I can't figure out how to put an image in - I finally made one of these that I took photos of. So I'll give you the link to the photo I uploaded to Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katy_ravensong/3753787197/
You can use any size hook and any size yarn to get different size butterflies. In the one in the photo, I did use different size hooks. Instead of the basic bright colors listed in the pattern, I used from my 'bits & pieces stash'. I used a ring from an old lampshade. The inside part of the ring was divided into 3 sections and I covered each section with crochet.
So basically the below pattern is more of a guide. Once you can make a butterfly (and it is very easy) and can cover a ring with crochet, you're limited only by your imagination - and by the colors in your 'stash' ~ grin.
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Katy’s Rainbow Butterfly Mobile
©2007
Materials:
Worsted weight yarn – small amounts of black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, & violet.
Size I and size J crochet hooks
8 pipe cleaners (4 long ones cut in half)
Lid from plastic bowl (such as 3 lb Shedd’s Spread, etc.) or an 8” metal ring. If using the lid, carefully cut it so that you can just use the rim.
Small plastic ring or metal key ring
Butterflies: make 1 large (black & white or your choice of colors). Make 7 smaller butterflies ~ 1 each of the rainbow colors.
DIRECTIONS:
BUTTERFLIES: (I made the large butterfly with one round of white and two of black. The smaller ones are all made of one color.)
Chain 6, join with sl st to form ring.
RND 1: Ch 3, 17 dc in ring. Join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (18 dc counting ch-3 as 1 dc)
RND 2: Ch 3, 5 dc in same st as joining, *ch 3, sk nxt 2 dc, 6 dc in nxt dc. Repeat from * around, ending w/ ch 3, sk last 2 dc, join w/ sl st to top of beg ch 3.
RND 3: Ch 1, sl to in nxt 2 dc, *sc between 3 rd and 4 th dc of last 6-dc group, 10 dc in ch-3 sp. Repeat from * around, ending with sc between 3rd & 4 th dc of last 6-dc group. Sl st in top of beg sc. Break off & fasten.
Fold by diagram. Wrap pipe cleaner around middle & twist. If you wish, instead of using pipe cleaners, you can crochet a tie. To do so, just chain 21, break off & fasten and tie around middle of butterfly.
MOBILE:
RND 1: SC over large ring with yarn until ring is well covered (maybe 140-150 sc). Join with sl st to beg sc.
RND 2: sl st in 1 st st, *dc in next 4, sl st in next. Repeat from * around. Sl st to join. Fasten off.
SMALL RING: SC over ring to cover. Join. Break off and fasten.
HANGERS:
OPTION 1: All butterflies hang at same height: leaving 4” tail, chain 40, leave 6” tail. Large butterfly goes in center. The 4” tail is to attach the hanger to the small ring. The 6” tail is to attach the butterfly to the hanger.
OPTION 2: Butterflies hang in spiral. Each is a bit longer than the one before. Leave the tail at each end for attaching, but add a few more chains to each progressive hanger.
ATTACH butterfly by tying the 4” end to the small ring and the 6” end securely to the inside of upper wing. Attach butterflies evenly around large ring. One butterfly goes in the center and the rest around the ring.
END OF PATTERN
