlarge

Cast on 6 sts, divide evenly over DPNs, and join
Rnd 1: P2, k2, p2.
Rnd 2: Increase every purl st to end of round, knitting the two knit stitches without increases. (10 sts)
Rnd 3: Knit the knits, purl the purls. (10 sts)
Rnd 4: Increase every other purl st and knit the knits. (14 sts)

The knits are about to become cabled veins.

Rnd 5: P to 1 st before the knit sts, c1b2, p to end.(14 sts)
Rnd 6: Increase every other purl st and knit the knits. (20 sts)
Rnd 7: P to 1 st before the knit sts, c1b2, p to end. (20 sts)
Rnd 8: Increase every third purl st and knit the knits. (27 sts)
Rnd 9: We will now split the 2-stich cable so that one travels to the left and the other to the right. P to one st before the knit sts, c1b, c1f, p to end. (27 sts)
Rnd 10: P3, BO 3 purlwise, p to 1 st before first cable, c1b, p2, c1f, then increase every other purl st to end of round. (27 sts)
Rnd 11: P3, CO 3 above the 3 you bound off in the previous round, p to 1 st before first knit st, c1b, p to next knit st, c1f, p to end. (27 sts)
Rnd 12: P to 1 st before first knit st, c1b, p to next knit st, c1f, p to end. (27 sts)
Rnd 13: P to 1 st before first knit st, c1b, p to next knit st, c1b [yes, c1b there], p to end. (27 sts)
Rnd 14: Increase every fourth purl st while knitting this round. P to first knit st, c1f, p next knit st, c1f, purl to end. (35 sts)
Rnd 15: P to 1 st before first knit st, c1b, p to next knit st, c1f, p to end. (35 sts)
Rnd 16: Increase every fifth purl st while knitting this round. P to 1 st before first knit st, c1b, p to next knit st, c1f, p to end. (44 sts)
Rnd 17: Knit the knits, purl the purls. (44 sts)
Rnd 18: Increase every fifth purl st while knitting this round. Knit the knits, purl the purls. (56 sts)
Rnd 19: Knit the knits, purl the purls. (56 sts)

Slip all sts to waste yarn and secure. You’re going to need your DPNs free here.

Stab Wound Lining:

Tonks (photo)
click image to enlarge

Remember that “button hole” I asked you to make? Well, it's actually a stab wound hole. We're lining that stab wound hol—I mean “button hole”—so that you can actually stuff the heart and stab it, into a lined stab hole, onto one of those vampire stakes—erm...I mean large wooden knitting needles.

Yes, most of the heart is worked in reverse stockinette. This will be worked so that the knit side is facing. When you're done with this part, we're going to stuff it inside the heart and we want the knit side facing so that the needle has less chance of snagging it when you stab the heart on it.

PU 8 sts around "button hole" and divide as evenly as possible over three DPNs. Work in stockinette for 6 rows.

Decrease Rnd: K to last 2 sts, k2tog.

Repeat Decrease Rnd until there are 2 sts left on the needle. BO.

Tie off the bottom of the heart by securing the tail through those six stitches you started with.

Now is a good time to add some fiberfill to the heart. Fill it up to your *cough cough* “button hole” and continue on.

Top of Heart:

Slip the stitches from the waste yarn back onto your DPNs and divide as evenly as possible, keeping the two separate cable stitches on the same needle.

Rnd 1: P2tog every 3 sts until you reach the first knit stitch. Work short rows as follows:
Short Row 1: Slip knit st, purl across to second knit st, slip knit st, turn.
Short Row 2: Slip first 2 sts, knit across, slip last 2 sts, turn.
Short Row 3: Slip first 3 sts, purl across, slip last 3 sts, turn.
Short Row 4: Slip first 4 sts, knit across, slip last 4 sts, turn.
Short Row 5: Slip first 5 sts, *k2tog* twice, slip last 5 sts, do not turn. Break yarn.

Continue to purl in the round, decreasing 3 sts per round (evenly space out three p2togs across each round) until you have 32 sts left.

Next Round: *P2tog* across.

Repeat previous round untill you have 10 sts left.

Stuff with fiberfill before you run out of room.

Artery 1:

Continue on remaining 10 sts by purling 8 rnds.

Lightly stuff with fiberfill.

Next Round: *P2tog* across until you have 2 sts left. BO.

Artery 2:

PU 13 sts in a circle around the top of the short row bump and divide as evenly as possible over your DPNs. Purl for 10 rounds.

Lightly stuff with fiberfill.

Next Round: *P2tog* across until you have 2 sts left. BO.

Artery 3:

PU 15 sts between and a bit behind the two arteries you've already made. Purl for 6 rounds.

Lightly stuff with fiberfill.

Next Round: *P2tog* across until you have 2 sts left. BO.

Artery 4:

PU 8 sts in gap space you have left. Purl for 6 rounds.

Lightly stuff with fiberfill.

Next Round: *P2tog* across until you have 2 sts left. BO.

Finishing:

Thread the tail ends of the arteries and, using a tapestry needle, pull the decreased points of the arteries down into the shaft of the artery itself and tie off so that the artery is puckered down, creating a little cupped ridge. Shorter arteries will pucker close to the heart. The longer ones do not need to pucker as far to hide the decreases.

Weave in any loose ends by simply making sure they are secure and sticking them into the body of the heart.

Now, go and grab those large wooden needles and make with the stabby stab!

About

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Edited by Anthony Ascione, Edith Cummings, and Zabet Stewart