Country Home Tea Cozy

Country Home Tea Cozy

Tea cozies add a fancy/chic aspect to any tea party!  This cozy really hits the home run with it’s simple and elegant style. This pattern is fairly simple, and took me about a day to construct and knit.

Yarn recommended: 

Either cotton or wool yarn works here, but you might opt for cotton, because it’s easier to wash. 

This project does ask for a double strand of yarn, so don’t use anything too chunky.  I used worsted weight wool/acrylic mix (I don’t have the name because I used some leftover yarn I had lying around).

What you will need:

-5 size 4 US (3.5 MM) double pointed needles.

-1 stitch marker

-tapestry needle

Dimensions:

I made this for a teapot that, at it’s largest, measures 14,5 inches (37cm), and at it’s tallest measures 4,5 inches (11cm), although the belly is a bit big and can stretch to fit a fatter pot. 

Abbreviations:

C/O = Cast on

B/O – Bind off

K = Knit

P = Purl

PM = Place Marker

K2tog = Knit 2 together

Inc 1 = increase 1 stitch by knitting front to back

Sl 1 = Slip one stitch from left to right needle (ALWAYS AS IF TO PURL!)

YO = Yarn over

YF = Bring yarn to the front

YB = Bring yarn to the back

Instructions:

11.     C/O 9 st.  Knit one row as if on straight needles and then join in the round, spreading evenly over 3 dp needles.

22.     PM

33.     K1, inc 1, K1 over each of the 3 needles (12 st)

44.     Knit 1 row even, dividing the stitches evenly over 4 needles (3 st per needle)

55.     K1, inc 1, k1 over each of the 4 needles (16 st)

66.     K1, inc1, inc 1, k1 over each of the 4 needles (24 st)

77.     K1, inc 1, knit to 2 before the end of the needle, inc 1, k1.

88.     Repeat step 6 until there are 20 stitches on each needle (80 st total)

99.     *k1, yf, sl 1, yb * repeat * to * until the end of the round.

110. Knit 1 row

111.  *yf, sl 1, yb, k1 * repeat * to * until the end of the round

112.  Knit 1 row

113. *k1, yf, sl 1, yb * repeat * to * until the end of the round.

114. Purl back [This is now the start of the opening for the handle.  Instead of working in the round, the piece will now be worked as if on straight needles.]

115. *yf, sl 1, yb, k1 * repeat * to * until the end of the round

116. Purl 37 stitches

117. With a piece of scrap yarn, purl 6 st. (this will be used at the end like an afterthought heel.)

118. Slip these 6 st from the right hand needle to the left hand one. 

119. Purl over these 6 stitches again, but with the main yarn, and purl to the end of the round.

220. *k1, yf, sl 1, yb * repeat * to * until the end of the round.

221. Purl 1 row

222. *yf, sl 1, yb, k1 * repeat * to * until the end of the round

223. Purl 1 row.

224. Repeat steps 20-23 (4 rounds knit)

225. Repeat steps 20-22 (3 rounds knit)

226. Re-join the work in a round and knit 1 row.

227. *k1, yf, sl 1, yb * repeat * to * until the end of the round.

228. K1, k2tog, knit to 3 before the end of the needle, k2tog, k1 (18 st per needle)

229. Repeat step 28 until 10 st remain on each needle (40 total)

330. B/O using Jenny’s Super Stretchly Bind Off

a.     YO, K1

b.     Pull YO over K stitch (1 st on right hand needle)

c.      YO, K1

d.     Pull YO over K stitch (2 st on right hand needle)

e.      Pull right hand stitch over stitch that was just made (1st on right needle)

f.      Repeat steps c-e until one st remains on right hand needle.  Cut a long tail and thread through loop.

331. Pick up the 12 stitches on the scrap yarn.  (if you’ve never done this before, here’s a good video to help you out!  Start at 0:37)

332. K6, pick up 1 st from the gap

333. K6 pick up another stitch from the gap (7 st on each needle)

334. On the top needle (the one that is closest to the lid of the teapot) K1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 (5 st on this needle)

325. Knit straight across the second needle (7 stitches on this needle)

336. Do the same B/O here that you did for the underbelly of the cozy.

337. Tie in ends.  To let the top handle of the teapot through, I simply did not pull the yarn through the 9 st I initially cast on.  If your teapot is different, you can, of course, close the hole.  

338. If you think blocking will help, go for it!  If not, make yourself a nice cup of tea J