Hello spring-lovers!
Enjoy this free Knit Cafe pattern for a sweet little stuffed bird!
Bird Bee
Fingering Weight Yarn and 2.5mm dpn
Gauge: 28sts over 4”
Project Notes: Make the beak and the wings first if you want to sew them on before you finish and stuff the body. Start stuffing the body and head before the opening gets too small to do so. I sewed the beak in place, and started the stuffing after I had decreased the body to 30sts. I sewed the wings on after I stuffed. You will need to darn in your yarn at the top of the head (at your cast on) before the beak in sewn on. The beak is positioned right under this seam.
Only a very small amount of each is needed.
Colour A is Natural coloured Elitespun
Colour B Koigu Mori M319
Beak is Lava coloured Elitespun
You will also need some stuffing (polyester batting) and a few buttons or beads for the eyes.
Beak (in beak colour)
CO 9 sts, join in rnd
K 2 rows
(K2tog, K1) repeat to end of rnd
K
(K2tog) repeat to end of rnd
draw remaining sts through
Wings (make 2)
Wings are done in garter st.
With colour B CO 4 sts.
Row 1: K
Row 2: K1, inc 1, K to the last 2 sts Inc 1, K1
Repeat these 2 rows till 8 sts are created
K 3 rows
Next row: K1, K2tog, K to the last 3 sts K2tog, K1
Knit 2 rows
Repeat these last 3 rows once more
Next row: K2tog, K2tog
Draw yarn through remaining sts and darn in end.
Head
CO 6 sts, join in round
Knit one rnd.
Next: inc into every st. (12 sts)
Next: and every other rnd K
Next: inc 1, K (4) inc 2, K (4), inc 1. Repeat every other rnd with 2 more knit sts added to the sts in the brackets twice more till there are 24 sts total.
Knit 3 rnds
Next: K 1, (SSK)twice, K till the last 5 sts, (K2tog)twice, K1. (20 sts)
K 1 rnd
Body
Body is done in stripes; 2 rows of each colour
Next: (with colour A) K 1 inc 2, K till last 3 sts, inc 2, K1.
Next: K
Next: (with colour B) K 1 inc 2, K till last 3 sts, inc 2, K1.
Next K
Repeat these 4 rnds till 40 sts are created.
Knit 2 rows (still striping)
Next: K1, SSK, K to last 3 K2tog, K1
Next: K
Repeat these 2 rnds till 30 sts. (still striping)
Next: K1, (SSK)twice, K to last 5 sts, (K2og)twice K1
Next: K
Repeat these 2 rnds till 6 sts remain (still striping)
Tail
With colour A inc into ever st. (12sts)
Next: (K1, inc 1, K1) repeat across rnd (16 sts)
Next: K2, P2 ribbing for 6 rnds
BO
For info on having your stripes line up perfectly look to:
http://www.socknitters.com/kickback/joglessjog.htm
torontoknitcafe.wordpress.com 
Nice idea! Did the same this year with some Lopi bits I saved. They were totally ignored by the birds. Nothing has been taken. I think they might be snobs.
I realise this post is 10 years old already, but it’s a really bad idea and please don’t do it! String is dangerous to birds and other wildlife. The baby birds’ feet can get tangled in it, and it won’t break like dried grasses or other natural nest material. They can also get strangled in it. It also holds water when it gets rained on, so it’s cold, wet and nasty.
Hello Kate,
Thanks for flagging this. I have edited the post and taken off that info about the nesting materials. I appreciate you letting us know about this. Cheers