Tea and cosy

At the moment i am thinking a lot about things i can make for the home. that is mostly because i am moving to a new flat next week and am thinking about how lovely it will be. we have been having quite a lot of fun making some grand purchases of the essentials (bed, sofa, retro coffee table, expensive tea towels) but i always find a lot of joy in making and very much joy is being thrifty. Kirstie would be proud (i have been watching an unhealthy amount of this recently)

Here is a bright red tea cosy i made with the left overs from a jumper i knitted a boy for the Lewes bonfire procession a couple of years ago (he is in Southover society - red and black)

tea-berry

I am so pleased with it! i have started knitting tea cosies before but never finished one so it is a personal triumph as well.

For tea cosying purposes, I decided to use a blanket rib stitch which is so fat and warm - i think it will be good insulation. I found out how to do it in this GREAT book that i got for christmas:

over 900 great stitches

a peek inside

There are so many stitches all arranged in categories with good pictures and instructions and a guide for how difficult they are. (Daisy stitch is for the experienced knitter apparently - it doesn't mention how much patience is needed though)

I made up my tea-cosy pattern as i went along, but it worked out okay. Here are my steps retraced for future reference! i could probably have got away with fewer stitches as mine came out quite wide. maybe about 32, but I think a little room won't hurt.

Using chunky red wool and 5.5mm needles, Cast on 36 stitches.

row 1: kfb every stitch across the row

row 2 k2tog, p2tog, k2tog, p2tog all the way across the row.

Complete these 2 rows until 36 rows have been worked (or to desired length)

row 37: knit

row 38: knit 1, knit 2 and pass the first over to cast it off. knit another two and again pass the first over the second to cast off. Cast off every other stitch in this way until the last stitch which you just knit.

row 39: knit

row 40: pfb of every stitch 

row 41 as row 2

repeat rows 40 and 41 twice or three times more (this makes a little ruffle on the top, so it is up to you how much ruffle you think is right) and then cast off.

Repeat to create the second piece and sew the two sides together at the top and bottom, leaving gaps in the side for you handle and spout.


For the finishing touch thread a ribbon through the gaps left by casting off every other stitch and gather up.

And voila! it is a joy.

Yours, no more tepid seconds,

Emilia. xxx