Help with knitting a heart?

How-to Questions
1

I’m going to start a Valentine Candy Pillow from the DomiKNITrix book by Jennifer Stafford. Since I’m new to knitting, I’ve been practicing and I’ve gotten everything except near the end:

Row 42: k2, SSK, k8, bind off 3 sts, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 10 sts left needle, 10 sts right needle.

After that, you shape the heart top. The pattern tells you to work the left side of the heart top and then use a crochet hook to bind of the last 3 sts. Then you move to the right side and work that until the last 3 sts and bind off.

My first question: on row 42, am I suppose to end with 10 sts on the right needle and 10 sts on the left?

Second question: How do I work one side of the heart top and then the other with only 2 needles?

The pattern calls for regular size 10 and she’s good about telling you if you need, say DPN or something special like that…

I hope I haven’t confused everyone! If so… well, I guess that’s what practice is for!

Thanks!

2

When you bind off those 3 stitches in the middle, that’s what divides your heart in two halves. You can work the side with the yarn attached to it and just leave the other stitches on the needle. When you finish with the first side, cut the yarn and use it for the second side.

3

If you are working with one side at a time, I suggest a stitch holder. If you haven’t a real one, use a piece of yarn of a contrasting color.

You have 2 sections of the heart - so they are splitting them. I am more used to having both halves on one needle with a space between them - but chances are if you just use a stitch holder of one form or another, your main issues would be solved, for it would hold your work on one heart half allowing you to work on the other.

4

Thank you both!