As there are a lot of bird spotters among my friends and family, I’ve had quite some appeals for knitted birds. So I’ve taken up the venture of cloning different species in a knitted collection. Nowadays, the kids in my family actually collect these birds and I’m always delighted when they can actually spot and identify a species without even leaving the house!

Birds that reside mostly in forests are called arboreal birds and each flock has its own, often very eloquent, title: the great spotted woodpecker lives in a descent, common cuckoos stick together in a cooch, the hawfinch resides among a trembling of finches, long-tailed tits gather in a murmuration, the wood warbler bunks in a cord and the short-toed treecreeper lodges in a spiral! Maybe, this spring, head for the forest on a birdwatching tour and see your knitted feathered friends come to life!

These birds make great, colorful hanging ornaments, for your Easter branches for example!

All of the above-mentioned birds are included in this pattern. They measure 7.5 to 9 cm and and were knitted flat on 2.25 mm dpn (UK 13, US 1) with some intarsia color work, short rows and i-cords. The tiny beaks were made on 1 mm dpn in yarn of a lace gauge, but can also be done in a heavier yarn or made out of a scrap of felt.

Each bird is an easy, small, fast and fun project, that can be finished in an evening or so and perfect to use up any scraps you have lying around.

Have an egg-sighting spring knit! Viv