The YarnTotingBlog

Despite slicing my thumb open last Friday I have still been able to knit. Although I don’t need to wear the splint so much now, I still can’t bend it but it has proven more of a challenge to crocheting than to knitting, quite to my surprise. Of course, the fact that I’ve been working on butterfly wings in size 10 thread doesn’t help much.

This week I have plans to conquer this doily. I started it weeks ago with so much enthusiasm and plans for more in different colors. Now I will be happy just to finish this one. All these butterfly wings are not fun. At this point I still have eleven large wings and all twenty small wings left to complete and of course they all still need to be attached both to the bodies and to the doily. There is a certain monotony to a pattern in knitting and crocheting that can be quite relaxing and meditative. This is not that kind of monotony. This is like trudging through knee deep mud barefoot because your shoes and socks were sucked off moments after beginning the hike through the mangroves (recollections of a poorly planned school field trip - you can imagine how impressed the bus driver was on our return).

I have never made anything for my mother so I took the idea to her and she said she’d love an afghan and I found something that should prove quite a satisfying challenge. It will be my first knit blanket and I’m looking forward to starting but I really want to knock out at least this doily first because I just can’t stand having so many WIPs. I’ll post more on the intended afghan once this doily has been defeated.

This is the Butterfly Doily currently in progress, awaiting it’s butterflies.

They were going to be multi-colored but the thread I bought looks hideous when crocheted into a butterfly so they’re going to be black butterflies which will suit my decor better anyway. However, if anyone can recommend a pretty, multi-colored size 10 thread or a place I might be able to find one, I would appreciate it for future projects. I’m also taking suggestions on what to do with a brightly multi-colored thread that looks awful when crocheted into a butterfly or a doily. Below is the thread and the butterfly parts made with it. I frogged the doily I attempted because it was scaring my husband.

Filet Butterfly Doily

Made with size 10 thread and a size 7 hook. The free pattern can be found here.

I’m not entirely sure why it turned out far more oval than circular. Any ideas or tips would be appreciated. Could it be that my stitches were too tight and therefore short?

During this project I learned the filet increase and decrease and the hardest part was trying to block an oblong shape. This is the first project I’ve had to do so much frogging and reworking but it was worth it for the lessons learned.

It is now looking very pretty in DD’s bedroom.

Finished Thursday, 05-01-08.