Knitted Butterfly Motif - Tutorial

I love butterflies they are a great way  to add some whimsy and fun to just about anything,  a nursery mobile, baby blanket, or wall art. You can also use them to decorate your clothes and accessories or to give as gifts, it's easy to alter the size and texture with various yarns and colours to match your decor.  I wanted to share how i make them, so we can all decorate and make our lives just a little bit prettier. 

Butterfly
Double knitting type yarn
Contrast coloured yarn
Size 3.5mm double pointed needles

Right lower Wing
Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1 (right side) knit 2, knit front &back of nxt stitch knit 1                   (5sts)
Row 2 and wrong side rows    Purl
Row 3 knit front & back of stitch 1, knit 2, knit front & back, knit 1          (7sts)
Row 5 knit 5, knit front & back, knit 1,                                         (8sts)
Row 7 knit 6, knit front & back, knit 1,                                       (9sts)
Row 8 knit, break yarn and leave stitches on spare needle

Left lower Wing
Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1 (right side) Knit front & back, knit 3             (5sts)
Row 2 and wrong side rows Purl
Row 3 knit front & back, knit 2, knit front & back, knit 1         (7sts)
Row 5 knit front & back, knit 6,                    (8sts)
Row 7 knit front & back, knit 7,        (9sts)
Row 8 Purl,  break yarn and both right sides facing, slip sts of right lower wing on to left-hand needle  (18sts)

Row 9 knit
Row 11 knit 1, knit2 together, knit to last 3 sts, knit 2 together, knit 1.   (16sts)
Row 13  as row 11          (14sts)
Row 15 knit 1, knit 2 together,knit 2, (knit 2 together) twice,knit 2, knit 2 together, knit 1.     (10sts)
Row 17 knit 1, (knit 2 together) 4 times, knit 1,         (6sts)
Row 18 knit. Break yarn and leave stitches on a spare needle

Right Upper Wing
Cast on 6 stitches
Row 1 (right side) knit 1, knit front & back, knit 3, knit front& back            (8sts)
Row 2 Purl front& back, Purl 7          (9sts)
Row 3 knit front & back, knit 6, knit front & back, knit 1            (11sts)
Row 4 Purl front& back, purl 10             (12 sts) Break yarn and leave on spare needle

Left Upper Wing
Cast on 6 stitches
Row 1 ( right side) knit front & back ,knit 3, knit front & back, knit 1         (8sts)
Row 2 Purl 6, purl front & back, purl 1                              (9sts)
Row 3 knit front & back, knit 6, knit front & back, knit 1             (11sts)
Row 4 Purl 9, purl front & back, purl 1                            (12sts). Break yarn

Join all with right side facing, start with right upper wing work front & back of first stitch, knit 11,
across stitches of lower wings work, knit 1, (knit 2 together)twice, knit 1, across stitches of left upper
wing work knit 10, knit front & back, knit 1 (30 sts)

Row 6 Purl
Row 7 knit front & back, knit 12, (knit 2 together) twice,knit 11, knit front & back, knit 1
Row 8 Purl
Row 9 knit 13, (knit 2 together) twice, knit 13 (28sts)
Row 10 Purl
Row 11 knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 9, (knit 2 together) twice, knit 9, knit 2 together, knit 1, (24sts)

Row 12 cast off knit wise, working knit 1, knit 2 together, knit 18, knit 2 together, knit 1 across the row.

Body
With contrast colour yarn

Cast on 4 stitches and work i- cord for 3 inches for required length.

 next row, knit 2 together twice
next row knit 2 together break yarn and thread through loop, pull tight to fasten off.

Finishing

Lightly gather centre of butterfly, attach body hold with a few stitches on the wrong side, add antennae.

Have fun!