Knit Projects Covered with Butterflies

Butterflies are a common source of inspiration for all sorts of artists, and their colors and shapes are a lot of fun for knitters, too. Check out these knitting patterns that include butterfly motifs.

If you want to start simple, try this knit and purl butterfly washcloth pattern from Daisy and Storm. This project uses DK weight yarn and can be used as a washcloth if knit in cotton, or use other fibers and knit a bunch to make a blanket. Both written and charted patterns are included.

You can also make butterflies with eyelets as on this blanket knitting pattern from Knit Hit Shop. The pattern notes say “medium or somewhat heavier yarn,” but given that the pattern also calls for a US4/3.5 mm knitting needle I feel like you might want sport weight or DK yarn instead. It’s meant to be a throw blanket size, so hitting the exact measurements probably isn’t vital.

I also like the mosaic knit Butterfly Flight pattern, which can be used a coaster or potholder, depending on what weight of yarn you use. The pattern is by Arella Seaton and calls for worsted weight to make a washcloth or fingering or sport weight to make a colorful set of coasters. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

If monarchs are your favorite, you can try the Monarchs of the Central Coast beanie pattern from Nancy Bates (Ravelry), which calls for worsted weight yarn and fits an average adult.

Swallowtail fans can stitch up the Swallowtail sweater from Jamie Hoffman, which calls for fingering weight yarn and is a top down circular yoke pattern with stranded colorwork as well as stripes. The pattern comes in 10 sizes with a chest measurement from 28 to 64 inches (71 to 162.5 cm) and you can find it on Ravelry.

How about some butterfly socks? Coriander’s Butterfly Sock (Ravelry) features butterflies around the leg and on the heel flap. These short socks are worked from the top down and there are eight sizes available in this free pattern download.

There’s a lot to like about the Eloise Bandana from Katryn Seeburger. This cute little colorwork triangle can be worked as a bandana or kerchief size or a bigger shawlette.

It’s worked in two colors of fingering weight yarn so you can use whatever yarn you have in your stash and just make it as big as you can (since it is worked from the bottom up).

You can see the two sizes from the photo, and also two colorwork options: strawberries and lily of the valley.

But that’s not all the choices you have. In fact, there are 34 different charts you can choose from to knit onto your project. Some of the options include happy faces, a lobster, a pumpkin, a snail and a butterfly. There are cherries, peaches, tomatoes and radishes.

There’s even a blank square you can use to draw your own little design if you want to use something else. Or keep it blank and make it a plain checkerboard design.

And while both of these shawls use the same icons throughout, you could also use different designs throughout if you want. Say a fall version with a bat, pumpkin, leaf and acorn, or a summer beach theme with sailboat, fish, lobster and a bird? I keep suggesting four different icons because the larger size has four rows of squares, but the smaller has three, so you could do stripes of the same icon or alternate a couple of different ones, whatever you like.

Look through the finished projects on the Ravelry project page to see lots of different options, from rows to individual icons. There are also some projects that are smaller than the suggested size to make a smaller bandana. You could also keep going a make a bigger shawl working increases in the same way as you have been going.

Check out all the details and grab a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Katryn Seeburger]

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