61. Square heart earrings

Square Heart Earrings by Oksana Volytska

What is Being Made

These are delicate filet crochet earrings featuring a square heart design, created by designer Oksana Volytska. The earrings are a pair of lightweight jewelry pieces constructed using fine crochet techniques and finished with jewelry hardware and wooden beads for a complete, wearable accessory.

Craft and Technique

This project uses crochet as the primary craft method. The design employs filet crochet, a classic openwork technique that creates a delicate, lacy appearance through strategic placement of chain stitches and double crochet stitches. Filet crochet is characterized by its grid-like structure of open and filled squares, which in this pattern creates the heart motif. The technique is ideal for jewelry-scale projects because it produces intricate details at a small scale while maintaining structural integrity.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental crochet stitches appropriate for lace-weight work:

• Chain stitch (ch) – Used to create the foundation chain of 27 stitches and to form the open spaces within the filet grid
• Double crochet (dc) – The primary stitch that forms the filled portions of the filet pattern and creates the structure of the heart design

The pattern progresses through six rows, with specific instructions for creating the filet grid structure. Row 1 establishes seven square cells through alternating double crochet stitches and chain-2 spaces. Subsequent rows build the heart shape by varying the placement of filled and open squares, with Row 5 introducing additional chain-2 spaces to create the distinctive heart indentation.

Materials and Tools

This beginner-friendly project requires minimal materials:

• Steel crochet hook size 1.5 mm – A fine hook appropriate for lace-weight yarn, providing precision for delicate work
• Cotton lace-weight yarn – The pattern specifies Madame Tricote Almina yarn (50g/169 meters or 1.76 oz/185 yards), a high-yardage lace-weight cotton that creates fine, elegant stitches
• Jewelry hooks – Standard ear wires for attaching the finished crochet pieces to create wearable earrings
• Wooden beads (2 pieces) – Decorative elements that add dimension and weight to the finished earrings
• Eye-shaped pins (2 pieces) – Hardware used to connect the crocheted heart components to the wooden beads and jewelry hooks

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The recommended gauge for this project is approximately 2.16 inches × 2.16 inches using the specified materials and hook size. This gauge ensures that the finished earrings achieve the intended delicate scale appropriate for jewelry.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner difficulty, making it an excellent introduction to filet crochet and jewelry-making. The straightforward stitch combinations and clear row-by-row progression allow newer crocheters to develop skills while creating a beautiful, functional accessory. The small scale of the project also makes it manageable for those new to working with fine yarns and hooks.