Two purple wings at the top and a long ombre coil trailing beneath, every edge outlined in cream. It has no face, no beads and no charms, and that restraint is why it works. The whole piece is one shape repeating.
It also suits a room that is not decorated for anything. Mine hangs in a hallway all year.
What you’ll need
Size 3 crochet cotton or 4 ply cotton in three purples, a deep violet, a mid purple and a soft lilac, plus cream for every edge.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want fabric stiffener, rustproof pins, a blocking mat or a folded towel, about a metre of 0.8 mm florist wire, cream cord for hanging, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 42 cm.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, tr is treble crochet, inc is two stitches in one, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The wings, make two
Each wing is worked flat from the inner edge outwards, in bands of colour that get lighter as they go.
In deep violet, ch 20. Row 1, sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across (19).
Row 2. Turn, ch 1, sc in the first 12 stitches, then hdc in the next 3, dc in the next 3, and 5 dc into the last stitch to turn the point (23).
Row 3. Turn, working back along the other side of the shaping, sc in each stitch across (23).
Change to mid purple.
Row 4. Turn, ch 1, sc in the first 14 stitches, hdc in the next 4, dc in the next 4, and 5 dc into the last stitch (27).
Row 5. Turn, sc in each stitch across (27).
Change to soft lilac.
Row 6. Turn, ch 1, sc in the first 16 stitches, hdc in the next 5, dc in the next 5, then 5 dc into the last stitch (31).
Row 7. Turn, sc in each stitch across (31).
Change to cream.
Row 8. Work sc all the way around the entire outer edge of the wing, working 3 sc into the tip so it stays pointed, then sl st and fasten off.
The wing should come off the hook as a rounded triangle with a soft point at the outer top corner. If yours looks lopsided, the shaping rows are landing in the wrong place, so count the plain sc section at the start of each row carefully.
Make the second wing as a mirror image by working the shaping at the opposite end of each row.
Part 2. Blocking the wings
Soak both wings in fabric stiffener, then pin them out with the tips pulled up and outwards and the inner edges straight.
Leave them until completely dry. They should feel like thin card when you unpin them. This is what lets them stand up either side of the coil instead of flopping forward.
Sew the two inner edges together down the middle, leaving the top 2 cm open so the wings splay apart slightly at the top.
Part 3. The spiral tail
The tail repeats the same three purples so it reads as a continuation of the wings.
In deep violet, ch 100. Keep the chain relaxed.
Row 1. Ch 2, then work 2 dc into the third chain from the hook and 2 dc into every chain across. Do not fasten off.
Row 2. Turn and sc into every stitch across, still in deep violet. Fasten off.
Change to mid purple and rejoin at the start.
Row 3. Ch 2, then work 1 dc into each stitch, adding an extra dc into every fourth stitch, all the way across. Fasten off.
Change to soft lilac.
Row 4. Sc into every stitch across, adding an extra sc into every fifth stitch. Fasten off.
Change to cream.
Row 5. Work sl st, ch 2, sl st into the same stitch, repeated into every second stitch, all the way along the outer edge of the whole coil. Fasten off.
That cream picot edge is doing the same job as the outline on the wings, and it is what ties the two halves of the piece together.
Part 4. Wiring and shaping
Thread florist wire through the base of the deep violet stitches along the inner edge of the coil, weaving in and out every few stitches for the whole length. Fold both ends over by a centimetre and tuck them back inside.
Set the coil so the turns sit evenly, roughly 5 cm apart, with the widest turns near the top and slightly tighter ones towards the bottom. That gentle taper is what makes it look like a tail rather than a spring.
Putting it together
Sew the top of the coil to the underside of the joined wings, right at the centre seam, going through the same spot four or five times.
Make the hanging cord in cream, chaining 50 and slip stitching back along it. Fold it into a loop and stitch it into the gap between the two wing tops so it comes out between them.
Hang it up and check it from a few feet back. The wings should sit level and the coil should hang straight down from the middle of them. If it drifts to one side, your coil is stitched slightly off centre.
Notes and variations
Blues and teals with a white edge make a completely different piece that reads as water rather than a butterfly.
A warm version in rust, coral and cream is lovely for autumn.
Make three at different lengths and hang them together at staggered heights.
For an outdoor version under a porch, use an outdoor fabric stiffener rather than starch, which softens at the first heavy dew.
Questions I get asked
Why do my wings flop forward? Not enough stiffener, or you unpinned them while still slightly damp. Feel the thickest part before you unpin.
Why is my second wing not a mirror? You worked the shaping at the same end as the first one. Turn the instructions around so the plain sc section comes at the opposite end of each row.
Can I skip the wire? Not really. The wings are stiff and the coil is not, and without the wire the tail hangs limp underneath them, which looks unbalanced.