I credit my husband for this pattern. I was having trouble coming up with an idea, and he just pulled this one out of his hat. I just had to figure out how to execute it. I’ll have to pick his brain more often.
There are very few bugs I like, but I do like dragonflies. We have tiny ones here that are less than an inch long, and I’ve seen others over six inches long. They come in such an interesting array of colors, too.
This design ends up being about 1.5 inches (6 cm) long and would make a great pin to wear or a magnet for the refrigerator.
This is an experienced beginner to intermediate pattern and requires one shuttle. I used Lizbeth Carousel (color 112) size 20 thread.
Printable pattern (90K. Opens a new window.)
Patterns are available for download as a PDF file and are readable by using Adobe Reader. Download Adobe Reader free.
You will need:
Size 20 thread in your choice of color.
1 tatting shuttle
4 tear-drop beads for the wings
2 4mm beads for the eyes
5 4mm beads for the tail
1 10mm barrel bead for the body
| ds | double stitch |
| p | picot |
| sl | shoelace trick |
| hcr | half-closed ring |
You may find the following articles useful when making this design.
How to do the shoelace trick
How to make a half-closed ring (hcr)
Instructions:
Thread beads on the shuttle in the following order:
body bead
1 eye bead
2 wing beads
5 tail beads
Start the first hcr approximately 1 yard (1 meter) from the end of the thread. You will need this tail of thread later in the pattern.
Bring one tail bead down from the shuttle. When you wrap your hand for the ring, be sure the bead is within the ring but at the back of your hand away from the work.
HCR: 8ds, close. The tail bead will be within the HCR.
Repeat for all the tail beads.
Bring down the remainder of the beads and wrap your hand in the same manner.
HCR: 3ds, pull one wing into place, 3ds, pull the next wing into place, 3ds, pull the eye into place, 1ds, close
Using a tiny crochet hook or a needle, pass the tail of thread through the tail beads and the body bead.
SL. This will bring the thread tail into position so you can work the following chain.
Thread these beads onto the thread tail and keep them at the back of the hand until time to use them:
1 eye bead
2 wing beads
Ch: 1ds, pull up eye bead, 3ds, pull up one wing bead, 3ds, pull up the last wing bead, 3ds
Wrap the shuttle thread from front to back around the work between the body’s HCR and the tail’s top HCR. Be sure to tighten the next Ch against this. If you’d rather, you can work a join to this spot with the shuttle thread instead.
Ch: 8ds, wrap the thread around the next space between HCRs in the same manner
Repeat down the tail.
Ch: 8ds, cut and tie to the base of the first HCR.
Copyright 2011 by Nancy Tracy, All Rights Reserved.
