Butterflies, Joy, and Good Luck

Inna Voltchkova’s exquisite Butterfly Shawl. Photo by Joe Coca.

Butterflies have fascinated people for more than 3,500 years. Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, and Mayans all depicted butterflies in their art. We are still drawn to these ethereal creatures.

Designer Inna Voltchkova’s breathtaking Russian Triangular Butterfly Shawl to Knit was included in PieceWork’s May/June 2012 Lace Issue. Inna offered the following information on the symbolism of the butterfly:

• The Aztecs believed the butterfly was one of the attributes of the god of vegetation, spring, and love.
• The ancient Greeks believed that the butterfly symbolized the immortality of the soul.
• In China, the butterfly is the epitome of immortality, fertility, love, and summer.
• In Japan, the butterfly is a symbol of joy and longevity.
• The Slavic idea that the butterfly represents the soul is reflected not only in its dialect name, du sha (the soul) but also in the vernacular name, babochka, from the Slavonic word baba, meaning an “ancient ancestor.”

Inna concluded the introduction to her project with: “Many people believe that good luck will come when a butterfly lands on you. I hope that this Russian Butterfly Shawl will bring you good luck while knitting and wearing it!”

With PieceWork’s newest kit, you can bring joy and good luck to yourself or someone you love! The Russian Triangular Butterfly Shawl kit includes a digital edition of the May/June 2012 issue with the pattern and charts and the beautiful merino/cashmere yarn to make this glorious shawl.