Snowflake Monday

I finally finished making owls from every color of thread I hand-dyed last year! And now, I'm free to try butterflies!

"Butterflies are free to fly, fly away..."


Yes, I've been a wee bit happy busy!


I don't know yet if I will make a butterfly of every single color in my hand-dyed stash, but I'm planning at least three butterfly snowflakes. Who knows what else I will come up with during this new winged journey! (I am planning to make a heart-winged dragonfly from every color...)

Today's butterfly motif initially was inspired by free patterns all over the internet... the thick, heavy yarn butterfly you craft by making a granny square-type motif, then folding it in half and twisting a pipe cleaner over it to form the butterfly's body and antennae. I made one last year from thread, and it was cute, but I kept thinking that's an awful lot of thread. Plus, the doubled wings make for a rather beefy motif, not necessarily suitable for inclusion on a lightweight, airy snowflake.


I played with the pattern a bit last year during Ride the Rockies until I came up with my own two-dimensional version. After finishing this year's owls, I took up the butterfly challenge to perfect today's snowflake pattern.


There are moments when I think perhaps it might be super cool to go ahead and make a butterfly from each color of thread in my collection. Can you imagine the baby mobile I could create??? But then it's time to get off the train, or go back to work after lunch, and spending another two or three months making butterflies takes away just a bit of the freedom aspect.

I guess it depends on how fast I grow bored with making the same thing over and over and over again. I never grew bored of making the owls. (And I never stop running out of ideas for how to use all those cute little owls!) Sometimes after making too many of something, I say I'll never make another __________ (fill in the blank) as long as I live, and so far, the only things I've stuck to my vow on are the tiny sloths and the felt Dickinson band costumes with hundreds of buttonholes for Christmas lights to be poked through for the Christmas Parade of Lights.


Okay, so maybe I don't hate sloths after all…


This week's Moda Blockheads quilt block isn't crocheted snowflake-friendly, but that sure didn't stop me from appliquéing a butterfly flake to my own improvised quilt block...


You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes and/or butterflies you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 8 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in two or more colors, size 7 crochet hook, three butterfly motifs, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Butterfly Motif Instructions (Make 3.)

Make magic ring.

Row 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in ring, * ch 3, 2 dc in ring; repeat from * 4 times; turn. Pull magic ring tight.

Row 2: [In next ch 3 sp work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 3, 3 dc; in next ch 3 sp work 3 dc, ch 3, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 dc] 2 times; turn.

Row 3: In next ch 3 sp work 3 dc, 1 tr, 1 dtr, 1 trtr, ch 3, sl st in top of trtr just worked, 2 trtr, 2 dtr, 2 tr, 3 dc; 1 sc in next gap between 3/dc shells, in next ch 3 sp work 6 dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, 6 dc; 1 sc between next 2 sc, in next ch 3 sp work 6 dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, 6 dc; 1 sc in next gap between 3/dc shells, in next ch 3 sp work 3 dc, 2 tr, 2 dtr, 2 trtr, ch 3, sl st in top of trtr just made, 1 trtr, 1 dtr, 1 tr, 3 dc; sl st to magic ring, 1 sc around middle of butterfly, between wings, to form body; bind off. Tie starting tail and ending tail in knot and trim as antennae.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.


Butterfly Pyramid Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through 2nd ch of starting ch 2 and replace loop on hook, pull loop through ch (beginning popcorn stitch made), [ch 5, 5 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc (popcorn stitch made)] 2 times; ch 2, 1 tr in top of starting popcorn st to form 3rd ch 5 sp of Round. Pull magic ring tight.

Round 2: Beginning popcorn stitch over post of tr directly below, [ch 3, popcorn st in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, popcorn st in same ch 5 sp] 2 times; ch 3, popcorn st in starting ch 5 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in top of starting popcorn to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr), * 1 sc in bottom right picot of butterfly motif, ch 5, 1 tr in sc between top and bottom of wing, ch 5, 1 dc in top of 2nd dtr in top of wing, ch 5, 1 dc in top right butterfly wing picot, ch 3, 1 dc in same picot, ch 5, sk next 2 st, 1 dc in next tr, ch 5, sk over to next tr on left wing and work 1 dc in that tr, ch 5, 1 dc in top left butterfly wing picot, ch 3, 1 dc in same picot, ch 5, sk next 2 trtr, 1 dc in next dtr, ch 5, 1 tr in sc between top and bottom of wing, ch 5, 1 sc in bottom left picot of butterfly motif, 1 tr in next ch 3 sp of flake, ch 3, 1 tr in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 2 times, omitting last ch 3 and last tr of final repeat, ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 to form 3rd ch 3 sp between trs.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Ch 4 (counts as 1 tr), * sk next ch 5 sp, 1 tr in next tr, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, 1 dc in next dc, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in middle ch of next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same ch, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, 1 dc in next dc, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, 1 tr in next tr, sk next ch 5 sp, 1 tr in next ch 3 sp between butterflies; repeat from * around 2 times, omitting last tr of final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4.

Round 5: Ch 15 (counts as 1 tr and * ch 11), 1 dc in 6th ch from hook and in next ch, 1 hd in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch (long spoke tip made), 1 tr in same ch as sl st (or in same middle tr between butterflies on repeats), [1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5] 2 times, [1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3] 2 times, 1 dc in same ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 8, 1 dc in 6th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 sc in same ch 3 sp (short spoke tip made), ch 3, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch 3 sp, ch 5, [1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3] 2 times, 1 dc in same ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, [ch 5, 1 dc in next ch 5 sp] 2 times, 1 tr in middle tr of next 3 tr between butterflies; repeat from * around 2 times, omitting last tr of final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 15.

Round 6: * Working up long spoke tip in bottoms of each st, 1 sc in each of next 6 st, in next ch 5 tip work [1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc], working back down long spoke tip, 1 sc in each of next 6 st, sl st in next tr, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5, 1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, in next ch 3 sp work [1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc], in next ch 3 sp work [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc], in next ch 3 sp work [1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc], ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5, sk next ch 3 sp, sl st in next sc, working up short spoke tip in bottoms of each st, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, in next ch 5 tip work [1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc], working back down long spoke tip, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, sl st in next sc, ch 5, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, in next ch 3 sp work [1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc], in next ch 3 sp work [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc], in next ch 3 sp work [1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc], ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, sl st in next tr; repeat from * around 2 times; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.














Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and My Quilt Infatuation.

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