Free Crochet Pattern: Heart Shaped Pillow! (Ricardio the Heart Guy)

Let’s squeeze out one more heart-shaped pattern before Valentine’s Day!

Ricard n me 2small

I got a couple requests for a Ricardio the Heart Guy from Adventure time. I had to look him up, and he looks like this:

Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 1.13.37 AM

Kinda freaky, right?! Anyway, I figured this was also a good opportunity to make heart-shaped throw pillows, and then you can put a Ricardio face on it, or a happy/cute face, or make a set of conversation hearts with your own messages. Lots of opportunities here!! I will put arms and legs on mine, but you can leave out the limbs. The world is yours!

Ricardio n me

There are a few ways to create a throw-pillow-type project. You can either work in the round, or you can crochet two flat pieces and sew them together. We are going to work this one in the round, kinda like a jumbo version of my heart lollipop necklace. I normally like to use single crochet for items that are stuffed, but I wanted to bang this out really quick, so I used double crochet! Let’s go crazy!!!

(p.s. I’m sorry that the photos here are just screen grabs of the YouTube video….. I changed the way I decided to work the pattern, and all the photos I took were no longer valid. I will work up another pillow this weekend and shoot proper progress photos!)


What You’ll Need

  • Crochet Hook, size H/5.0mm
  • Worsted weight yarn – I’m using Red Heart Super Saver
  • scissors or yarn cutter
  • tapestry needle for weaving in ends
  • optional: Yarn in contrasting colors to embroider faces or messages, or fabric paint, or felt cut-outs

Abbreviations

ch(s) = chain(s)
dc = double crochet
dc2tog: double crochet 2 together (decrease)
rnd(s) = round(s)
sc = single crochet
sc2tog = single crochet 2 together (decrease)
sk = skip
sl st = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
( ) = work everything inside the parentheses into the next stitch
[  ] = repeat what is inside the brackets the number of times indicated

Heart Tops – Make 2. Break off after the 1st one, but don’t break off after the 2nd one.

Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 6.43.35 AM

We will be working the heart in the rnd, but we’ll also be joining our rnds and TURNING before each new rnd. This ensures that our seam will stay straight on one side of the heart. So don’t forget to join AND turn! 🙂

Make magic ring or ch 3 and sl st to 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 2, work 12 dc into ring. Sl st to 1st st to join. (12)

Rnd 2: Ch 2, turn. (2 dc) in each st. Sl st to 1st st to join. (24)

Rnd 3: Ch 2, turn. [(2 dc), 2 dc] 8 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (32)

Rnd 4: Ch 2, turn. [(2 dc), 3 dc] 8 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (40)

Rnd 5: Ch 2, turn. [(2 dc), 9 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (44)

Rnd 6: Ch 2, turn. [(2 dc), 10 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (48)

Rnd 7: Ch 2, turn. [(2 dc), 11 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (52)

Break off after the first Heart Top, leaving about 18 inches of yarn for sewing later.

After making the second Heart Top, do not break off, and continue to work the body of the heart.

Heart Body

Now you will connect the to Heart Tops together.

Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 6.45.27 AM Rnd 8: Ch 2, turn. Work 26 dc evenly across the most recently worked Heart Top. Then, pick up the previous Heart Top and work 1 dc into the last stitch you worked on it, as if you continuing to work in a new rnd. Continue to work dc evenly into the remaining 51 sts. Then work 1 dc into the next free st (the 27th st) of the first Heart Top, and work dc evenly into the remaining 26 sts. Sl st to 1st  st to join. (104)

Rnd 9: Ch 2, turn. Work dc evenly around. Sl st to 1st st to join. (104)

Rnd 10: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 50 dc] 2 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (102)

Rnd 11: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 32 dc] 3 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (99)

Rnd 12: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 31 dc] 3 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (96)

Rnd 13: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 22 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (92)

Rnd 14: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 21 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (88)

Rnd 15: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 20 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (84)

Rnd 16: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 19 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (80)

Rnd 17: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 18 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (76)

Rnd 18: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 17 dc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (72)

Rnd 19: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 10 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (66)

Rnd 20: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 9 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (60)

Around here is where I try to stuff most of the heart (but on second thought, this might be too early, and you can still crochet more for maybe 3-4 more rnds). I stuff pretty lightly, so that the shape of the heart doesn’t get too warped. Try to get the stuffing nice and even and not lumpy.

Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 6.49.36 AM

Rnd 21: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 8 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (54)

Rnd 22: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 7 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (48)

Rnd 23: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 6 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (42)

Rnd 24: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 5 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (36)

Rnd 25: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 4 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (30)

I usually try to stuff more here.

Rnd 26: Ch 2, turn. [dc2tog, 3 dc] 6 times. Sl st to 1st to join. (24)

Rnd 27: Ch 2, turn. Dc2tog 12 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (12)

I’ll try to stuff even a little more here so that the bottom of the heart doesn’t get wrinkly.

Rnd 28: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog 6 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (6)

Break off. Weave yarn tail through remaining 6 sts and pull to close. Tie off and weave in end.

Screen Shot 2015-02-13 at 6.50.46 AM

Arms (optional, make 2)

Leaving an 18 inch yarn tail, ch 12 and sl st to 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Work 1 sc, 1 hdc, and 10 dc. Don’t join rnds. (12)

Rnds 2 – 15: Keep working dc evenly around. I worked 15 rnds, but you can work as many or as few as you like, depending on how long you want the warms. After your last end, work 1 more hdc in the next st, and 1 more sc in the following st, and then sl st to the next stop to join. Don’t break off yet. Now you will work the hand.

Squish the opening of the tube in half, so that you’ll be working through two layers of crochet at the same time, forming the hand and closing up the opening at the same time.

Row 1: Ch 3, sk 1 st, (1 tr, ch 3, sl st), sl st in next st. Ch 3, and in the next st, work (1 tr, ch 3, sl st), sl st in next st. Ch 3, and in the last st, work (1 tr, ch 3 sl st). Break off and weave in end.

Legs (optional, make 2)

Repeat Rnds 1 – 15 of Arms. Keep working in the round and don’t squish the tube.

Rnd 16: Ch 1, (2 sc) 4 times, dc2tog 4 times. Sl st to 1st st to join. (12)

Rnds 17 – 18: Ch 2 and work dc evenly around. Sl st to 1st st to join. (12)

Rnd 19: Ch 1, sc2tog 6 times. Sl st to 1st st to join (6)

Break off, weave yarn tail through remaining  6 sts, pull to close, tie off, and weave in end.

You can choose whether or not to stuff the arms and legs. In my photos, I chose NOT to stuff the arms and legs, so that they would flop around more, but again, this is entirely up to you, and if you wish to stuff them, remember to do it before you sew them to the heart!

Now you can embellish and decorate your heart pillow however you like!

Here’s the quick pattern I used for Ricardio’s eyes. (make 2)

With Black, make magic ring, or ch 3 and sl st to 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, and into the ring, work 2 sc, 3 hdc, 2 sc, 3 hdc, sl st to 1st st to join. (10)

Break off Black and join White.

Rnd 2: Ch 1. (2 sc), (2 sc), (hdc, dc), (2 dc), (dc, hdc), (2 sc), (2 sc), (hdc, dc), (2 dc), (dc, hdc),  sl st to 1st st to join. (20) Break off leaving about 18 inches of yarn for sewing. Weave in the other ends.

Ricardio’s Cheeks (make 2)

With Red, ch 6.

Rnd 1: Sk 1st 2 chs, then work 3 hdc evenly. In last ch, (5 hdc).  On the other side of your foundation ch, work 2 hdc evenly. In the last ch, work (4 hdc). Sl st to 1st hdc to join. (14)

Rnd 2: Ch 2. (2 hdc), 2 hdc, (2 hdc) 5 times, 2 hdc, (2 hdc) 4 times. Sl st to 1st hdc to join. (24)

Rnd 3: Ch 2. (2 hdc), 3 hdc, [(2 hdc), 1 hdc] 5 times, 2 hdc, [(2 hdc), 1 hdc] 4 times. Sl st to 1st hdc to join. (34) Break off leaving about 18 inches of yarn for sewing and weave in the other end.

Ricardio’s Mouth

With Purple, ch 29. Sk 1 ch, then work sl st, 2 sc, (2 hdc), sc, sl st, sl st, sc, (2 hdc), 2 sc, sl st. (upper lip finished) Then work sl st, sl st, 12 sc evenly, sl st, sl st. Sl st to 1st st to join. Break off leaving about 24 inches of yarn for sewing.

I used white felt for his teeth.

51 Comments on “Free Crochet Pattern: Heart Shaped Pillow! (Ricardio the Heart Guy)”

  • OMG you made Ricardio!!! And he looks amazing!! I’ve been toying with the idea of making a Ricardio amigurumi but his facial details are so daunting. I love how you’ve put him together and now I’m thinking I should give this a try. Thanks so much for sharing the pattern 🙂

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Did you end up trying? Yeah, I think I might have done his face differently… so there are definitely some different options. It’s still definitely more detail than I’m ever used to tho!

      • I’ve been working on it on and off – took me a few tries to get the hang of not crocheting in a continuous spiral but I think I got it now! Excited to see how it’ll turn out – will definitely share when I’m done 🙂

    • Tulip

      says:

      have you made the amigurumi? because i would be interested

  • Lee Ann

    says:

    Wow, Twinkie Chan, I love this pillow! All of your designs are fun and so awesome.
    Thank you very much for posting this great heart pillow! And Happy Valentines Day to you! 🙂
    Lee Ann

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Thank you, LeeAnn! (sorry for the really late reply!)

  • Fiona

    says:

    I don’t actually watch adventure time but he totes looks super freaky and rad – makes me want too, or at least own a freaky pillow of him 😛 The convo heart is super cute, the pink and red combo is adorbs!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      I don’t watch much either, but check out this Ricardio quote I found: “Stand back, everyone. This style of massage is called “Best Friend Massage” because it can only be done for friends. It is completely consensual.”

  • Grace

    says:

    Wow…once again it is confirmed how incredible you are!!!!!!! I love the convo heart (thank’s @Fiona for teaching me that abbreviation!) :)!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      It’s all thanks to my incredible blog sponsors! 🙂

  • Chelsea

    says:

    I have a question regarding Ricardio’s cheeks. In round 2 I keep coming out with 36 stitches instead of 24, I have taken it apart several times and even wrote it out on paper to avoid making my yarn fray but I still can’t seem to get it right. AAHH what am i doing wrong!? Any help is a BIG thanks!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hmmm it’s really hard for me to tell what’s happening… 😛 When you count the stitches in my pattern, just based on the numbers, do you come up with 24? (I do?)

      • Chelsea

        says:

        I solved the mystery…just plain craziness on my part. Thank you for the amazingly quick reply and awesome pattern! I am making him for my husband and I can’t wait for him to come home from work to see this! I do plan on leaving out the arms, I figured he was too “manly” for his cartoon character inspired stuffed pillow to have arms 😉

        • TwinkieChan

          says:

          Oh I’m glad it worked out! Because I’ll never be surprised if there’s a booboo in any of my patterns. I try to get them up ASAP which means I never have anyone test them first 😛

  • Zuzka

    says:

    Hi there,
    thx a lot for sharing this amazing pattern! 🙂 I was just wondering, please, what is the weight of the yarn used or how many meters of the yarn are used to create this heart?

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi, it was worsted weight yarn, but I didn’t count the yardage. I used a full skein of Red Heart Super Saver and that is 364 yards. 🙂

  • geena

    says:

    I love your heart pillow. it’s so cool. I want to make a heart pillow for my couch. How can i make this bigger? Can you please tell me how many more stitches i need to add in each round to make it bigger.
    Thanks

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi! I’m sorry. I don’t really have time at the moment, and the whole pattern would really have to be altered to make the heart bigger and in the same proportions. You would need more stitches per round, and also more rounds.

  • Sophia Stearns

    says:

    I have made four of these pure genius creations. Thank you for doing this. I was wondering if I can make this item and sell them. I just wanted your permission first. I’m trying to make a bit of extra money by crocheting, but I can’t seem to make any of my own patterns. Yours is amazing, and I want to sell some on Etsy and EBay, if possible. I would greatly appreciate it. Keep up the good work!

  • Ruby and Violet

    says:

    hi Twinkie chan can you make me a Ricardio pillow? My name is Ruby and I am 8. Thank you. (My mom let me write this. I love your work!)

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi Ruby! Thanks for writing to me and for checking out my work!!! Unfortunately, I have a ton of deadlines at the moment and hardly have any time to finish my to-do list. If I ever get a break, I’ll let you know :). Take care! <3

  • Lacey

    says:

    Hi,

    Great pattern! The finished product looks great!
    Is there a way to make this with single crochet? I don’t mind the tediousness of single crochet and I really like the way the stitch works up. Plus, I have just learned how to do the magic ring and don’t think I am quite ready for double crocheting in the round.

    In Round 1 where the instructions say to do 12 DC in the ring, would you do 24 SC to compensate for size, or use 12 SC, or even 6? I have no idea and hope you will be able to tell me.

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi! To be honest, I don’t know how the pattern would translate directly to sc. I’d have to work up a sample myself to tell you for sure, but I unfortunately don’t have a lot of time to do that at the moment!

  • Briana Marquez

    says:

    Hi!!! I love this pattern. It is so easy and only takes me a few days to do. So far I’ve made one for my fiance, daughter and my brother. They make great gifts. I love all of your patterns. U should do Pikachu. He would be an adorable addition to my little family’s collection of anime/cartoon plushies.

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi! I’m so happy you have been making so many!

  • Papaito

    says:

    Can I know how many inches is this pillow..
    Pls kindly reply.. I would like to do this for my sis..

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Mine is about 11 inches wide and 12 inches tall.

  • Candace Chasteen

    says:

    I made my mother a set of your cupcake washcloths for Valentine’s Day to match her kitchen (pink colored frosting, mint colored cake, subbed a mint colored heart instead of the cherry)

    Today I just finished this heart!! Mine ended up squatter/fatter/shorter for some reason (maybe I overstuffed it), but I LOVE it! My dog seems to think it’s a stuffed toy for him, do your dogs try to steal your stuffed crocheted items?

    Thanks for the awesome patterns!! Mom wants a red velvet tissue box cozy next!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      I’m so happy you are enjoying so many of my patterns!!! Surprisingly, my dogs don’t really bother with my crochet work or yarn … UNLESSSSS, there are safety eyes, in which case, my min pin mix will go ape over trying to rip the safety eyes out :P.

  • Anastasia

    says:

    This is an amazing pattern, yet again showing how talented you are! I have made a few other amigurumi items (like the lemon squeeze ball, but I modified it slightly to make a lime since my favorite color is green c; plus I didn’t have yellow… Oops?), and the patterns have been flawless and I rarely ran into problems. Now, I’m dating myself to do this (the largest amigurumi I’ll have ever made) for my sister for her birthday. So far, the pattern seems to be working perfectly for me, except for one thing. When I connected my heart tops, as you call them, there’s a gap between the two of them, and it’s slightly worrisome. It’s quite large, almost an inch long and wide, and I’m not sure how to fix it. Is that possibly what the 18in of extra yarn on the heart top from when I broke off would be for, to weave it all together at the top? Any insight would be lovely! (PS: I’m totally new to the game of crochet :3 my grandma taught me how to make a granny square when I was 9, and now I’m mostly self taught [and I pick up stuff from your videos]. I’m currently only 14, but technically it’s 14 5/6 😉 I hope you have an amazing day/ night, or whenever you read this!)

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      There will generally be a gap when I’m joining pieces in this way, and it’s usually pretty easy to sew it up with a yarn tail. I can’t recall if I address this in the video, but I probably do (it’s been a while!), and you can always just fast-forward the video that that part at the end!

  • Jessica

    says:

    Thank you so much for this pattern! I made the pillow for my aunt who will be blind soon. Now she can feel the heartshape and know we love her.

  • Crystal

    says:

    I just finished making one with Bernard pipsqu Eakins yarn. It turns out amazing. Wish I could post a picture here for you. Thank you so much for your pattern. My daughter is going to love it.

  • Sarah

    says:

    Hi! Is this just stuffed with polyfill/fiberfill? I didn’t see it on the materials list and want to be sure that’s what is best to use for something this size. Thanks!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Yep! Just polyfill.

  • Cassandra

    says:

    Hi I wanted to thank you and ask a question. Do you count the ch 2 as a dc or is it not counted,just wondering because in video looks like you skip ch 2 and join to next st over. Thank you in advance for a reply want to make one for a friend. Your patterns are awesome.

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Yeah for my patterns, the ch 2 doesn’t count as a stitch unless I call it out specifically.

  • Thank you so much for this tutorial. I had another heart pattern but the instructions felt so confusing. Yours was easier to understand. I really appreciate this help.

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Thank you for the feedback! I’m glad my pattern worked out for you 🙂

  • Rah

    says:

    Hi there, thank you so much for this wonderful pattern! I used it to make a Ricardio plush for my friend who is about to have heart surgery and who loves Adventure Time – I thought it would be fitting! I found your instructions easy to follow, except for the hands, which I struggled with (but I made my own in the end) The rest turned out great though! So thanks again!

  • Danielle

    says:

    What did you use for Ricardio’s nostrils? I’ve got all my pieces worked up, I’m assembling now. And I just realized I wasn’t sure about his nostrils. Thanks for the pattern btw, it’s super cute!!

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Hi! I have been locked out of my blog, and just got access again. Did I respond to this question on another website/social media? I think I just used yarn to embroider the nostrils. I have a feeling you already worked something out, though!

  • Kasey

    says:

    Omg this pattern is amazing and I want to make one for when I go into hospital but I want to ask you do you think that this would work with chunky soft wool? Thank you very much for your amazing creativity.

    • TwinkieChan

      says:

      Yes, it should work. Changing the yarn will just alter the size for the most part.

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