Do you have a well-deserved vacation on the cards this month? But have you not fully planned out yet? Great! Because this sunny month of July, we’re going to teach you how to knit the butterfly stitch. Then you can use the whole vacation to practice!
Hooray, it’s July! A most wonderful month. The summer holidays are starting and we’ve fully transitioned to outdoor living. The kids are splashing in the pool and the deck chairs are in prime position for some serious handcrafting sessions. The garden all around is in full bloom and brightly colored winged creatures are fluttering cheerfully from one flower to the next. Nature is a magical inspiring place, and this month that’s all the more true. That’s right, our Stitch of the Month this July is the butterfly stitch.
The butterfly stitch is sometimes called the bow stitch. It’s not hard to guess where the name comes from, because it’s easy to identify the little butterflies or bows worked into the knitted fabric. It’s a gorgeous stitch to use for knitting a baby blanket. And this stitch also falls into the category of ‘looks-super-complicated-but-absolutely-isn’t’. If you can cast on, knit and purl, then you can also knit the butterfly stitch. This tutorial comes with a written pattern, a knitting chart and a video tutorial. So, needles ready? Let’s go!
Free Knitting Pattern | Butterfly Stitch
Abbreviations used
edge st = edge stitch (at the beginning of each row, slip the edge st knitwise; at the end of each knit row, knit the edge st and at the end of each purl row, purl the edge st)
k = knit
k2tog = knit 2 sts together
p = purl
p = purlwise
LH = left-hand
RH = right-hand
RS = right side
st(s) = stitch(es)
yo = yarn over
You knit the butterfly stitch using a pattern repeat of 12 rows (row 1 of the pattern below is a set-up row). To begin, cast on a multiple of 10 sts, plus 5 extra sts, and 1 edge stitch on both sides (so, 2 edge sts in total). For our swatch, we cast on 27 stitches.
Rows 1, 3, 5, 9 and 11: (RS of the work) 1 edge st, knit all the sts, ending with 1 edge st.
Rows 2, 4, 6: 1 edge st, p5, *bring yarn back, slip 5 pwise, bring yarn forward, p5.* Repeat *to*, ending with 1 edge st.
Row 7: 1 edge st, *k7, k1 together with the 3 loops (pass the RH needle under the 3 floating loops to insert in the next st, yarn over, pull the yarn back out from under the 3 loops, then drop st off the LH needle), k2.* Repeat *to*, ending with k5 and 1 edge st.
Rows 8, 10 and 12: 1 edge st, bring yarn back, slip 5 pwise, *bring yarn forward, p5, bring yarn back, slip 5 pwise.* Repeat *to*, ending with 1 edge st.
Row 13: 1 edge st, *k2, k1 together with the 3 loops (pass the RH needle under the 3 floating loops to insert in the next st, yarn over, pull the yarn back out from under the 3 loops, then drop st off the LH needle), k7.* Repeat *to*, ending with k2, k1 together with the 3 loops (pass the RH needle under the 3 floating loops to insert in the next st, yarn over, pull the yarn back out from under the 3 loops, then drop st off the LH needle), k2, 1 edge st.
Keep repeating rows 2 to 13 for the pattern.
Video Tutorial | How to Knit the Butterfly Stitch
New stitch, new project
Sitting comfortably in your garden chair? It’s time to transform your latest stitch into a beautiful project! And don’t forget to share your results with us and the rest of your follow knitting enthusiasts. Share a picture of your creature on Facebook or Instagram with #yarnplaza.
See you next ‘Stitch of the Month’!
