FO: A Jingling Butterfly with His Cocoon

Sometimes you see a new pattern and just have to make it up right then :) That was the case with Susan B. Anderson's relatively recent release, Butterfly & Cocoon. The pattern originally came out last October in issue 2 of Making Magazine (the Fauna issue). I adored it then, but I didn't have access to the magazine so I just went about my business. Then at the end of March, Susan was able to release the pattern for individual sale. I thought about it for a few days but inevitably bit the bullet and snagged the pattern only to pick my yarns and cast on within a few days. This was just too cute to wait!

With all the pieces together, it might not be immediately obvious what it is, lol. I just love this snuggly nestled little picture though :) He looks so comfy. Of course there is much more to the pattern when you pull him out...

He's a butterfly! lol And he's adorable. I just can't. I was inspired by the subtle color combinations of the pattern examples, so I hit my stash and this was my favorite selection. I love this soft color combo.

For this project I used all I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby that I had in my stash :) The colors were Antique White, Gray Mist, Ocean, and Light Peach. I've found that while I love this yarn for crocheting, it's not my favorite for knitting. My gauge is snug, so I have a hard time getting this yarn to slide on my needles. Not a problem per se, just a personal preference. I love the color combo though.

I love the shape of this toy - the tail really is great for little baby hands to grasp, plus the wings and antennae make for great things to pop in a little mouth, lol. Hey, I like to be realistic. Since this is such a subdued colored toy I decided to amp up the baby-interest by adding a jingling cat toy in the middle of the body. This was my first time doing that - and I'll confess I was skeptical. I've always worried that the stuffing would get inside the slotted ball and make the bell not able to ring, but it jingles just fine and makes this just that much cuter. I love jingling it, lol.

As usual I really love all the thoughtful details in this pattern. The wings are heart shaped, which just adds to the adorability. The stripes are actually a design included in the pattern and I love this because I would not have thought to make a striped butterfly otherwise and I love it. Also the antennae are really clever - you knit an i-cord, then you increase a bit for the ball, then you wrap the yarn tightly around the shaft a few times to stiffen things up. This really gives a great shape and stability. Also I used 6 mm safety eyes because I thought they looked the best.

His cocoon also has such a fun shape and fits the butterfly perfectly - such a nice touch! I love the ribbing at the neck to keep the top snug, and the garter stitched hood adds interest. It's just the perfect little cocoon.

The cocoon also has a little i-cord loop at the top, making this perfect to hang up. I've had him hanging from a shelf in my sewing room and he;s just so much fun to look at and play with :)

All in all this is just the cutest set. Have I told you that it's cute enough? lol Apparently I don't know what else to say. I'm in cuteness overload. I knitted this guy up while watching my church's bi-annual General Conference, and he was the perfect project to keep my hands occupied so I could focus better on what I was listening to. I highly enjoyed this project, and now I have yet another cute baby toy to file away for when I need it :)