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Friday, 31 March 2017

FREE PATTERN: The Last Butterfly Scarf

For ages I've been looking for the right yarn and the right pattern to make a beautiful scarf for a beautiful lady - it had to be girly and classy, based around purple/black, able to be dressed up and dressed down... a seemingly impossible quandary! 

But then the Australian stockist of Wolltraum, Blayney Sew N More had a sale on Facebook, and ... The Last Unicorn was on offer. Just a 150g cake, but I just KNEW it was the right yarn for this project! It fades from baby pink through to black, with a gorgeous sparkly thread through it.



Next challenge: the right pattern. It needed to be a regular shape (so rectangular, not too modern and asymmetric, and definitely not frilly), a design that worked well with the slow-colour-change yarn, used about 150g of yarn to get the whole effect of the colour change... Yeah, there wasn't anything out there that really ticked all the boxes AND tickled my buttons. But then I found this beautiful triangular shawl of multi-row butterflies and fell in love! 


(c) NJSharon (ravelry.com)
I searched high and low for a straight version of the pattern and found nothing. So, with much swearing, graphing and calculating, I figured it out! As I was making it, I thought - what if there are others like me who want to make a straight scarf using these butterflies!? So, to save you all the effort, the pattern (and chart!) is written out below and I've called it The Last Butterfly Scarf in homage to both the butterflies and yarn :) I am indebted to njSharon and Debi Adams for the beautiful butterfly sequence of stitches.  

The final product came out exactly how I wanted it. Kindly modelled by my friend Alice, it could be worn as a normal scarf, or as a wrap to dress up an outfit!



You can find, queue and favourite this pattern on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-last-butterfly-scarf

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FREE PATTERN: THE LAST BUTTERFLY SCARF
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Finished size: 165cm x 20cm (65" x 8")

Materials

- Wolltraum Glitter Party 150g in "The Last Unicorn"
- 3.5mm hook
- Yarn needle
- Scissors

All stitches are in US/American terminology

fsc - foundation sc (photo tutorial here
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
tc - treble crochet
ssdc - stacked standing double crochet: sc into target stitch. Insert hook under two leftmost strands of sc, yarn over hook to do a second sc.



Instructions

Foundation: 359fsc, ch1, turn. To make your scarf longer or shorter, add or subtract fsc in multiples of 14. 

Row 1: ssdc in first stitch. *dc in next 7 st, ch7, skip 7 st* repeat ** to end of row, dc in last 8st. ch1, turn.

Row 2: Repeat Row 1.

Row 3: ssdc in first stitch, dc in next 6 dc. *2dc in next dc, ch2, tc into 4th skipped sc of Foundation below enclosing chains, ch2, 2dc in next dc, dc in next 5dc* repeat ** to end of row, dc in last 2 dc. ch1, turn.

Row 4: sc in first st, sc in next 8 st. *2sc in ch2 space, sc in tc, 2sc in ch2 space, sc in next 9st* repeat ** to end of row. ch1, turn.

Row 5: ssdc in first st. dc in next 14 st. *ch7, skip 7 st, dc in next 7 st* repeat ** to end of row, dc in last 8 dc. ch1, turn.

Row 6: Repeat Row 5

Row 7: ssdc in first stitch, dc in next 13 dc. *2dc in next dc, ch2, tc into 4th skipped sc of Row 4 below enclosing chains, ch2, 2dc in next dc, dc in next 5dc* repeat ** to end of row, dc in last 9 dc. ch1, turn.

Row 8: sc in first st, sc in next 15 st. *2sc in ch2 space, sc in tc, 2sc in ch2 space, sc in next 9st* repeat ** to end of row, sc in last 7 st. ch1, turn.


Repeat Rows 1-8 twice, then do Rows 1-4 again, finishing off after Row 4. 

Weave in ends and block with many pins to make the butterflies show off their sparkles!



Chart 
(using standard US crochet symbols)




44 comments:

  1. Both the yarn and the pattern are gorgeous! Adding to my ravelry queue and pinning for later!

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  2. I can't wait to whip up this beauty for myself. Thank you for the pattern!

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  3. This is gorgeous! Thanks for going through the hard work and writing the pattern out! =)

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    1. Well, I figured if it was useful for me it'd be useful for others as well :)

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  4. Such a gorgeous scarf/wrap, you should be proud of both the finished garment and the pattern. Thanks for sharing and the mention, I really appreciate it Michelle. :)

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  5. I love this pattern and have started making it. I've got the hang of the fsc's, but when I do the ssdc it doesn't come out as high as a normal dc, so I'm not sure I'm doing it right and can't find it on youtube (let alone a lefties version!). Can you please clarify this stitch for me? Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sylvia! The key is to make your single crochets nice and loose - Mrs Micawber has a more detailed photo tutorial: http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/crochet-turning-chain-alternatives.html :)

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    2. Thanks for your response, I'll be trying that next. In the meantime I've been using a standing double crochet instead. Although there seems to be a couple of variants of that on YouTube, so maybe I'm doing something else entirely!
      Compliments again on the pattern, it's so easy!

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    3. It doesn't really matter how you do the ch3 alternative :) I'm glad you like the pattern!

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  6. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Was trying to figure this out for myself and am just not at that level yet.

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  7. I am a fairly novice... I do not really know how to read charts, so I have been going off the row instructions. I am currently undoing row 2. I might be wrong, but if I "repeat row 1" my spaces are opposite of my dc's. Should I add 7 stitches to the foundation so that no matter which end I start my row from they match or is this only an error in the Row 2 instructions?

    I am super excited to make this, I am absolutely not criticising, I really am unsure and want to succeed! THANK YOU!!!!

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    1. Great catch! Row 1 should have read "dc in the last 8st", and I've fixed that now :) Thank you!!

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    2. I just had the same problem so I know what you mean...if you do the amount of fscs recommended for the pattern then there's no way you can end with 8 dc...I just added 8 more fscs and it worked out great.

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    3. Yep that was my error, and I've fixed it now :)

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    4. i'm having the same issue with row 2. if I do 351 fscs then I get 25 repeats of the 14 stitch section with one stitch left over. so if I repeat row 1 for row 2, I get the offset that is mentioned above which isn't right. should I assume I need to add the 8 fscs like others have suggested or am I doing something else wrong?

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    5. This was me last year! I just forgot to say, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love this so much I am just now starting a second one for a very dear friend.
      LOVE LOVE LOVE this pattern, thank you Michelle!

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  8. Thank you for this beautiful pattern!! I have been looking for something to make with my 150 gram cake I have stashed and this just caught my eye and I am gonna start it right now! Thanks again

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  9. I already posted a comment earlier, but I just noticed something and thought I would share it with you. I went to start my project with a 150 gram cake of "Castle of the Hill," and it just so happens the charm is a butterfly!!!! I thought that was pretty awesome. Thanks again for this beautiful pattern!

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    Replies
    1. It was meant to be! Create a project on Ravelry?? I'd love to see your scarf :)

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    2. I started a project on Ravelry. I will add some pics as soon as there is enough to see which will probably be later on tonight lol

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  10. Beautiful pattern thank you very much Michelle.

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  11. I cannot for the life of me get the hang of the fscs. I attempted to do it the old fashioned way and got up to Row 2 and had the same problems as previously mentioned with the offset spaces. Before I start over from the beginning, the foundation is supposed to be 359, not 351, correct? I love this pattern and I refuse to be beaten by yarn *lol*

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    Replies
    1. You’re right! I’ve edited the pattern - thanks lovely :)

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  12. I’m so glad I found your rectangular version of the beautiful butterfly pattern. The woman’s league in my city is asking for rectangular shawls with a hopeful meaning to be donated to the safe shelters for victims of domestic (and other) violence so they know they aren’t alone. This is so perfect. Thank you for figuring it AND publishing g for us to use!

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    1. My pleasure! I'm so glad that other people are finding it useful :)

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  13. I dont understand the foundation chain could you please explain it. Im trying to make this for a resident i take care of.

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    1. Hi there! I did a photo tutorial of the foundation chain here: https://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.com/2015/04/tutorial-foundation-single-crochet.html Or, google "foundation single crochet" and I'm sure you'll find a youtube video tutorial as well :)

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  14. I've been looking up Wolltraum Glitter Party 150g, but it comes in different ply's - can you please confirm which ply I should buy?

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  15. Never mind, I found the actual Last Unicorn yarn, and it only comes in 4 ply.

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    Replies
    1. Phew! I'm sorry I didn't see your comment earlier in the week xx

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  16. Wow, I love the ease of this pattern! Did 8 rows to get the feel of it and have decided that I am going to load my yarn with crystal bicones, clear with AB finish on them, and in the first work of the TC, (YO twice, draw up a loop, YO... before I pull through the first 2 loops on the hook) I am going to slide up a crystal at the butterfly's head. Thank you for helping me relax and create something beautiful.

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  17. I don't understand the pictures in the pattern. You are making a circle but where is this circle in the pattern?
    You are correct about someone else looking for a rectangular version of the butterfly stitch!! That someone was ME for sure. Thank you so much for this but can you tell me what the pictures of the starting circle are for? Thank you~!!!

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  18. I just figured it out. Sorry! It was how to do a SSDC. Thank you!

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    1. Sorry that was unclear!! I'm glad you figured it out :)

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  19. Greetings Michelle from the coast of Oregon USA
    Your design is perfect on this beautiful day. I am grateful for people like yourself who care to share with the world some beauty and hope!
    Michele

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  20. Hi! I just have a minor fix to your instructions. When you say that you can add or subtract FSCs in multiples of 14 to adjust your length, it should really say multiples of 14 +2. That accounts for the initial SSDC and ending extra DC in row 2. Thanks for the pattern!

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  21. hi may i know if the butterflies are supposed to be upside down ? i have to flip my project to get the right pattern right ?

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