Monarch Butterfly · Free Crochet Pattern

May 3

With my daughter, we have a Monarch butterfly sanctuary, and we really enjoy the whole process: watching the hungry caterpillars grow, turning into chrysalises, and then, after 10 to 15 days, finding the beautiful butterflies and releasing them. We’re doing our part to help these wonderful creatures continue to exist and pollinate our beautiful planet.

So, it’s no surprise that I felt inspired to make a Juliefruuu Monarch butterfly, hehe! And here’s the pattern to share with you. The yarn makes it soft, and the wings feel like a little security blanket, which I really loved. I worked the wings using the tapestry technique, where you carry the unused yarn inside the row.

Materials

Bernat Blanket yarn in white, orange, and black
9 mm crochet hook
Yarn needle
Scissors
Polyfill stuffing

Instructions

***If you want the instructions in a printable PDF file, including the chart pattern for the wings, and have it handy, you can purchase the pattern here.

Abbreviations used in my patterns:**

sc – single crochet
ch – chain
inc – increase: make two stitches in the same stitch
dec – decrease: crochet two stitches together
dec3 – 3-stitch decrease: crochet three stitches together

At the end of each row or round, you'll see a number in parentheses. This number indicates how many stitches you should have when you finish that row or round. For example, if you see (12), it means you should count 12 stitches when you've completed that part of the instructions.

Monarch Butterfly

Body

Magic ring, 5 sc (5)
5 inc (10)
10 sc (10)
4 sc + 1 inc x 2 (12)
12 sc (12)
5 sc + 1 inc x 2 (14)
7–9. 14 sc (14)
6 sc + 1 inc x 2 (16)
11–13. 16 sc (16)
8 dec (8)
8 inc (16), stuff well and continue.
3 sc + 1 inc x 4 (20)
17–21. 20 sc (20)
10 dec (10), stuff well and continue.
5 dec (5), close and hide the yarn.

Wings

We will work the wings in rows using the tapestry technique, where you hide the unused yarn inside the stitches of the row. At the end of each row, we will make a chain and turn the piece to continue to the next row.

Since we are working all with single crochet, I will use only the first letter of the color to describe the stitches, and I will use the following letters:

A = orange
B = white
N = black

Example: 3B, 4A, incN would be 3 single crochet in white, 4 single crochet in orange, and an increase in black.

At the end of each row, you’ll see an arrow indicating the direction of the stitches:
< for left, > for right.
Note that the front of your piece will be when the starting yarn is on the left.

Make 2 wings. Before starting each wing, cut a black yarn long enough to make 5 chains, and keep it handy to join in row 15.

With black, make 6 ch, turn with 5N, hiding the orange yarn (5) <
incN, 5N, incN (7) >
incN, 7N, incN (9) <
incN, 5N, 1A, 2N (10) >
incN, 5A, 3N, incN (12) <
3N, 2A, 1N, 4A, 1N, incN (13) >
2N, 4A, 1N, 3A, 2N, incN (14) <
3N, 5A, 1N, 4A, incN (15) >
2N, 3A, 2N, 3A, 5N (15) <
3N, 2A, 1N, 4A, 1N, 3A, 1N (15) >
1N, 2A, 1N, 4A, 1N, 3A, 1N, decN (14) <
3N, 3A, 2N, 5A, 1N (14) >
1N, 4A, 2N, 3A, 1N, decN (12) <
dec3N, 1N, 2A, 2N, 3A, 1N (10) >
1N, 6A, 3N. Join a black yarn to the last stitch of row 14 and make 5 ch. Continue crocheting and make 5N on the 5 ch (15) <
1N, 13A, 1N (15) >
1N, 13A, incN (16) <
7N, 8A, 1N (16) >
2N, 5A, 2N, 4A, 3N (16) <
incN, 1N, 11A, 1N, decN (16) >
decN, 1N, 5A, 8N (15) <
6N, 5A, 2N, decN (14) >
decN, 2N, 2A, 8N (13) <
Cut and hide the orange yarn. From row 24 onward, carry the white yarn inside to continue.
incN, 3N, 3B, 4N, decN (13) >
decN, 3N, 5B, 3N (12) <
3N, 4B, 3N, decN (11) >
dec3N, 2N, 3B, 3N (9) <
From here on, all stitches are black, but continue carrying the white yarn inside until the end.
6N, decN (7) > (the last stitch remains unworked)
decN, 3N, decN (5) <
decN, 1N, decN (3) > close and hide all yarn.

Assembly

To assemble the Monarch butterfly, place the wings on top of each other and crochet sc to join them in the center. Then, sew the wings to the body.

I hope you liked this pattern, and if you decided to make it, I would love to see it. Please tag me in your Instagram or Facebook posts using:

Pattern by @juliefruuu #juliefruuu

Thank you! If you have any questions, feel free to message me!

And if you liked it, share it!

Kisses!

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