Palpitation noun a rapid pulsation; a fast or irregular beating of the heart

Look, the world feels a little dark and scary sometimes. And I’m not sure why, but somehow these help.

Maybe it’s because you can start and finish them in one sitting. Maybe it’s because you can make a whole pile and hand them out to people who need a little bit of extra love. Maybe it’s all in my head and I’m just fooling myself. But whatever the reason, I am pretty much always delighted every time one comes off the needles. I suspect you might be too.

What to do with the sweet, silly little things:

• String them on ribbon or twine and use them as bunting or a garland.
• Bring a branch inside and hang them from it to ward off the winter gloom—bonus points if it’s a branch from a flowering plant and it blooms!
• Pop one in a card and send it to someone who could use a little extra love—they are light and squish down flat, so they’re easy to mail.
• Add some lavender or rosemary and tuck one in your sweater drawer.
• Make one to match a baby sweater you’re giving as a gift.
• Add some catnip and use one as a cat toy.
• Fill them with dried beans or rice and use them as microwaveable hand warmers.
• Add a rattle insert and use one as a baby toy.

Your imagination is the limit here. I suspect you already have a whole host of ideas for exactly how you could use a few of these!

The pattern is tremendously detailed and holds your hand every step of the way. I’ve even included a little duplicate stitch template with some options for embroidering on adorable little hearts after you’re done knitting (because really…what this needed was something to make it even cuter).

It’s a quick knit (each heart takes a few hours), with as few fiddly bits and as little finishing as possible (no seams to sew, no stitches to pick up). All you need is a few dozen yards of yarn (any weight is fine), a tiny scrap of stuffing, and an afternoon of knitting time.

And just in case you’re feeling a bit nervous, the pattern includes a lengthy photo tutorial to walk you through every step of the process. There are all sorts of helpful tips on everything from what to fill them with to how to block them to how and when to weave in your ends. It’s almost absurdly detailed, but it really does mean you can totally make these!

These are perfect for you if:

• You need something cheerful and quick
• You have a jar of yarn leftovers you’ve been wanting to do something with
• You’re already thinking of all the things you could do with these

They’re not for you if:

• You’re looking for a somber, serious project
• You just can’t handle this level of cheerful right now