The beanie features the ridges and knots found in the bark of old growth trees. The butterfly is modeled after an Oakleaf butterfly, also known as a dead leaf butterfly, (Kallima inachus) showing its wet season wing colors.

You can also knit the butterfly as a stand-alone butterfly, without attaching it to the beanie.

This is an advanced intermediate/experienced level pattern, mostly because there will be techniques that you may have not used before. Each technique is explained in detail and with photographs.

The beanie is knitted with sport weight yarn. You may use any yarn, but the yarn used in the hats pictured 45 g (150 yds / 137 m) Ice Yarns Madonna or Primadonna.

The butterfly is knitted with sock weight yarn. You will need small amounts of several colors, and 112 size 8/0 seed beads.

The beanie is knitted from side to side, in rows, shaped with German Short Rows, and Kitchener Stitched closed. The colored side (upper side) of the butterfly wings are worked in intarsia, and the veins on the ‘leaf’ sides (under sides) of the wings are emphasized with beads.

Because the beanie is worked from side to side, the row gauge is much more important than the stitch gauge. For the butterfly - gauge is not important but should be fairly tight.

Instructions are given for sizes 18” (46 cm), 21” (53 cm), and 23” (58 cm). These correspond to child, small adult and medium-large adult sizes.

An intermediate knitter should be fine with this pattern, although there are a few techniques you may not be familiar with. There is a photo tutorial included for these steps.