So, I have also been crocheting lots of swallowtail butterflies, some directly from and some variations on this basis Megan's Swallowtail Butterfly Pattern

I have made a lot of different sizes and used them for a few different things, the most notable has been on my sister's birthday card

These next two are photos of the same little tiny guy who I crocheted from some very cheap machine cotton that's a bit poor quality for using in the machine (snags it up horribly, tension gets upset etc.) but works nicely with a 0.65 mm hook.

I have done another one in lilac of the same batch of cottons, but the photos I took didn't turn out very  well.

Then here is a whole menagerie. One the same size as on the card, some in embroidery cotton I had left from years ago (it was a really good set which made some lovely fishes from when I was about 8) and the fuzzy one is in lace-weight thread, which was a pest to crochet with; think that's going to become tatting thread!  There's a couple of the easiest flower pattern ever on there as well, I love that pattern, I adapted it from the old butterfly pattern that I have used before, 5 sets instead of 8 sets and away you go.

These are the ones from the card before they went onto it.


I am hoping to make a whole load of them to attach to cushion covers, possibly do some as hairpins as well, they are very cute!

New skill : shuttle tatting

Shuttle tatting is an old art that all-but died out until quite recently. I bought a video class on Craftsy: Shuttle Tatting with Marilee Rockley. Once you have mastered the basics, including the vital flick/switch, she starts you off with these gorgeous little butterflies.

Then she shows you a flower and an edging motif

This is where it gets a little more complicated, lock joins to make this bracelet. Don't worry, these are all practice pieces - any gifts I intend to give will need me to have made many more practise pieces first... 

 

 

...but I do intend to make a set of bracelet and matching earrings for some of the special ladies in my life

So, that's the start of my foray into the awesome world of shuttle tatting; expect to see more where they came from as I get better over time.