14th of February is Valentine’s Day. It is the day we shower our significant others with love and tokens for our affection and gratitude. This day isn’t just for boyfriends or girlfriends. It’s the day we show appreciation for everyone that have a special place in your heart. It can be a family member, a dear friend, a great colleague, a coach who gets the best out of you.

What is a better way to show your affection than a hand made gift? Find your crochet hook and some cotton yarn and express your love with a pretty crochet square heart mug rug<3

About the pattern

The square is worked up in two parts – the inner square and one round of double crochet stitches around the inner square.

The square is perfect for making blankets, cushions, cardigans, sweaters, tops, and so on. Use your imagination!

Materials

Organic Cotton (50g/165m/180yd) from Krea Deluxe. You’ll need about 10g to make one square.

It’s a perfect project to use your cotton scrap yarn. It doesn’t matter what kind of cotton yarn you use for this project. Just rememeber that if youuse a thicker yarn, it will be larger, and a thinner yarn will give a smaller square. I made the sample in two colours (A and B).

Crochet hook 3 mm.

Measurements

Width 11,5cm/ 4,5 in

Hight 11,5 cm/4,5 in

Abbreviations

ch chain

ch sp chain space

dc double crochet

st stitch

* —-* repeat stitches across

(—-) (stitches placed in one stitch, or summery of stitches at end of row)

[—-] repeat given amount of times

Notes

• At the beginnning of each row, you can choose to make either 3 ch (count as a dc), or ch 1 and make 1 dc in the very first st. In this pattern I use the latter, to make the edges more sturdy.

• First stitch on border is made as a standing stitch or you can replace it with 3 ch.

• Use an invisible join on the border. Cut yarn leaving a tail end with which to thread yarn needle. Insert needle in second st from beginning of round (not first st). Draw yarn through and insert needle in back loop of last st mad eon this round. From the top, it looks like a normal «V» st.

Pattern

Start with colour A and crochet 26 ch.

Row 1: 1 dc in 6th ch from hook,* 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st *, rep across, turn. (12 dc, 11 x 1ch-sp)

Row 2: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 4 times, 2 dc, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 5 times, turn. (13 dc, 10 x 1ch-sp)

Row 3: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 3 times, 6 dc, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 4 times, turn. (15 dc, 8 x 1ch-sp)

Row 4: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 2 times, 10 dc, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 3 times, turn. (17 dc, 6 x 1ch-sp)

Row 5: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, 15 dc, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 2 times, turn. (19 dc, 4 x 1ch-sp)

Row 6-7: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 19 dc, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in last st, turn. (21 dc, 2 x 1ch-sp)

Row 8: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 9 dc, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 9 dc, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in last st, turn. (20 dc, 3 x 1ch-sp)

Row 9: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 7 dc, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 3 times, 6 dc, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in last st, turn. (18 dc, 5 x 1ch-sp)

Row 10: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 10 times, turn. (12 dc, 11 x 1ch-sp)

Row 11: 1 ch, 1 dc in first st, 1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, [1 ch, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st] 10 times, fasten off and weave in ends. (12 dc, 11 x 1ch-sp)

Border

Change to colour B. We are working our way around the square using dc. Each side will have 21 dc. In each corner stitch (first and last st), work (2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc).

Start in first st on row 11, (2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in first st, 1 dc in each st until last st, (2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in last st. Continue down the left side of the square, work 21 dc evenly down the side ( 2 dc for each vertical st). Work (2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in first st at the bottom row, 1 dc in each stitch until last st, (2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in last st, work 21 dc evenly up the right side of the square, make an invisible join (see notes) in first st.

Fringes

Add fringes in corner chain spaces (colour A), or maybe in each stitch? Decorate it as you like!