Easy Flat Crochet Butterfly

Yesterday when I went to the Post Office to mail some envelopes I learned that the Granny Square butterflies I had made were too fat to go through the mail as a regular envelope.  By rights they should have gone through as a package which was going to be mighty pricey for a greeting card.  At least that is what I thought Dear One would have said.  Fortunately the nice lady said she would try to send them as "large envelopes" since she had some of that type already in the mail.

So, since I wanted to send a few more cards I got up early this morning and started looking for flat butterflies.  This is what I found.

Jane from JennyandTeddy had the perfect butterfly, which was especially nice since I had to learn to make a "magic loop"!  That took a few tries but I think I have it down now!

Easy Flat Crochet Butterfly– Yarn scraps or  Lion brand 24/7 cotton

– 3.50mm crochet hook or E/4 US hook size

– Sewing yarn needle

(you can make the butterfly bigger or smaller by using bigger or smaller size crochet hooks

Round1.Make magic ring or adjustable ring and 9sc in ring (9 sts)

Round2.(Sl  st in the first stitch) (in the next stitch make 5dc and chain2 turn 1hdc in next chain stitch from hook and 4dc in the same stitch of 5dc)     then skip1 stitch,( sl st in the next stitch then chain 2 turn make 1hdc in next chain from hook and then 1hdc sl st in the same stitch),( sl st in next stitch and chain 2 then turn 1hdc in the next chain from hook and slst), ( sl st in the next stitch), ( next stitch make 4dc then chain2 and turn make 1 hdc in the next chain  from hook and make 5dc) then in the last stitch make sl st.

Make antenna by make 5 chain then turn and make sl st in each stitch and repeat the other one.

Tie off ends and weave in or just cut, depending on what you will do with the butterfly.

These are the ones I made.  The first one was a disaster and I pulled it out.  Now they look almost like butterflies!

Christmas Knitting Journal--Day Three

The second major project:  Christmas Trees for Cardboard Cones has been started.  Christmas Tree number one in green is heading toward completion.  This green tree is being knit with the Purled Christmas Tree pattern.

This project is on its second iteration:  the first one was with just one strand of yarn on size 3 needles.  The needles I picked from my needle stash were lace needles and quite pointy which, added to the smallness of the size, caused enough pain to start again with two strands of yarn held together and size 8 needles.  One strand is a green synthetic with a gold thread running through it.  The second strand is my favorite: Bartlettyarn.

Green purled tree completed on cone

A dear friend had given me two wonderful cardboard cones from some coned yarn she had previously used up, and which cones she had saved for a purpose to be determined...don't we all do that...save stuff we know we will need "some day"?  Anyway, she generously gave them to me.  Sadly, this Christmas tree was going to be way too big for those cones...would have worked great as the pattern was written, but not as I am making it, so I went to Joann Fabrics and Crafts.  When I finally found the styrofoam cone section there were only TWO left!  Just the number I needed. I said a quick silent "thank you" prayer, purchased them, and walked out of the store very very happy and encouraged.

Red and green purled tree completed

Once Christmas tree number one was completed, it was on to Christmas tree number two, which isin red and green--still the Bartlettyarn in green, and the synthetic yarn with a gold thread running through it, though red this time...and here it is above! A delightful project and very easy, just time-consuming.  I think a forest of these trees in several different sizes would be lovely Christmas decorations.  We shall see...but definitely not THIS year!

Christmas Knitting Journal--Day Two

This post has been a few days coming!  Sadly, there are other things to do besides Christmas Knitting!

Since the previous post lots of things have happened/been done.  A hat and cowl sample have been knit for Joann Fabrics and Crafts.  A scarf sample has been started for Joann Fabrics and Crafts in the worsted weight yarn and needles listed on the pattern.  Since I was trying to complete it in time for the Open House last weekend and realized it was not going to happen, I found some bulky yarn and started a second sample with Lion Brand Hometown yarn.  Neither of them got much further than twelve inches in length but were a good sample of using the same pattern and getting very different results...thus a very good selling point for knitting a gauge swatch!  I delivered them for the Open House, still on the needles.  I have not received any feedback either way but have now picked up the samples and will complete them once the Christmas Knitting is complete.

As far as the actual Christmas Knitting project, I have completed the Bartlettyarns pair of convertible mittens using Ramona Flowers Fingerless Gloves pattern as a starting place.  These worked out somewhat  better than the previous pattern, though the glove part is still humpy under the convertible mitten part which I created myself.

Fingerless interior of Convertible Mittens

To make the RFFG into convertible mittens, I knit up the pattern as written, with the exception that I did a simple knit two, purl two ribbing instead of the fancier ribbings Ramona created.  (Another time I think I will try one of them but in the interest of time, I went the cheap and sure route! )  After knitting the glove as written I picked up stitches on the back of the hand, plus two on each side of the palm then cast on the same number of stitches on the palm that were on the back, minus the four extra picked-up stitches.

Back of Hand with Conversion Bag showing wrong side

Once the original number of stitches were on the needle (I used the Magic Loop method of knitting these convertible mittens so I could knit them both at once!) I started knitting around.  My plan was to knit the back of the hand stitches in stockinette stitch then knit the palm stitches with a little ribbing for three or four rows.

Back of Completed Convertible Mitten...notice the garter stitch band and the stocking stitch tip!

Well, I did knit the palm (cast-on stitches) in ribbing but instantly realized I had botched it when picking up the back of the hand stitches, so to sort of recoup things--you know, like a kitten who is walking along the back of the couch and falls off, the minute she hits the floor does a quick flip and goes off on another project as if that is what she planned to do all along--I did my own "quick flip" and knitted in garter stitch for a few rounds, then turned the work (creating a small hole which I sewed up at the end...) and began in stockinette stitch to finish up.

Palm side of completed mittens with fingerless mitts covered by conversion bag.

The final additional change I made to Ramona's pattern was to close up the top of the thumb. I thought as I was doing the final convertible knitting that I would make a matching convertible thumb top, but in the interest of sanity and time, I just added four rounds of knitting and closed it up.  Fine!  The mittens are done, and don't look too awful.  They are a tad large for the recipient, but she will grow, plus she is a heavy-duty player-in-the-snow so I think she will find them perfect as her hands will stay warm for a very long time with this Bartlettyarn.

So---convertible mittens pair number one, DONE!