Broken Hearts | Publication for Get Stuffed

Let's take a look at the first Rebeckah's Treasures' new year release for Get Stuffed Magazine's January 2017 edition - Broken Hearts. Plus, enter the giveaway for this magazine edition too!

On September 20th, 2016, I was contacted by Get Stuffed's editor-in-chief, Amy, to see if I would like to join their designer team for an exclusively amigurumi (or stuffed items) magazine. 

I thought it would be a fun opportunity to get to know fabulous people, so I said "YES!"

With everything getting started for my 2016 Fall into Christmas contest, I knew there was no way that I would be able to design and have something ready to go for the first issue, so I looked to January's theme of Valentine's / Anti-Valentine's and started brainstorming ideas...

I thought of several ideas, but the one that really called to me was to design a broken heart friendship necklace. And, not just any broken heart either, it would have to have a jagged cut down the middle!

Now, the question I had was, "How am I going to design a  jagged broken heart - amigurumi style?" 

I decided to try winging it first and just started with the basic sc 6 into a magic circle - epic fail! 

For one, without a clear picture in my mind, I was getting nowhere, and for another, working in continuous rounds wasn't going to work either.

​So, I grabbed a blank sheet of paper and drew a pretty heart. Inside that heart, I drew lines to visualize the heart's rows. Now, I was getting somewhere!

I crocheted in this fashion, pausing every so often to see how it was comparing to my heart picture.

Once I had the basic shape of both heart halves completed, I crocheted one more of each and joined the pairs together.

From there, I was able to visualize a pretty border. I also started to think about how I wanted to do the necklace chain. 

As usual, I was overcomplicating it at first. Although the complicated version was pretty, it didn't suit the necklace when worn. So, to safe myself from crojo-loss, I decided a simple chain was all that was needed, and so right I was! :D

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Though, I am getting ahead of myself because I was off crocheting several other hearts before I finally settled on how I wanted to do the lacy border and accessory chains...

The dusty rose necklace was the orginial heart. It uses cotton thread 10 with a 1.05mm hook. Although, it turned out great as a necklace, I personally prefer smaller charms and lockets.

I decided to test the pattern out with a size 20 cotton thread I had on hand with a 0.75mm hook. I eventually added a black-beaded border and chain to it. It was comparibly smaller than the dusty rose heart. Though, it still wasn't quite as small as I was hoping for it to be.​

So, I decided to do something really crazy - crochet with sewing thread for the first time ever! Talk about a challenge, especially to see the stitches. Next time, I think I will need to wear some sort of magnifying glasses. But, at least it was finally the size of a locket! 

I used my 0.75mm hook again with this one as it is the smallest hook I have on hand. And, I decided to play with three colours this time too as the heart halves would be joined for this variation. I wanted the jagged cut to be visible. It would not have been so easy to see if both halves were the same colour. 

The sewing thread heart was the first model to have the lacy border test completed, which I implemented for the others.

The final heart was both a test of using a thicker yarn weight (ahem - one skein to bulky technique using my cotton thread size 10 = sport) and the heart I used for the pattern's photo tutorial. Again, I used three colours, not only because it would be fun and pretty, but to make the photo tutorial pop and because my stash was running low. Who else has been there? LOL

It ended being the perfect size for a little doll pillow too, which is awesome!

*Pictured with Style Me Dolly below - click to purchase the doll pattern today (doll clothes are free on this blog here).

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As you can see, Broken Hearts has turned into another fabulously versitile design, which can use any yarn weight from the tiniest sewing thread to worsted.

Not only can it be a necklace, but it's a doll pillow too and will work out great as fobs for your charm bracelets, keyrings and backpacks. AND, some of my testers even turned theirs into Christmas tree ornaments and one is planning to keep hers as an appliqué for a broken heart card!

​Wow - amigurumi and appliqués all-in-one - totally awesome, right?!

Speaking of my testers, let's see their broken hearts too...

Thanks so much to Alexandra R. (Eye Love Knots), Despina T., Laura D. and Sharon E. for testing the Broken Hearts design so quickly for me, and to Theresa P. for your help tech editing the pattern too!

With so many possibilities, you can keep the heart halves separate to share with your besties, or join them together to show broken hearts can be mended. 

Either way, you'll end up with a fun Valentine's themed amigurumi design to enjoy.

Plus, you may crochet yours with or without beads for a unique added flare!!!

How will you crochet your broken hearts?

Share with us below for a chance to win a copy of the January 2017 issue of Get Stuffed Magazine including this design and many others!

Include your Ravelry name and be sure to favourite (heart) this design on Ravelry too. :D

Winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 via a random drawing.

Don't want to wait? Subscribe to the magazine today and this pattern will be yours January 1st!

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Stay tuned for the expanded story behind each of these broken heart designs!

Coming in January 2017:

• ​Dusty Rose Jumbo Broken Heart Necklaces
• Beaded Friendship Broken Heart Necklaces 
• Dainty Broken Heart Locket
• Dolly's Broken Heart Pillow (01-29-17)

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UPDATE - January 5th, 2017:
Congratulations Cindy! You've won the free copy of Love it up Valentines! January 2017 Get Stuffed issue #2, featuring the Broken Hearts pattern. Please see the email I sent you to claim your prize.