Materials
Cotton yarn in cream, light purple, medium purple and dark purple.
Small amount of beige or pale blush yarn for butterfly wing highlights.
Small amount of dark brown or very dark purple for butterfly bodies.
Crochet hook 3 mm to 3.5 mm.
Yarn needle and scissors.
Stitch markers.
Blocking pins and a blocking mat.
Finished Size
Approximately 100 to 135 cm long and 30 to 38 cm wide depending on yarn weight and the number of repeating swirl units.
Abbreviations
MR = magic ring
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
tr = treble crochet
inc = 2 stitches in one stitch
sp = space
Method
The runner is built from repeating cream swirl units with purple circle inserts. The units are joined in a long S shaped line. Three large butterflies are crocheted separately and sewn over the joins.
Formation
Make 4 to 5 cream swirl sections and 5 to 6 purple circles. Join them so the purple circles alternate left and right. Add a cream bobble edge around the outer curves. Place the butterflies at the upper, middle and lower joins.
Full Pattern
Purple Circle Motif
With medium purple yarn make an MR.
Round 1. 12 dc in MR. Join.
Round 2. Ch 3, 2 dc in each stitch around. 24 dc.
Round 3. Repeat 1 dc, 2 dc in next stitch around. 36 dc.
Round 4. Repeat 2 dc, 2 dc in next stitch around. 48 dc.
Round 5. Repeat 3 dc, 2 dc in next stitch around. 60 dc.
Round 6. Dc around, placing an extra dc every 8 to 10 stitches only if needed to keep the circle flat.
Round 7. Sc around for a firm edge.
Make 5 or 6 circles depending on the desired runner length.
Cream Swirl Base
Ch 62 with cream yarn.
Row 1. Sc in second ch and across.
Row 2. Ch 1 and turn. Sc across.
Row 3. Ch 3 and turn. Dc across.
Rows 4 to 8. Continue in dc, increasing 2 stitches at one end of each row and decreasing 2 stitches at the opposite end. This gradually bends the strip.
Rows 9 to 13. Reverse the shaping. Decrease at the first end and increase at the opposite end.
The strip should form a smooth S curve.
Make enough strips to create the length of the runner.
Open Lace Fan Section
Along the outside half of each cream curve join cream yarn.
Row 1. Repeat ch 5, skip 2 edge stitches, sc in next stitch across the curved edge.
Row 2. Turn. In each ch 5 space work sc, ch 5.
Row 3. Turn. In each ch 5 space work 5 dc, ch 2, 5 dc.
Row 4. Work sc between each shell and ch 5 over each shell center.
Finish with one round of sc around the outside.
Cream Bobble Edge
Join cream yarn along the finished outside curve.
Repeat sc in next 3 stitches, make one bobble, sc in next 3 stitches around.
Bobble. Yarn over, insert hook in stitch, pull up loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat 4 more times in the same stitch. Yarn over and pull through all loops.
Keep the bobbles evenly spaced.
Joining the Purple Circles
Lay the cream swirls in a long vertical S shape.
Place one purple circle inside each outer curve.
Alternate the circles from left to right.
Overlap each circle under the cream strip by about 1 to 2 cm.
Sew with small hidden stitches around the overlap only.
Butterfly Upper Wings
Make 2 upper wings for each butterfly.
With medium purple yarn ch 14.
Row 1. Starting in second ch work sc, hdc, dc, 5 tr, 3 dc, hdc, sc.
Row 2. Turn. Work sc in first 2 stitches, hdc in next 2, 2 dc in each of next 5 stitches, hdc in next 2, sc in last 2.
Row 3. Change to light purple. Work sc around the full edge, placing 2 sc in each upper corner.
Row 4. Change to dark purple. Work a final sc edge around.
Butterfly Lower Wings
Make 2 lower wings for each butterfly.
With medium purple yarn ch 10.
Row 1. Starting in second ch work sc, hdc, 4 dc, hdc, sc.
Row 2. Turn. Sc, hdc, 2 dc in each of next 4 stitches, hdc, sc.
Edge with light purple and then dark purple as for the upper wings.
Wing Highlight
With pale beige or blush yarn crochet a small teardrop applique.
Ch 8.
Starting in second ch work sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc.
Sew one highlight inside each wing.
Add 2 or 3 dark embroidery dots near the outer edge.
Butterfly Body
With dark brown or dark purple yarn make 6 sc in MR.
Rounds 2 to 10. Sc around to form a narrow tube.
Stuff very lightly or leave unstuffed.
Decrease around and close.
Antennae. Ch 12 twice and sl st back along each chain. Sew to the head end.
Butterfly Assembly
Place 2 upper wings and 2 lower wings behind the body.
Overlap the inner edges slightly.
Sew all wings securely to the body.
Shape the wings with light blocking.
Make 3 butterflies.
Runner Assembly
Arrange all cream swirl units and purple circles on a large flat surface.
Join the cream strips end to end with hidden stitches.
Sew the purple circles under the curved sections.
Add the bobble edge around the outside curves.
Place one butterfly near the top join, one in the center and one near the lower join.
Sew only the butterfly bodies and inner wing edges so the outer wings remain slightly raised.
Block the full runner flat and allow it to dry completely.
Size Adjustment
For a shorter runner use 3 cream swirl units and 4 purple circles.
For a longer runner add one cream swirl unit and one or two purple circles at a time.
Keep the butterfly spacing balanced after changing the length.