Swallows are finally here! They arrive in Clonbur, where I live in Ireland, in April, having travelled some 9,500 kilometres from southern Africa.

Their epic yearly migration from Africa to Ireland and back is extraordinary. The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), a tiny bird weighing only 20 grams, covers some 3,524, 463 km in her lifetime – that is around 87 times around the Earth!

The miracle of swallow’s migration has puzzled scientists and naturalists for thousands of years. Up until the nineteenth century, many scientists believed that it was illogical for swallows to migrate such long distances, to undertake a journey so dangerous.

Instead they thought that swallows hibernated at the bottom of ponds in the mud. Which is so much more logical, right? Even though no one could explain how swallows could survive under water for months…

I laugh thinking that some well-educated and arrogant scientist tried to fit nature into his own world view, while swallows simply continued their journeys back and forth.

Every year swallows arrive so suddenly. They appear above my garden around mid-April and as soon as they arrive they begin their busy lives – nest building, insect hunting, and mating. They seem completely unaffected by the long, dangerous, and exhausting journey. Their fast wings and piercing calls bring that extra energy that speeds up the arrival of spring and then summer.

The extraordinary swallow, the Fáinleog in Irish, is a symbol of spring and hope and so I wanted to celebrate her arrival here in Clonbur.

This is how Fáinleog design was born. It is a simple cowl/wrap inspired by the colours of swallows. With 86 different species of swallows worldwide, they come in an amazing variation of colours and shades, so it was fun to decide on the colour palette.

I thought about swallows every day and night for weeks, looked through books and illustrations and then settled on this particular colour palette, which echoes the many colours swallows are and can be in our imaginations, and that is both electric and elegant, like swallows themselves.

Fáinleog is knit in one piece using circular needles, and the colourwork is fairly simple even for a beginner. It is fun and quick to knit and the resulting garment can be worn in many ways – like a cowl or a luxurious summer wrap.

This is a perfect project to use up yarn in your stash as it used around 100 grams of background (light blue) colour and around 15 grams of other five colours. And if you feel creative, I’ve included a blank chart with the pattern so you can play with colours and design your own colour palette, perhaps inspired by your favourite bird.

The swallow is a symbol for northern spring, but their numbers are declining.

A bird that can traverse the Earth is declining due to a loss of habitat and loss of food. Swallows tend to return to the same nesting areas and sites every year and if you are lucky to have a swallow’s nest near your house, please do not destroy it. Instead you can actually encourage swallows to nest.

Being an arial insectivore, swallow is also susceptible to decline in insect abundance and diversity. Perhaps this spring, we could all leave insecticides and herbicides in the cupboards and not use them in the garden this season. Let’s celebrate the extraordinary journey this bird has to make to be with us this spring!

Have you seen your first swallow already?

x.