Coming out of 2024, I felt completely drained. Years of burnout had tangled into a dense knot of tension I could practically feel sitting in my chest. I knew I needed to redirect that energy by transmuting it into something playful, light, and maybe even a little freeing.
That’s how I ended up fixating on butterflies.
Why Butterflies?
Throughout 2025 so far, I’ve been on a bit of a butterfly tangent. Maybe it’s because butterflies are known to represent transformation, personal growth, freedom, and new beginnings. These are all universal themes that apply to the human condition, which is why so many of us relate to them. I know the meaning completely resonates for so many, including myself.
Personally, I don’t see enough butterflies around where I am anymore, so I created a world where they keep company on my cranium — and if you prefer it that way, on yours as well! We’ve got a butterfly squad on our hands. Well, more like our heads.
They’re all soft, colorfully vibrant, and ready to fly out of this madness.
Crocheting Through It
I started the pattern for the butterfly appliqué on December 24, 2024. The idea came together slowly over the next month. I knew I wanted to make something wearable but wasn’t sure what form it should take. A top? A bag? A scarf?
Eventually, I settled on a mesh hat. Something light and open, but with enough structure to serve as a landing zone for a whole butterfly crew.
From there, the concept just spiraled — in the best way yet.
Many months passed since that time, and now we’re here. It took a lot for me to reach a point where it felt I could finally get this out there, but we’re finally here.
Tools, Stitches, and Materials
This butterfly shape is built from a magic ring, and is about 2 rows to make. However, the hat actual hat (sans butterfly garland) is created using some variation of the filet stitch. In this case, I used the standard double crochet (dc) to build the filet stitches.
To create this hat, I used:
- Medium (4) weight yarn
- Caron’s Simply Soft Yarn in multiple colors
- A pair of scissors
- Stitch markers
- 1 darning needle
And a whole lot of emotional unraveling.
Butterfly Garland Construction
Here’s how the butterfly garland works:
- Each butterfly is created individually, starting with a magic ring.
- They’re then crocheted into a single garland row by joining their top wings together at their edges.
- The full design is multi-tiered, meaning one row of attached butterflies sits atop another. To achieve this:
- The top wings of one butterfly row are connected to the bottom wings of the row above.
- This creates a layered, almost floating effect where each butterfly slightly cascades off the one(s) before it.
And the result? A vibrant garland of fluttering forms that feels alive with movement.
Level of Difficulty
This pattern is beginner-friendly with a touch of intermediate flair. If you’re comfortable with the basics , like:
- Chain stitches (ch)
- Single crochet (sc)
- Slip stitch (sl st)
- Making a slip knot
- Forming a magic ring
— you’re already good to go!
Now, the more intermediate challenge comes in when you’re joining the butterfly appliqués together, especially to create the layered garland effect. But don’t worry — with a bit of patience and practice, it’s absolutely doable (and worth it).
Optional: Sewing on the Garland
Now, here’s the controversial part (don’t come for me):
You do not have to sew the garland onto the hat.
Why? Because maybe you want to switch it up. Maybe you haven’t settled on a base hat color yet. It could also be that you just want to swap the garland across different hats depending on your mood or outfit. You may even choose to wear it as a stand-alone headband!
That said, I personally chose to sew mine on out of sheer preference. But this part is definitely up to you! Let your butterflies be as free as you want them to be, really. : )
Final Thoughts
This butterfly hat isn’t just a hat. It’s a symbol of everything some of us may be pushing through. Of what it means to take your burnout and channel it into something soft, bright, and a little whimsical. It’s a wearable metamorphosis — a way to remind myself (and maybe others) that sometimes, even in the messiest of cocoons, something beautiful is waiting to unfold.
We’re all tired in some way. But maybe, just maybe, we can stitch something joyful out of that exhaustion.
🦋🧶
P.S. I’m working on a video tutorial breaking down the process of creating the butterfly appliqué using a magic ring for those who want to try it themselves. For anyone interested, it will be posted soon. Happy crocheting!
What about you? Have you had a moment where a small creative act shifted your whole day?
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