Friday 4 January 2013

Caterpillar, Chrysallis, Butterfly



My original Monarch Caterpillar knitting pattern, has been worrying me. It has been downloaded a lot of times, but no one has knitted it. (Hubby corrects me, and says that it may have been knitted plenty of times, but no one has posted a project.)


I think the problem may be that as it was knitted on 4 needles, and with not many stitches, this is a fiddly. It was my very first pattern on ravelry. So I have decided to do a brand new version. This is a bit of a compromise, as it is knitted flat, which makes the knitting much easier, but there is now one seam to sew. I don't want to make it too easy, so the feet are done with a row of french knots. You can see how to do these in the photo tutorial on my sidebar.


I have also added a tiny extra pattern, to make the missing link, a chrysallis. (Hubby adds that for completeness there should also be an egg and a larva pattern! Sigh.) I have no idea why anyone needs to knit a chrysallis, but I think together all three patterns could make a nice educational toy. 


I gave my original monarch butterfly and caterpillar to Caterpillar Class at my school. All the classes at my school are named after minibeasts. This year I work in Cricket Class, and I have been toying with the idea of knitting a cricket for them, but I think it will be a challenge with fiddly legs and wings.


I have not seen a chrysallis in real life, so have had to look at photographs very closely. The colour was a bit of a concern, as they seen to start off a very bright green with some yellow spots, but then before they hatch, change to a dark brown. 


So the new Monarch Caterpillar and Chrysallis are within one pattern, and I am going to try and link it to the Monarch Butterfly pattern, so if anyone fancies making all three they get a discount. 

50 comments:

  1. These are wonderful! So very beautifully detailed.

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  2. Wow!!! Love these! Your attention to detail is lovely. I am a huge fan of butterflies and keep meaning to get around to crocheting some!

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  3. Wow, these are amazing and wonderful for learning!

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  4. Very lovely patterns. You might be right about the 4 needles and few stitches though, I would definitely shy away from that. You are so creative!

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  5. OK. WoW. This series of patterns is really cool.

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  6. So fun to see this post and your work!

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  7. I think these are really nice and yes, they'd make a great educational tool - such as have them hanging up in a classroom with notes THEN do a whole module with hatching real butterflies and letting them go at the end of the lesson. They have kits to hatch butterflies now. They could match up the real critter with the cycle demonstrated by the knit.

    Love it!

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  8. So sweet you are so talented :o)

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  9. You are just too clever! These are adorable!

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  10. Great projects! I can't knit to save my life....but I recall trying during my first pregnancy. A friend and I decided to knit sweaters...they did not look good at the end...lol

    Yours are great!

    Here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST

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  11. These are beautiful! Unfortunately for me I can't knit... I can't even hold a knitting needle properly.

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  12. Your creations are beautiful! I'd make one if I could knit.

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  13. Those are amazing! I am always impressed by people who can knit and make patterns, too. I'd use this as a learning kit... if I could knit!

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  14. What an amazing talent you have! I'm so impressed that you can create these!

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  15. Super cute! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful photos.

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  16. oooooh, I adore your caterpillars, cocoons and butterfly. The photographs are great and these knitted creatures have me longing for Spring.

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  17. I'm in awe at your creations. Amazing. Here's Mine

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  18. I shall have a go, because I am proud to say I can knit on four needles (I'm very much a novice knitter) and I will post pictures for you when I've done! My Snapshot is at http://goo.gl/dgFw0

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  19. Any teacher reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to their class will love those as teaching aids :-)

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  20. Lovely as teaching aids and really pretty projects to make for little hands.

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  21. Brilliant. I like the way you have done the life cycle so children can actually handle them and look at them closely without damaging a real life one.

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  22. The gardener in me wants to stomp... they look so real!

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  23. Brilliant for the classroom. So lovely for the children to be able to hold them. Would crocheting a cricket be any easier? (I hate to think that they miss out.)

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  24. Great idea to create 3 patterns. Your butterfly is one of the best I have seen :)

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  25. You crazy, clever thing. You are one of the funnest places to visit in the entire world. You actually made me smile today. Huzaaahhh!!

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  26. Wow! They're amazing - I wish I could knit!

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  27. wow! this knitted butterfly is fab! how clever you are!
    i normally do like caterpillars in real life (brrr....) but your woolly ones are quite cute ;) well done on developing your patterns.

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  28. Lovely :) and just so intricate.
    Nice to think of summer time and butterflies too.

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  29. I love all the wildlife you've created but the butterfly is my favourite, it's beautiful.
    Ali x

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  30. Such a cute little caterpillar! You must have oodles of patience : -)

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  31. Wow - they are just amazing. I can imagine the set would be brilliant for young children.

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  32. O my goodness, worth learning to knit for. Those are stunning.

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  33. I love that you can see the full cycle (husbands are great but they can be a tad pedantic at times) :)
    The butterfly looks stunning. I'm sure it's been knitted many times.

    Jan x

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  34. WOW. I only know how to crochet, I hope I'll figure out one day how to make neat things like these!

    I do think your project was knitted many times. Some folks just don't interact much on the web, just as many readers will regularly read your blog but never leave a comment. I know I have a few friends like that, they keep telling me how they love to read the blog my sister and I have, but never drop a line. They probably just don't realize how gratifying it is to receive feedback.

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  35. My daughter loves butterflies, so I might look into making her a butterfly.

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  36. What fabulous patterns! I love that there is the caterpillar and the butterfly. My kids are so into bugs!

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  37. Fun idea. They make a great play set. Great detail

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  38. These are wonderful Ginx, I imagine the kids loved them.....beautiful, brightly coloured butterfly.
    You are pretty nifty with those needles.

    Claire :}

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  39. Oh, how beautiful!! I love them. I love the idea of the knitted chrysallis as well. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

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  40. Oh my! How cute are they!

    My kids woould love those.

    Thanks so much for linking up to And Sew We Craft Together x

    Amy
    http://www.andsewwecraft.com

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  41. Wow! You are so talented. I can tell these are very intricate and not easy to make. I love how you made a cocoon, too, and it is so realistic! Impressive. Thanks for sharing at Hookin On Hump Day!

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  42. I work at a butterfly house garden. Do you have any crochet patterns for these?

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