The Knit Guru

This year I am the campaign manager for the Kahu for Forest and Bird New Zealand’s “Bird of the Year 2025″…. so of course I had to knit one.

I would now call you to action to pop over to Forest and Bird and place your vote for 5 of our amazing species – and consider the Harrier or Kahu for one of your votes.

Kahu – swamp harrier

You will need:

• 5.5mm knitting needles
• DK yarn in yellow, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, white, black
• Stuffing
• Safety eyes – or embroider them on with the black and yellow yarn
• Darning needle and scissors
• Optional – wire for a frame

There is a video tutorial to go along with this written pattern. There are no stitch or row counts in the video, but it does show the whole process.

This bird is knit double stranded the whole way to create the feathery look…. sometimes you are changing one of the colours in alternating stitches in a row.

Body

Cast on 10 stitches in yellow/brown

1. Knit the whole row
2. Purl 1, make 1 – repeat over the row to the last stitch – p1 (19)
3. Knit the whole row
4. Purl 1, make 1 – repeat over the row to the last stitch – p1 (37)
5. Knit the whole row
6. Purl the whole row
7. Knit 
8. Purl
9. Knit
10. Purl
11. Knit 
12. Purl
13. Knit
14. Purl
15. Knit 
16. Purl
17. Knit
18. Purl
19. Knit
20. Purl
21. Cut off mid brown. Change to dark. 10 stockinette stitch rows 
22.  
23.  
24.  
25.  
26.  
27.  
28.   
29.  
31. K2, k2 tog – repeat over the row to the last 2 stitches, knit 1 (28)
32. Purl
33. Knit
34. Purl
35. Knit
36. Purl
37. Knit
38. Purl
39. Knit 3 in gold, 1 white – repeat
40. Purl 1 white, purl 3 gold repeat
41. Knit 1 white, (knit 1 gold, knit 3 white) repeat () to last 2, knit 1 gold, knit 1 white
42. Purl 1 white, (purl 1 gold, purl 3 white) repeat () to last 2, purl 1 gold, purl 1 white
43. Knit – all in white
44. Purl
45. Knit 2, k2 tog – repeat over row (21)
46. Purl
47. Knit
48. Purl
49. Knit 1 mid, knit 1 dark – repeat 
50. K2 tog over the whole row, cut the yarn with 20cm tail remaining, thread through the remaining stitches, pull to tighten.

Wing – make 2

Wing tips – 8 total . They will need arranging at row XXXX

A – Make 2 – Cast on 3 in black/brown.

1. KFB, KFB, K1 (5)
2. Purl  Cut yarn, put stitches on hold

B – Make 6 – Cast on 3 in black/brown.

3. KFB, KFB, K1 (5)
4. Purl
5. Knit 
6. Purl  Cut yarn, put stitches on hold

Wing construction:

Take 2 B pieces. Slide together. (10)

7. Knit (10)
8. Purl  (cut black yarn, replace with white so that now you have brown and white held together)
9. Knit
10. Purl
11. Slide a B piece onto each side of the wing. (20) knit across all stitches
12. Purl
13. Slide a B piece onto each side of the wing. (30) knit across all stitches
14. Purl
15. Slide a A piece onto each side of the wing. (40) knit across all stitches
16. Purl
17. Knit but alternate using white and gold as stitches with the brown yarn (K1 white/brown, knit 1 gold/brown – repeat)
18. Cut white yarn – continue with brown and gold – purl
19. Knit
20. Purl
21. Knit
22. Purl
23. Knit
24. Purl
25. K2, k2 tog over row – (30)
26. Purl
27. Knit but alternate using brown and gold as stitches with the dark brown yarn (K1 gold/brown, knit 1 gold/dark brown – repeat)
28. Purl
29. (K2 tog, k2) repeat to last 2, k2tog (22)
30. Purl
31. Knit
32. Purl
33. Knit
34. Purl
35. Knit
36. Purl
37. K1, (K2 tog, k1) repeat brackets to end
38. Cast off in purl stitches

Tail

Tail tips – 6 total . They will need arranging at row XXXX

– Cast on 3 in black/dark brown.

1. KFB, KFB, K1 (5)
2. Purl
3. K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1 (7)
4. Purl – cut yarn and slide to the end of the needle.

5. Slide all together and knit as one (42) 
6. Purl
7. K2tog with dark brown/black, k2 in brown/dark brown to last 2, k2tog …. (31)
8. Purl
9. Knit
10. Purl
11. K1, k2 tog, – repeat to last stitch, k1 (21)
12. Purl
13. Knit
14. Purl
15. Cast off

Beak

Cast on 11 in gold/white

1. k4, CDD, k5
2. Purl
3. k3, CDD, k3
4. Purl
5. K2, CDD, k2
6. Cut white yarn replace with black – Purl
7. K1, CDD, k1
8. Purl
9. CDD – cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch

Feet – claws

Cast on 6 in yellow/yellow

Icord 10 rows – if using wire

Knit 5 rows – if not using wire

Cut yarn with a 10cm tail remaining. Thread the last 3 stitches through the yarn tail and pull tight.

Thighs

Cast on 12 in brown/dark brown

Stockinette 4 rows

K2tog over the whole row.

Cut yarn with a 20cm tail remaining. Thread the last 6 stitches through the yarn tail and pull tight.

Assemble as per video.

Body – pull the yarn from the cast off tight, thread onto your darning needle. Fold the work in half, and stitch the sides together on the white end – this is the head. Using the tail from the cast on, run a running stitch through the cast on stitches and pull tight. Stitch up the back of the hawk to the colour change from white. From the bottom end, thread the needle around the cast on edge, pull tight. Stitch up from the bottom to the brown colour change. Stuff. Stitch the last of the back up.

Wings – fold in half. Using the yarn tails, stitch the sides closed. Stitch these to either side of the body, just below the white neckline.

Tail – fold in half as per the wings. Stitch to the back of the body.

Feet – Darn in your toe ends. Stitch the other end of each yellow toe together. Insert these into the opening at the bottom of the thigh (the end that can be pulled tightly to close. Secure with stitches. Stitch up the thigh. Stuff a little. Attach to the bottom of the body.

Beak – fold in half with the pulled stitches at the tip of the bill. Stitch up the side of the 4 stockinette stitch rows. Roll the beak so that the seam is directly under the centre of the bill. Stitch to the middle of his face.