Butterfly Pattern (c) Lenore English

Two shuttles, continuous wound. I used size 30, finished
butterfly is 2 1/2" tall, 3 1/2" wide.
Ring: 3 p 3 p 3 p 3. cl r. rw.
*Chain: 3 p 3. rw.
Ring: 4 j (to last p of prev ring) 4 p 4 p 4. cl r. rw.*
Repeat between *s until you have 4 rings.
4th chain: 3ds, using the second shuttle, make a ring of 12 p 12,
cl r., chain 3 ds, rw.
Repeat between *s until you have 7 rings.
7th chain: 3ds, using the second shuttle, make a ring of 16 p 16,
cl r., chain 3ds, rw.
Repeat between *s until you have 10 rings.
10th chain:3ds, using the second shuttle, make a ring of 12 p 12,
cl r., chain 3ds, rw.

Repeat between *s until you have 12 rings and 12 chains.

Rings 13, 14, and 15 form a cloverleaf, and the upper tip 
of the wing.
13th ring: 3 j(to las p of prev ring) 3 p 3 p 3. cl r.
14th & 15th ring: same as 13th ring.  rw after 15th ring.

Chain: 3 j (to picot of previous chain) 3. rw.
16th ring: 3 j(to last p of prev ring) 3 p 3 p 3. cl r rw.
Chain: 3 p 3. rw.
Continue with rings and chains. All the rings are now a 
smaller size for shaping the curve on the wing.
[rings were 4j4p4p4, now are 3j3p3p3]
On the chains after the 17th, 18th and 19th rings, instead
 of a picot, join to the corresponding large ring formed on 
the outside of chains 4, 7, and 10. 
Continue in pattern with 20th ring and chain.
21st ring:  3 j(to last p of prev ring) 3 p 3 j(to 1st p 
of 1st ring). cl r.
Tie threads together at the base of the two rings.

Make another wing, reverse the directions if you are 
concerned about right/wrong sides, I don't bother.

Now you are going to make the head and body, joining the 
wings to the body as you go. The rings are referred to by
the number order in which they were first tatted.

Head: Ring of 10, long picot, 5, long picot, 10. cl r, rw.

Body: Ring: 3ds, join to center picot of 8th ring of wing,
5 ds, join to center p of 7th ring, 5 ds, join to center p
of 6th ring, 3ds, p, 3ds, join to center p of 6th ring of
the other wing, 5ds, join to center p of 7th ring, 5ds, 
join to center p of 8th ring, 3ds, close ring.

[this chain goes around the outside of the wings]

Chain: 5ds, join to center p of 9th ring,
3 p 2 p 2 p 3, join to 10th ring,
3 p 2 p 2 p 3, join to 11th ring,
3 p 3, join to 12th ring,
3 p 3, join to 13th ring,
3 p 2 p 2 p 3, join to 14th ring,
3 p 2 p 2 p 3, join to 15th ring,
3 p 3, join to 16th ring,
repeat last chain through 21st ring.
3 p 2 p 2 p 3 p 2 p 2 p 3 p 2 p 2 p 3, join to 1st ring,
5 p 5, join to 2nd ring,
5 p 5, join to 3rd ring,
4 p 4, join to 4th ring,
4 p 4, join to 5th ring,
5ds, join to free picot on body,
5 p 5, join to same picot on body,

Continue around the second wing in the same pattern.
Join the last cahin 5 to the space between the head and body.
Sew in ends, I twisted the picots to represent antennae.