The Butterfly Project

Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all well today. I’m somewhat tired on account of staying up way past my usual bedtime last night in order to make another butterfly and to write a pattern to share with everyone.
In an earlier post I did say I would let you have more details about The Butterfly Project sometime this week. well here are the details.

In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting
1.5 million handmade butterflies.
The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember.
As of Summer 2008, we have already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies.
You can find the full details at http://www.hmh.org/minisite/butterfly/
You can handcraft you butterflies from a variety of media but the organisation states the following.

• Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.
• Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred.
• Glitter should not be used.
• Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used.

I think this is a great project to get involved in and I hope that all of you will too. I have created a Flickr group for everyone to post their butterflies on here http://www.flickr.com/groups/1194157@N20/

I have also written the following crochet pattern for a butterfly which I hope will be useful to fellow crochet chums everywhere. Of course you don’t need to stick to crochet any craft will suffice. This is a tremendous project for children to participate in and express themselves.
The Butterfly
The last, the very last, So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow. Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone....
Such, such a yellow Is carried lightly ’way up high. It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye. For seven weeks I’ve lived in here, Penned up inside this ghetto. But I have found what I love here. The dandelions call to me And the white chestnut branches in the court. Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one. Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.
Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942
Born in Prague on January 7, 1921. Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942. Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.
I have posted the crochet pattern on a separate page so that people can link directly to it. http://www.goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/2009/09/holocaust-butterfly-pattern-crochet.html

Holocaust Butterfly Pattern - Crochet

Holocaust Butterfly Pattern - Crochet

This pattern is relatively simple but you will need to work in reverse for the opposite wings, otherwise they will both be the wrong way around, hopefully this makes sense. One of the wings will be the correct way up and the opposite one will be upside down, if you don‘t work in reverse. The butterfly is a great stash buster and you can use a variety of oddments to make it up.

This pattern is offered and made available for personal use only. If you wish to reproduce this pattern any way please contact me or make sure that reference is made to the original author’s blog http://www.goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/ Thank you

Materials:
10 different colours in very small amounts - DK was used here.
(approx. 25g weight)
Hook 4.5mm US G or 6/7
Darning Needle
Stitch marker or safety pin if required.

C1 - Dusky Pink
C2 - Aqua
C3 - Baby Pink
C4 - Mauve
C5 - Lavender
C6 - Blue Tweed
C7 - China Blue
C8 - Aubergine
C9 - Aqua Mix
C10 - Jade

Stitches:
Ch - chain
SC- throughout (UK) dc - throughout (US)
SL ST - slip stitch
inc - Increase - by crocheting 2 stitches into 1 st.
dec - Decrease - by crocheting two Sts together.

Body
The body of the butterfly is worked in a continuous oval, work around the oval.

Using C1 - Chain 15, turn to begin.

1St Round - SC into second ST in chain, SC x 12, SC three times into next ST, x12, SC twice into next ST.

2nd Round - Changer Colour C2, place a stitch marker in at this point, if required. SC into next ST, SC twice into the next ST, SC x 11, SC twice into the next ST, SC x2, SC twice into next ST, SC x11, SC twice into next ST, SC x2

3rd Round - Change colour C3, SC twice into next ST, SC x13, SC twice into next ST, SC twice into next ST, SC x 14, SC twice into next ST 2

4th Round - twice into the next ST, SC x15, Sl ST, Fasten off. Leave a tail and sew in.,

Wings

Both wings are alike. Begin with the right side wing and work in colour changes as shown. When you complete 1st colour on the right hand wing then work that row/s on the left hand side in reverse. For example - Rows 1 & 2 same colour. Once complete transfer yarn to opposite sides and work Rows 1 & 2 reading the stitches in reverse order. This seems complicated but isn’t really once he pattern starts to take shape.

Row 1 - Join new colour of yarn C1, on either side. SC x 14, Ch 1, turn

Row 2 - SC x 4, SC twice into next two ST (inc.), SC x3, Skip next ST and SC 2nd ST (dec.), SC x2, double SC into next ST (inc). 1 SC,

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colour 1 and work the above rows in reverse.

Row 3 - CC C4, Ch 1, SC x 10, SC into second ST, (dec). SC x3, SC twice into final stitch (inc), turn

Row 4 - CH 1, SC x 5, (dec) 1 (SC into second ST), SC x 4, (Inc) SC twice into next two stitches, SC x 2 Ch 1, turn

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colour 4 and work the above rows in reverse.

Row 5 - CC C5, SC twice into next ST (inc), SC x 3, SC twice into next ST (inc), SC, SC twice into next ST (inc), SC x 4, SC twice into final ST (inc), turn.

Row 6 - CC C6, SC twice into next 3 Sts (inc), SC x3, (dec) x 2, SC twice into next four Sts (inc), SC x4, SC twice into next ST (inc), Chain 1 turn.

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colours 5 and then 6 and work the above rows in reverse.

Row 7 - SC x 16, (dec) 1, SC x 8, SC three times into next ST (inc), Ch, Turn.

Row 8 - CC C7 - SC X7, SC twice into next two Sts (inc), SC X2, (dec) 1, SC X3, SC twice into next five Sts (inc). SC X7, SC twice into next ST (inc), Ch, turn.

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colour 7 and the 8 work the above rows in reverse.

Row 9 - SC x 20, (dec) x 2, SC X11, Ch1, turn

Row 10 - CC C8 - SC X11, SC twice into the next two Sts (inc), SC X7, SC twice into each of the following five Sts (inc), SC X6, Ch1, turn

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colours 8 and then 9 work the above rows in reverse.

Row 11 - SC second ST in (dec), SC X21, (dec) 1, SC X1, Slip St, bind off - mid wing.

Row 12 - Join new CC C9 at bottom of the wing - SC second ST in, SC X10, (dec) x 2, SC X20, Ch 1, turn

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colour 4 and work the above rows in reverse.

Row 13 - SC second ST in (dec), SC X18, (dec) 1, SC 1, SL ST, Bind off

Row 14 - Join CC C3, Ch 1, SC into second ST (dec), SC x 21, (dec) 1, SC X5, Ch1, turn

Row 15 - SC x4, (dec) 1, SC X21, Bind off.

Now working on the opposite wing fasten on colours 9 then 3 and work the above rows in reverse.

Before completing last row sew all ends in.

Row 16 - CC C10, SC around the entire butterfly use SC twice into a stitch at all turns on the wings.

* Please email me any corrections that you may discover.

Find my Handmade Silver Crochet or Knitting Stitch Markers here

Crochet http://goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/2009/09/crochet-stitch-markers.html Knitting http://goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.com/2009/09/knitting-stitch-markers.html