Flutter Flutter Flutter...

It's been awhile since I've posted anything - I've been busy with L & M and trying to get some presents finished. Not really very good excuses, but they're all I have. Anyway, to make up for it, I thought this time, I would share with you some lovely butterflies that one of the ladies from the Krista group made.

Sue spent quite a bit of time at a hospital recently while her daughter underwent surgery. To fill in the hours, she yarnbombed the place with some butterflies. I think they are gorgeous and hopefully cheered up the day of the other visitors.

What do you think? Would one of these cheer up your day? If so, you're in luck because Sue has graciously shared her pattern with the group and has given me permission to share it with everyone who reads this blog! Hooray for Sue!

Sue's butterfly (© Sue Taylor SmocknBird 2012)
Start with a magic circle or 5 ch joined into a circle
Round 1: 3ch 2dc, 2ch *3dc 2ch* 4x( – 5 3dc groups) 2ch turn work – do not join
Round 2: *3dc 2ch 3dc into 2ch space* 4 X 2ch and join with a slip stitch into top of treb le of previous round. Turn work
Round 3: Work *5 dc into 2ch space, 3ch make picot by sl st into first ch, 5 dc, sl st into space between 3dc groups of previous round* repeat 3X
Slip stitch down to the V. Tighten thread from magic circle but do not weave it – we are going to use it for one of the antennae. Using the working thread cut off about 12 “.
Pull through loop to fasten off.
Wrap thread around body of butterfly about 4 -5 X. Knot both threads together at the top and trim ends to desired length for antennae.
Your butterfly is complete!

I also have a pdf of the pattern that includes step by step photos but can't work out how to upload a pdf to my blog, so if you want a copy, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send one off to you. Otherwise you'll have to wait till I make a couple of my own and take some pictures to post up!

The Krista Ladies

About six months ago, Spotlight started a "block a week" crochet project on their Facebook page. There were 25 blocks in all and once you finished all the blocks, you joined them together to make your "Krista" throw rug. Shortly after this started, the Krista Crochet Group was created on Facebook by a lovely lady called Eva, for people to chat about the project and give each other help and support.

I have to say that these ladies are awesome, and one of the nicest groups of ladies I've never actually met. They are incredibly supportive and a wealth of information and ideas when it comes to crochet. I suspect that I wouldn't have gotten as adventurous with my crochet as I have without the unwavering support of these ladies. I definitely wouldn't have spent as much money on yarn, hooks and books!

Even though the Krista project has finished, the group seems to still be going strong, although the main topic of discussion has moved from the block of the week to more general chit chat and discussions about other works in progress. The ladies have also been busy making blocks to be donated and joined together to create love and support blankets for cancer sufferers and stroke victims, to support an arts project (a giant QR code made of black and white crochet squares), to show support for one of the members in her efforts to give up smoking and are even crocheting pink bits to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

I love the idea of making a square and donating it to be part of something bigger - it gives me the chance to try out a new pattern without being tied down to committing ridiculous amounts of time to make the completed throw rug myself. In the last month of so, I've been buying balls of yarn in lots of different colours so that when projects like this come along, I've already got something in my stash that I can use for it.

Being part of a group like this has been fantastic for me... none of my friends crochet so I don't get the opportunity to swap ideas and patterns and things with any of them (although I'm sure they are all incredibly pleased that I hook and can create lovely little things for them and their little girls :D). Being an online thing means that I can usually just pop on whenever I have some time to myself (not as often as I would like, but that's what you get when you have a 14 month old), and there is usually someone around that I can bounce ideas off or a new picture to inspire me to want to try something out.

I have to give a special mention to the other Kim in the group. Not only does she constantly inspire the group with her creations, but she seems to always be there to answer questions on how to do things and actually found the time to rewrite all the patterns for the Krista blocks into simple step by step instructions complete with pictures. I've told her that she should write a blog, her stuff is THAT good, but failing that, I'll see if I can get her permission to link to some of her files or show you some of the stuff she's made.