Magnificent Butterfly Afghan

I finished this up on Monday. I think it was the most difficult afghan I've ever made. There were many color changes involved and it's a lot larger than I thought it would be.

It's from an on-line pattern offered for free from Crochet! Magazine from April 2012. It was designed by Susan Lowman who many of you crocheters may know from her wiggly trivet patterns. (I've made many of her designs). 

  Here's Susan Lowman's ravelry page with this Butterfly afghan information on it.

It's tunisian crocheted with a Susan Bates Size J Silvalume extended crochet hook.
It's made mostly with I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby.
There's also Red Heart Frost Green for the leaves and red Heart Rust color in the flower.
Coats and Clark Wiggles yarn in purple on the butterfly and pink on the flower. (This gives some really nice textures to the afghan).
Finally, for the border there's Decadence Yarn Bee yarn in the color Peridot Twist, (also from Hobby Lobby.) I wanted the border to look like grass with bits of flowers speckled into it and looking like you were high above it like the butterfly and huge flowers in the design.

When I started this, I wanted a project to take my mind off things going on in my family. My Mom had just been brought to the hospital and diagnosed with a faulty heart valve. She is now in a nursing home and in the process of "actively dying". 
It's so painful to see her this way and I know I can't do anything to help her now but visit her and give her comfort and support; and so I crochet.

Last week, my Mother-in-law has been put in a nursing home. Her mind is failing and she can no longer take care of herself. My husband came home over the weekend after seeing her and it kills me to see his pain and anguish. I can't do anything about it but give him comfort and support; and so I crochet.

And now, as if this was not enough, our dog of 12 years died Sunday in a vet hospital we drove to that was open, (thank God!), at three in the morning!!!!!! My children grew up with this dog. She'd been a part of our family for so long. We're just now going through the "she's not there" moments as this week unfolds and it's so hard.

(You may recall my afghan I made of the she-beast in my "Evil Nostrella; Mistress of the Underworld" post a while back.)

Anyway, to end this post on a lighter note, our youngest son has noticed a beautiful yellow flower that has begun blooming just outside his window in the gutter. (His room is on the second floor).

Here it is from the inside of his room looking out.

This is the outside. His window is on the left there.

This is an up-close shot.

I like to think that she's placed that flower there to tell us all that it's all ok and she's fine and happy now and that we shouldn't be sad anymore. Just be at peace.
For that is her real name after all.
Peace.