Finish-or-Frog-It #4 & 5: Butterfly/Papillon
The Butterfly/Papillon is a knitted shawl pattern designed by MarinJa Knits. And it’s absolutely gorgeous! It uses fingering weight yarn, and suggests a multi-colored yarn and a contrasting solid. The first one of these shawls that I saw looked like stained glass. It was inspiring.
After completing my first knitting project, the Short Story Scarf by Sewrella Yarn, I decided I was ready to give this pattern a try. Then I downloaded it and was instantly intimidated. This pattern is incredibly detailed and involves a LOT of counting. Thanks to a series of really helpful YouTube videos by Rebecca of Sun Dragon Tips & Tricks, I have learned the skills that this pattern requires. Definitely check out her YouTube channel if you want to try this pattern, but aren’t sure you’re up to it. Trust me, Rebecca will get you through it!!
For my first try at the Papillon, I selected some gorgeous hand-dyed yarn from YarnBaby in the colorway Disco Chicken. Inspired by the glorious colors of a peacock, this colorway is just stunning. I used a natural/ecru as my contrasting solid. This picture doesn’t really do it justice.
After I made it through the first of the three main sections of the pattern, I was enjoying working on it but realized that I wasn’t in love with my yarn choice. I loved the Disco Chicken, but I wasn’t getting the stained glass effect that I’d fallen in love with when I first saw the Papillon. So I put it to the side and ordered some new yarn for it. This time, I chose a yarn with long color transitions, which is something mentioned in the pattern. I got Queensland Collection Perth yarn in the Rainbow Reef colorway for the primary yarn, and Cascade Yarns Heritage in Real Black for the contrast. And there was the stained glass effect I wanted.
The second Papillon is an absolute finish. If it wasn’t for gift projects that got in the way and the limited amount of time to work on projects, it would have been finished already. The first one, on the other hand, is a frog. I’d rather reclaim that gorgeous hand-dyed yarn to use in a project what will show it off to its full potential.
It takes the right combination of pattern and yarn to make a project work…
Talk soon, Eileen
