Crocheted Birds

This Western Tanager was the first of this group that I did. I dyed all the yarns to get the colors that I wanted for all the birds. My son-in-law wanted me to crochet a Western Tanager for him for his birthday because I had crocheted some chickadees for my daughter that they both liked. I decided that he needed a mate.



I made up the pattern as I went and I use field guides to make the markings realistic. Sometimes I use tapestry crochet to get the detail and sometimes I embroider the features on.

Then I decided Cory needed a Lazuli Bunting, another bird I knew he liked so I made this one.



And of course, he needed a mate so I made her.



Well, then my husband asked how Cory would display these birds so we came up with a woven background that I had done and I made a couple of inkle bands to make the perches for the birds to sit. I was hopeful that it would come together and it really did without any major unanticipated problems.



I think that Cory really liked the gift. They had said that it was an unlikely grouping since both of these species of birds usually hang out in quite different habitats so would not usually be seen in the same tree. But the next weekend they went to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake and what did they see? Western Tanagers and Lazuli Buntings in the same tree! Now Jess wants me to crochet all the rare birds she would like to see and put them in the same hanging. Who knows the magic of crocheted birds?