Dyeing Crochet thread with Sharpie pens

What I did was use size 30 crochet thread, wound a bit off on an index card and then colored the thread with a Sharpie pen.  I dripped a little rubbing alcohol on top, that is just the top of a pill bottle.  I guess at how much I will need, for Irish crochet there is usually not too much thread needed. I can always dye more.
You can click the photos to see them larger.  The pink was made by coloring the bottom of the pill cap with red, dripping alcohol in and then the thread. After they dry you can re-wind the thread and see if its dark enough for you.  If it isn't, you can repeat the process, it only takes a few seconds.

Irish Crochet Butterfly

Irish Crochet Butterfly

1.       When you begin, leave a long strand of thread or yarn about 6 or 8 inches long, you will be crocheting back over it.  Make a 3 ch. ring and connect with a sl. st.

2.       Make 2 picots in the ring for eyes.  Do a sl. st. or two to get between the eyes to get ready to make the feelers.

3.       8 chain for feelers, make a picot or clones knot for knob at the end of the feelers.  Sl. st. back to head.

4.       Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other feeler. 

5.       15 sc over the thread (padding cord or PC)  to make the body and tail.  Pull the  PC so the stitches lay flat and even.

6.       Ch 1 and then sc back up the body going over the  PC and through the opposite stitches.  You will be going up the opposite side and will have sc's on both sides of the body.  Go almost up to the head, leave a stitch or two for a neck.                         Tug on the PC to make the body even.

7.        Wing:  *8 ch, TRC into body, make two more TRC into same stitch.    3 ch, 3 TRC into next st.    

   8.       Turn, 4 ch, 3 TRC into the 3 ch loop.    9ch, 3TRC into same 3 ch loop.  

        

   9.   4TRC into 8 ch loop, 10 ch, 4 TRC into same loop. 

   

  10.   Turn, 10 TRC into 10 ch loop, 3 ch, 10 TRC into same loop. 

 

  11.   Sl.st. in triangle shaped space between wings. 

 

  12   9 TRC in 9 ch space, 3 ch,  9 TRC into same space.  Sl st to top of the TRC to complete the lower wing.  Fasten off.  *

   13.   Cut off a long piece of thread for PC.  I tripled the thread for my butterfly, so I would be crocheting over three strands of thread.  Put the thread aside.   You can estimate the length by going around your half butterfly, add extra as you will be making wing tips and going around the tail. 

  14.   Repeat between * s.  

   

   15.   Add in your padding cord, I take a stitch, then I fold the thread so for 8 or 10 stitches I am going over 6 strands.   Stitch around the butterfly, giving a bit of a tug whenever you turn a corner.  Lay the butterfly on something flat to make sure its flat.  You want everything to be nice and even.

           

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16.   At each wing tip do 1 sc, 2 DC, 1 sc.   Or you can do other pointy treatments, like clones knots on top of a DC or a picot.  For the bottom wings I crocheted a few stitches over the PC, made a picot, went back down and that made a swallow tail.   I put a picot on the end of the tail.   On the upper wings I added some picots evenly spaced under the wing tip.   (about 4 sc's apart)  My upper wing has a picot on the tip.

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   When you get back to the neck, go around it and the PC neatly and carry on for the other side's wings.  You can check picot placement by folding the butterfly in half to see if they are the correct distance apart.

Lori's Bullion Snowflake Design

*I improvised this from this vintage picture from Maire on Ravelry, the original photo, is here:
link
Link to a super easy way to do bullions, I know its not in English but the video shows it fine. I use a rubber band to hold the needle on the hook.
link1. Ch 5, join to make circle.

1. 6 Sc around ring, ss to join.
   
2. Ch 3, 12 HDC around, 2 HDC in each SC.
   
3. With the hook in loop, then you are ready to do bullions, Wrap 10 times and then insert hook into top of next HDC, YO, pull through all loops on hook, YO, through loop on hook, you are ready for next bullion. Continue on around.
   
4. In the backs of the bullions make (sc, 3ch, sc) all around
   
5. In the 3ch loops make (2sc, 3ch, 2sc) all around
   
6. ss to top of 3ch loop, ( ch8, skip next 3ch loop, sc to 2nd 3ch loop, ) repeat around. Should have 6 8ch loops.
   
7. (2 sc, 1 hdc, 1dc, 1 trc, 4ch picot on top of trc, 1 trc, 1dc, 1hdc, 2sc. ) Make in each 8 ch loop. Fasten off. Wash the snowflake and rinse, pat dry in towel and pin out to shape. I patted a bit of white glue on top to stiffen it up.
8. Link to my demo of how to do bullions.