Butterfly Shawl Crochet Along from knit.1 mag

[OnceUponAHook]

Bonnie, that's beautiful! I love how you did the fringe in two colors. They look plenty long to me.

 

Now, back to my thread selections...

 

Thanks - The original length was 19" inches long - 7" inches longer than mine! Unless, at 42, I grow some I had to go for the 12" inches. I played with it but thought it lost something with anything shorter than 12" inch fringe.

 

I really wanted to fringe it with torn white and orange chiffon, but could not find any orange chiffon here in town at all.

[OnceUponAHook]

That is absolutely stunning - can't believe how the colours make it look so elegant! Not that the original isn't of course, but I just couldn't stop looking at your version, and that's the word that came to mind - "elegant"

Congratulations, it was worth the effort indeed.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words. I had a lot of fun doing this while I had to stay in bed for 2 weeks after surgery.

 

Everyone - get your yarn and start making little butterflies!

[funkyreporter]

Bonnie, that is GORGEOUS! Hoorah:cheer A finished Butterfly Shawl!

 

I have ten ecru colored butterflies done, two 'bruise' colored, and two messing around with other colors!

[funkyreporter]

Well, creating this butterfly shawl has become like a second job for me... the pay being the joy I get from making it...

 

After the agonizing decision of thread color (ended up with several) I found that I needed a ball winder for the HUGE cones of pink and brown Halcyon thread that I ordered... so I researched what y'all had to say about ball winders in various threads and found me one on eBay.

 

Then I decided I needed something to hold my thread that isn't in balls, the regular thread that you buy at Michael's that is cellophane shrink wrapped, 'cause the balls were misbehaving and tangling on each other. I came up with this idea and husband made it a reality.

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/threadholder008.jpg

 

this is two posts (short table legs) screwed into a piece of wood to hold the two balls of thread. It didn't work because every time the thread got to the bottom it would get stuck...

 

Plan B:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/threadholder011.jpg

 

now this is a very cool box that has a flip top lid with a small shelf (prefect for hooks and scissors and such) and also opens at the front to put balls of thread! How cool is that!

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/threadholder009.jpg

and if you're thinking, wait, those look like TOILET PAPER HOLDERS, you are correct! I realized I needed something that would spin loosely and I saw a 'thread holder' in a crochet catalog for the amazing price of only $40 plus shipping and handling, and it looked like a toilet paper holder... so I went in the loo and replaced the toilet paper with a ball of thread! I realized I was on to something but that my choices were to either have my husband install a second toilet paper holder and do all my thread crochet in the bathroom, or go get a couple TP holders at Lowe's. Just so happened these pretty wood ones were on clearance for $3.97, we already had the box, and hubby is more than handy with power tools!

 

If anyone else feels they can't go another day without one of these handy gadgets and you need any help (it's pretty self explanatory, but hey, never know) just drop me a PM and I'll see what we can do.

 

Off to make butterflies!

[maria isabel vazquez]

Hi Bonnie, Great job, Congratulations. Your swall is just wonderful..I´m new here, is this pattern available???. Thanks for sharing your job with us. p>

Here are the finished pictures of the completed shawl. I did the butterflies with 1 strand of Patons Grace and the mesh with 1 strand of a nice mercerized cotton and achieved the same gauge. I made my fringe only hang 12" long as I am not overly tall. Thanks guys - this was fun. </p>

 

There are a couple of more pics of the shawl on my blog. Thanks for looking.

[sakurasaku]

... my choices were to either have my husband install a second toilet paper holder and do all my thread crochet in the bathroom, or go get a couple TP holders at Lowe's.

 

:lol:lol

 

Brilliant design. Does your yarn winder make center-pull balls so you don't need this contraption for the Halcyon thread? I don't know anything about them...do they all make center-pull skeins? That would make a lot of sense, so maybe I'm just being a bit slow here...

[funkyreporter]

:lol:lol

 

Brilliant design. Does your yarn winder make center-pull balls so you don't need this contraption for the Halcyon thread? I don't know anything about them...do they all make center-pull skeins? That would make a lot of sense, so maybe I'm just being a bit slow here...

 

NO, my dear, I am the slow... I haven't received my ball winder yet, but I'll be sure to let you know if it makes center pull skeins... wouldn't that be delightful!

 

My contraption is for those 'ready made' balls of thread as pictured that unwind from the outside - and it's very effective! Oh, the pride I felt... until my children saw it and wanted to know why I had toilet paper holders mounted on a box... they were also quite confused over the balls of string I had left ON the toilet paper holder in the bathroom... oops.

 

I'll be sure to give you updates on my center pull skein ball winder when it arrives! I'm just giddy with anticipation:yay

[OnceUponAHook]

Hi Bonnie, Great job, Congratulations. Your swall is just wonderful..I´m new here, is this pattern available???. Thanks for sharing your job with us. p>

 

Thanks for the compliments.

 

The pattern is from the magazine - Knit.1, Summer 2006 Issue. Go to www.knit1mag.com. It is published about 4 times a year. Has both knit and crochet patterns!

[creativepassage]

I'm slowly making progress! So far I have 3 butterflies attatched. I really wanted to do more tonight but I really, really need to get busy on my homework...sheesh....

 

http://www.unravelings.net/currentprojects/butterflyprogress.jpg

[funkyreporter]

I'm slowly making progress! So far I have 3 butterflies attatched. I really wanted to do more tonight but I really, really need to get busy on my homework...sheesh....

 

http://www.unravelings.net/currentprojects/butterflyprogress.jpg

 

WOW!!! That is striking! I love that you hooked them together... maybe I should do that. And that blue is absolutely gorgeous! You really are doing a wonderful job! BRAVO I have ten done and I put the mesh on them but I haven't hooked them together yet... perhaps seeing a more 'finished' looking item would be encouraging! I have about 10 WIPs right now and just joined another CAL!

 

I know what you mean about homework... not exactly sure if you're talking about school homework or work homework, but I had a transcript due in court tomorrow that just came off the printer about an hour ago... oh, 218 pages long. The printer kept jamming and I just wanted to heave everything out the window, except it would squish my flowers and that would make me more annoyed. But it's done now, ready to present to the court tomorrow... and I got to crochet for a bit... oh, yeah, I started another project:eek ...

 

I think I'll get back to butterflies next week...

[funkyreporter]

 

I'll be sure to give you updates on my center pull skein ball winder when it arrives! I'm just giddy with anticipation:yay

 

Woo-hoo! This thing is FUN!!!! It does make center pull skeins and it's really easy to use and it WORKS! I had to frog a shawl:( so I just put the end of the thread onto the ball winder and started turning and it unraveled it right into a big ball of yarn! Very cool! Now I will be able to make my large sized cones of Halcyon thread into smaller balls so I'll be able to hold the required number of strands together!

[dogymom]

I'm slowly making progress! So far I have 3 butterflies attatched. I really wanted to do more tonight but I really, really need to get busy on my homework...sheesh....

 

http://www.unravelings.net/currentprojects/butterflyprogress.jpg

 

WOW! That is gorgeous!!!! My DD loves this shawl, and has hinted for me to make it.

[creativepassage]

I know what you mean about homework... not exactly sure if you're talking about school homework or work homework, but I had a transcript due in court tomorrow that just came off the printer about an hour ago... oh, 218 pages long. The printer kept jamming and I just wanted to heave everything out the window, except it would squish my flowers and that would make me more annoyed. But it's done now, ready to present to the court tomorrow... and I got to crochet for a bit... oh, yeah, I started another project:eek ...

 

I think I'll get back to butterflies next week...

 

LOL, acutally both would definitely be accurate in my case! It's actually school homework. I've been a substitute teacher for over 5 years and am now finally getting around to finishing my credential.....I definitely like giving homework more than doing my own!!!

 

I decided to try the adding them as I go because when I whip stitch blocks together it looks terrible and I didn't want to ruin the butterflies.

[sakurasaku]

I'm slowly making progress! So far I have 3 butterflies attatched. I really wanted to do more tonight but I really, really need to get busy on my homework...sheesh....

 

http://www.unravelings.net/currentprojects/butterflyprogress.jpg

 

Wow, your butterflies are gorgeous, and you did a beautiful job putting the squares together! I love that type of blue.

[Fidgement]

I bought the magazine on ebay so when it arrives, i'll be in! Now, questions on thread. I can slowly add Cebelia cotton to my stash using percentage off coupons. I have white and would like to do the b'flies in different shades. Has anyone done it this way? I saw the peach and white colored one which turned out beautifully and I know, if left to myself, I'll end up choosing all pastels since I'm partial to pink and purle shades. So, any input from anyone else would be greatly appreciated!!! I really need to finish some WIP's so I don't feel so guilty about doing this. This shawl is too beautiful!!! :yes

[funkyreporter]

I bought the magazine on ebay so when it arrives, i'll be in! Now, questions on thread. I can slowly add Cebelia cotton to my stash using percentage off coupons. I have white and would like to do the b'flies in different shades. Has anyone done it this way? I saw the peach and white colored one which turned out beautifully and I know, if left to myself, I'll end up choosing all pastels since I'm partial to pink and purle shades. So, any input from anyone else would be greatly appreciated!!! I really need to finish some WIP's so I don't feel so guilty about doing this. This shawl is too beautiful!!! :yes

 

I know it's quite a bit, but.... if you go through some of the prior posts in this thread a few people have put up pictures of the two-toned butterflies or links to pictures. Also there is a link to Halcyon thread (fabulous stuff) and of course DON'T forget to download the correction. The pattern is constructed of something like 21 large butterfly motifs and (I think) 9 small butterfly motifs - the correction is in the small butterfly motif and is available on Noreen's blog and probably in the corrections section of the knit.1 web site!

 

I know what you mean about needing to finish WIP's! It seems lately I'm starter of many, finisher of few:no

[Fidgement]

Hi Paulette,

 

I scrolled through all the posts and got to see many of the photos, etc... I'm just at a loss to the amounts, etc...

 

What size Halycon thread did you get? While I was at Michaels today, I compared some #3 cotton to Patons Grace, and they were pretty close in size. I know the lady who made the peach colored one used one strand of Patons grace, so I bought a some of the size 3 to experiment with.

[OnceUponAHook]

Hi Paulette,

 

I scrolled through all the posts and got to see many of the photos, etc... I'm just at a loss to the amounts, etc...

 

What size Halycon thread did you get? While I was at Michaels today, I compared some #3 cotton to Patons Grace, and they were pretty close in size. I know the lady who made the peach colored one used one strand of Patons grace, so I bought a some of the size 3 to experiment with.

 

The #3 Cotton threads will be equivalent to Patons Grace. I used about 4 1/2 skeins of Patons Grace (I think). Was confined to the bed and Perocet at the time from surgery. That's how I finished it in about a week and a half.

[Fidgement]

Bonnie,

 

Thanks for the quick reply! I was unsure as to color and yarn type and the thought of dye lots ran rampant:eek .

Thanks again!

[funkyreporter]

Fidgement, the original design as written by Noreen calls for 12 balls of #100 White Lion Crochet Cotton, 400 yards per ball and a size B (2.25mm) hook and a size F (3,75mm) hook, and you hold four strands together for the butterfly bodies and then a singel strand for the mesh. This thread is supposed to be equivelent to #10 thread.

 

My experience, I bought the #10 thread (not the Lion Brand #100 Cotton) and I could NOT get four strands of it to work with a size F hook so I've been holding two strands together and it looks good to me. I have also used Royale Gemini Double Strand Crochet Thread which is two strands 'wound' together and is equal to #3... I also used Patons Grace and that worked... experimenting here!

 

I orderd some thread from Halcyon in #10 and surprisingly it was finer than what I bought at Michael's and I was able to hold four strands together for that. Go figure...

 

The fun thing about this has been seeing all the different interpretations people have come up with... and by the way, Noreen spins her own yarns and threads!

 

So have fun, pick some colors you like, maybe you could fool around with the smaller butterfly motif while you're waiting for your magazine to come... here's the link http://www.knit1.com/correction-2006su.php and it's pattern number 10!

 

Show us what you come up with, ask for help if you need it, and most of all HAVE FUN:yay

[Fidgement]

While I'm still waiting for the pattern to arrive, I have been playing with the little corrected trianlgle b'fly. I'm using the single strand #3 Royale Fashion crochet cotton which has a nice sheen to it. If anyone knows how it will hold up with washing, please let me know. I'm also using the Cebelia #10 thread for the mesh. I'm not finished yet, but when I am, I'll post a pic. The Cebelia is kind of weird to work with. Its sort of stiff like the manufacturer put some kind of coating on it. This is my first experience crocheting with it so all comments are welcome. The Halcyon thread is really tempting. Paulette, have you worked with any of it yet and how are you liking it?

 

Thats it for now!! How is everyone else doing?

[funkyreporter]

The Halcyon is real quality stuff! I would definitely suggest getting the swatch card (I think it's $2 or something, no S&H) and it not only gives samples of all the colors but also in the different sizes... it is a dream to work with, too! I'm making my daughter a bed throw thing using four strands of #10 Halcyon in a pink shade with one strand of #10 in a medium brown shade... I'll have to take a picture to post...

 

As far as the other thread you mentioned, I personally don't have experience working with it but hopefully somebody will and can tell you how it washes up!

 

Can't wait to see a pic of your little butterfly!

[Fidgement]

The pattern arrived today! I think I see why she used 4 strands, weight and demension/texture. The pictures are gorgeous. Of course, now I'm rethinking my thread choices! I may just use regular size 10. I have some laying around and think I should work one up to see the difference, and then go from there.

 

Anyway, I'll keep y'all posted. I hope everyone's having a good week!

Cheers:yay

[Fidgement]

I was about to post a pic of my small b'fly when I realized my dh made off with the camera. So, I'm feverishly working away on the large one with four strands of cotton. I'll post the pic later!

 

Cheers!

[Fidgement]

DH brought the camera back, so here goes...