Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

My love affair with spring is in full bloom this year and is evidenced here by this quick little knit. A fuzzy nest of pale blue eggs is exactly what spring is about, delicate beauty and budding life. Unlike all of our practical knitting concerns, like warm hats and machine washable baby blankets, this project is perfectly frivolous. Perched on a mantel or a windowsill, it will simply make you smile.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

To achieve a nest-like fuzziness, I used Lorna’s Glory, a blend of wool and mohair. Its hand dyed color sways from a rosy copper to a greenish lichen, just like the wild medley of a real nest. For the eggs I used three different light weight yarns (Manos del Uruguay’s Serena, Blue Sky Alpaca’s Silk Alpaca, and The Fibre Company’s Canopy) in delicate shades of blue and teal.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoSparrowsNest. We can’t wait to see what you make!

The Materials

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

Nest

  • 1 skein of Lorna’s Glory, a Mohair/Wool blend. I used the color “Chino”. (You can make two or three nests with one skein.)
  • A set of US 8 (5 mm) double-pointed needles

Eggs

  • Small amounts of fingering weight and/or sport weight yarn. I used (from the top):
    • Manos del Uruguay’s Serena, 60% Baby Alpaca and 40% Pima Cotton (fingering weight). This color is “Glacier 2318”.
    • Blue Sky Alpaca’s Silk Alpaca, 50% Alpaca and 50% Silk (sport weight). This color is “Plume 103”.
    • The Fibre Company’s Canopy Fingering, 50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino and 20% Bamboo (fingering weight). This color is “Fern”.
  • If you’re using fingering weight yarn, a set of US 2 (3 mm) double pointed needles, and if you’re using sport weight yarn, a set of US 3 (3.25 mm) double pointed needles
  • Stuffing

Gauge

Nest: 16 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Eggs: 30 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZE

Nest: 4¾ inches in diameter and 2 inches high

Eggs: About 1¼ inches tall

Nest Pattern

First Half

Cast 8 stitches onto US 8 double-pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: Knit into the front and back (kfb) of every stitch. (16 stitches)

Round 2: Knit.

Round 3: *K1, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (24 stitches)

Round 4: Knit.

Round 5: *K2, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (32 stitches)

Round 6: Knit.

Round 7: *K3, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (40 stitches)

Round 8: Knit.

Round 9: *K4, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (48 stitches)

Round 10: Knit.

Round 11: *K5, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (56 stitches)

Knit 8 rounds.

Purl 1 round.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

Second Half

Rounds 1-5: Knit.

Round 6: *K5, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (48 stitches)

Round 7: Knit.

Round 8: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (40 stitches)

Round 9: Knit.

Round 10: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (32 stitches)

Round 11: Knit.

Round 12: *K2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (24 stitches)

Round 13: Knit.

Round 14: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (16 stitches)

Round 15: Knit.

Round 16: *K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (8 stitches)

Cut the yarn and sew it through the remaining stitches.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

Finish

Fold the second half into the first half and tack the centers together. Weave in the ends.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

EGG PATTERN

With US 2 double pointed needles and fingering weight yarn, cast on 8 stitches.

Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: *K1, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (12 stitches)

Round 2: *K2, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (16 stitches)

Round 3: *K3, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (20 stitches)

Round 4: Knit.

Round 5: *K4, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (24 stitches)

Rounds 6-10: Knit.

Round 11: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (20 stitches)

Round 12: Knit.

Round 13: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (16 stitches)

Round 14: Knit

Round 15: *K2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (12 stitches)

Round 16: Knit.

Round 17: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (8 stitches)

Cut the yarn and thread it through the remaining stitches, but do not pull it tight yet. First fill the egg with stuffing, then you can pull the tail tight and weave in the ends.

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho

Make a bunch of eggs, enough to fill the nest and to sprinkle around. I made six…

Sparrow’s Nest | Purl Soho