The Celtic Knot Project installment #2

Two Hearts Facing Inwards
This panel was charted from Sheila Sturrock's Celtic Knotwork Handbook, from an illustrated variation of panel 4 from chapter 3, page 29. I have seen hearts connected on twisted cables before, like in the sleeve and side panels of Cromarty (see a lovely example here) from the Celtic Collection by Alice Starmore, but this one is unusual because the hearts face the other way and the cables swing out a bit before coming in again. And I think the increase technique I used is nicer because the heart-shaped knots are more angular, and dosen't pucker the fabric. Here's the swatch.

I only knitted one repeat, but you get the picture. The swatch was knitted from Wolle Roedel Soft Merino, an aran weight superwash merino yarn that is very soft and springy. Sorry, I think it's only available in Germany. Now here's the chart:

A few words are in order before you start knitting it up.
-Rows O1-O4 are set-up rows. Only knit them once, continue the chart as far as you desire, and when you are ready to finish the panel, instead of knitting rows 35 and 36, finish with rows F35 and F36.

-I had to put cable crossings across the no-stitch symbol on rows 3 and 31. I know it's a bit ugly, but it works the same as if those black squares were not on the chart at all. When you get to the black squares just keep on going. To be absolutely explicit, as an example, say you are starting row 3. Purl 8 stitches, slip 2 purl stitches to your cable needle and hold to the back, knit 2, purl 2 from the cable needle. Purl 4, slip 2 knit stitches to your cable needle and hold in front. Purl 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. Purl 6. There, you're done row 3! Wasn't that easy?

-If you look closely at the swatch, you'll notice that the stitches immediately after the 4 stitch increases at the bottom (rows O1-O4) are crossed, and the stitches immediately before the decreases at the top (rows F35 and F36) are crossed. This is how the panel was illustrated in the book, and how I originally charted and knitted it, but I didn't really like it that way. Instead I charted it as a cable cross between repeats only. If you are willing to trust me on this, follow the chart as written. If not, knit rows 35 and 36 before row 1, and before rows F35 and F36, and you will end up with what I swatched.