Of the approximately 17,500 butterfly species known in the world, about 750 occur in the United States. The monarch butterfly is among the most popular of all North American insects, famous for its long-distance migration, commuting between its sunny and summery shelter in California or Mexico in the fall and its regular residence in the northern and central United States come spring. Apparently, its orange color impressed early settlers from Holland and they named this butterfly “monarch” after King William III, Prince of Orange.

There are three butterflies included in this pattern: the malachite, monarch, California dogface and there’s the pattern for the blue columbine flower.
Each butterfly is a small, easy to medium project to be finished in an evening or so, with flat knitting and intarsia work. The flower is made in the round with i-cord knitting and loop stitches (explained in the text).

The butterflies and flower were knitted real life size: they measure between 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) and 5½ centimeters (2.2 inches).
The big butterflies were knitted on 1.25 mm double pointed needles in lace-gauged yarn, the Californian dogface on 1 mm dpn in single plies pulled from strands of wool. But all can be done in heavier yarn and will turn out slightly larger.
For the antennae you’ll need some threads of sewing yarn and a little hair spray or hair gel.

Only small amounts of yarns are needed, so a butterfly is also a great project to use up any scraps you have lying around.
 
The butterflies can be attached to just about anything, as an embellishment. Or, start your own butterfly collection - lepidopterarium with a fancy word – as there are more patterns available!

And, as Holland is the birth nation of these fleecy, flashy flutterers, from the Netherlands to the States: VEEL LOL MET WOL! Viv