A thornbird is …
a) “… a mythical bird that searches for thorn trees from the day it is hatched. When it finds the perfect thorn, it impales itself, and sings the most beautiful song ever heard as it dies.”
b) Several species of birds from the genus Phacellodomus, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacellodomus
c) A loose-fitting sweater, knitted bottom-up, with Dolman ¾ sleeves and Thorn stitch on hem, edges and neckline.

Inspired by the Thorn stitch, which I happened to find on the Internet, I have designed another summery sweater which is supposed to be a little bit different from the usual top-down Raglan constructions.

First you knit the split hem in Thorn stitch, then you join both pieces to knit in the round in stripes, and then you divide again for the Dolman sleeves, with Thorn stitch repeated on the cuffs, on the front neck and on the shoulders. There are some short rows included for the sleeves where you need to take care, but apart from that, this project gives you miles of mindless knitting (Thorn stitch looks more sophisticated than it actually is) with a remarkable result.

Measurements at hip range from 96cm (38 inches) for size S to 130cm (51 inches) for XXL.

The pattern calls for a light fingering yarn, e.g. “Das Regenbogenschaf Pinta” or a different yarn with “sock yarn yardage”, preferably with a bit of drape.

You will need 700-1000 meters of the main color (“Thorn color”) and 600-850 meters of the contrast color (“Background color”) yarn. Using really contrasting colors is recommended, best with the brighter color used as “Thorn color.“

Where to get hold of Pinta yarn:
https://www.das-regenbogenschaf.com/garne/pinta/?p=1

The yarn company of the suggested yarn has recently changed its name: from Regenbogenschaf to SKUDDERIA.