Crochet Butterflies

Following on from my last post, there has been a fair bit of colourful fluttering here in the Attic as I've been in the grips of a butterfly obsession. I often find that once I get started with a decorative idea (mandalas are a very good example) I am absolutely, completely one hundred and ten percent in with both feet. I spend many, many hours/days/weeks searching for inspiration online and working through my own design ideas and colour combinations until I can evict the obsession out of my system for a while. Butterflies are my current hooky passion and there is in fact a very good reason for this which I'll explain in a bit. 

I made the above half dozen butterflies using patterns and inspiration from two of my favourite books by Lesley Stanfield :

{100 Flowers to knit and crochet} and {75 birds, butterflies & beautiful beasties to knit and crochet}

I love these patterns because they are based on real butterfly species, so even though I found them to be a challenge the end results were really worth the brain effort. The small tortoisehell butterfly (2nd from the right in the above photo) was my first attempt at creating my own butterfly. It's a bit cobbled together as I didn't write anything down and the wings aren't entirely symmetrical. But I absolutely loved the creative process and it inspired me to keep going with my ideas and also to have a good look online to see what other crochet designers had come up with in the way of butterflies.

What I found is that unlike the patterns in Lesley's book, pretty much every crochet butterfly pattern I found online was a very stylised version of the real thing. Decorative butterfly shapes are easy to visualise I guess, and I found it fascinating to see how different designs used different methods to create the wing shapes.

I thought you might like to see some of my favourite designs.......

1. Bountiful Butterflies by Marken of The Hat and I. 

2. Butterflies for Remembrance by Sharon of Cottonpod.

3. Simple butterfly by Re-made by Sam

4. Butterflies by Planet Penny

The first two are single-layer butterflies which are worked in rounds.

The second two are double-layer butterflies which are worked as a flowery circle then folded in half.

The double layer method is very clever and super-easy for beginners to have a go at. Worked in three simple rounds of treble crochet stitches, they come together quickly with very little concentration required.

When the circle is folded in half it creates the four wings - clever eh?

This type of design produces quite large butterflies - the above one was made using Ricorumi and a 3.5mm hook, and the finished butterfly measures 8cm across.

These butterflies are very stylised, so a bit like a child's drawing of a butterfly rather than a direct observation of a real life critter.

Personally, I much prefer the slightly more realistic look of the single layer designs. I like the shapes of the wings in both of these {Pink butterfly} and {green butterfly} and the neatness of them appeals to me more than the sprawling double layer ones. I'd say that both of these designs are simple enough for beginners to have a go at, particularly as both patterns have some photos to help.

Following on from my play around with these patterns, I felt even more inspired to create my own. I wanted something smallish and neat that could either be pinned as a brooch or used for decorative projects (wreaths, bunting etc). I based my wing shape on the smaller butterflies that flit around the meadows and hilltops here, using two colours for a bit of added decorative potential.

I love designing, so so much! It gives me a real buzz to visualise something, then work it over and over and over again until all the tweaks and alterations end up producing something lovely to look at and simple to re-create.

Ta-dah!!! I'm pretty happy with my butterfly!

I used Ricorumi cotton yarn and a 4mm hook to make this one, and it measures around 5.5cm across.

If you think you might like to crochet up your own collection of butterflies, I've written up the pattern and created a full step-by-step photo tutorial too. They are a weeny bit fiddly because of the small size, but I've tried to make the pattern as simple as possible.

🦋ATTIC24 BUTTERFLY PATTERN🦋

Did you know that the collective noun for butterflies is a kaleidoscope? Isn't that just a lovely word for them? Ever since I found that out I have smiled to myself every time I've thought about it or written it.  

I mentioned at the start of this post that there was a reason behind my current butterfly mania, and I know some of you on social media have quite rightly guessed that they are connected to my work with *Yarndale. Every year I co-ordinate a large scale Creative Community project for the yarn festival that I help to organise in September. You may remember the Creative Hearts from last year which raised money for mental health charity Mind? 

This year we want to gather together a kaleidoscope of yarny butterflies in colourful celebration of our fantastic worldwide crochet community (oh, and knitters as well - there are butterfly knitting patterns out there). We will be supporting a small local charity called Pioneer Projects which uses the creative arts to help those living with dementia. All the info about the Yarndale Creative Community project (including the postal address) is over on the Yarndale website.

I hope that you might feel inspired to join in with the *Yarndale butterfly project - a couple of butterflies are quick and easy to make and pop in the post, and they will be so very much appreciated. I've also got an idea brewing for some butterfly bunting, so I think it's safe to say that I'm not giving up the butterfly making mania anytime soon. They are just far too tempting to step away from right now.

🦋YARNDALE BUTTERFLY PROJECT🦋

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*Yarndale is an annual yarn festival held in North Yorkshire, and I am one of the organisers. We are passionate about celebrating our creative yarn community and I'm proud of my involvement with Yarndale. In the interests of clarity, disclosure and honesty and all that, I do need to mention that Yarndale is a for-profit organisation, and you can find out more about it here.

x

ps aren't butterflies just amazingly beautiful creatures?!!!

pps I still can't get over the kaleidoscope word thing. Love that.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[// Heidrun]

What a lovely idea. Each butterfly is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[CTR]

Muy bonitas, también la mariposa tortuga

[Laurie Mowat]

After a quick translation into U.S. terms I am running to get my hook and yarn. Thanks for the wonderful pattern! Off I go.....

[Carol]

So pretty and an inspiration!!
You’ve successfully created another beautiful combination of color and design!!
😍

[CJ]

A kaleidoscope of butterflies, how perfect. You've made a beautiful job of them, they really are a delight. And I'm always thrilled when I see them about. You've picked a good year to create them, there seem to be lots around. I shall look forward very much to seeing them gathering ready for Yarndale. CJ xx

[Vintage Vicki]

Just gorgeous - it seems ages since I have been near a hook or knitting needles but I can feel my creativity returning now we are moved and settled. I may have to attempt some butterflies :)

[Karen]

Wow! I HAVE to make some of these! Then I just need to think of ways to use them. Bunting sounds fun. Maybe pencil toppers and hair slides too?

[grace horton]

Love these...well done.

[Bonnie]

What a wonderful post. I always enjoy your posts, but this one is a stand-out - great idea, great colors, good information. You are a crochet treasure, Lucy.

[One-oh-four]

Gorgeous!! I am so excited about this - I’ve was hoping this was the reason why you were making butterflies! Couldn’t see any mention in the Yarndale info (but may have missed it in my excitement) - do you want safety pins stitching on the back to make them easier to display and / or turn them into brooches as we did for the flowers and the hearts in previous years?

[Catriona Mason]

Kaleidoscope descibes perfectly what a lot of butterflies look like. Beautiful display, Lucy.

[Janeen]

Perfectissimo, Lucy. Inspirational and clever and unique and very kaleidoscopically Lucy, as usual.;-)
Thanks a gazillion! XX