Sharing the tea cosy love!

Ok, so it started with one tea cosy and now there have been three more!  One for a gift, one ordered by a friend and another to pop into my shop.  They are just so lovely to make and seeing them sitting together with their different coloured roses makes me smile.

I've had quite a few emails asking if I have a pattern for these and until now I'd just made them up as I went along.  But after making several more, I've finally written out a pattern complete with a gazillion photos!  So if you fancy making one of these sweet cosies, you can.  These instructions can be worked to suit any teapot no matter what size.  As mentioned previously, I always have my teapot beside me as I'm making a cosy, that way I can keep trying it on for size, so you get a perfect snug fit for this particular pattern.

Here are the things you'll need to get started.  I use my favourite 4mm hook and double knit wool/yarn.  You will also need a stitch marker, a needle for sewing in ends and your teapot of course.  You will also need a small button for fastening the cosy.

To get started, make an initial chain just long enough to go around the base of your pot so it sits just to the sides of your handle. The chain will need to be an odd number of stitches so you have a perfect centre stitch.

Then Ch2 and work one HDC into the third chain from hook.  Continue working across into all spaces in HDC.  Ch2 then turn.

Work enough rows of HDC (always adding a Ch2 before turning) so that your cosy sits just below the base of your spout.  Don't worry about it fitting the handle as this is joined at the very end.

Now place a stitch marker in the centre stitch.

If your pot is like mine and has a fairly wide spout I leave a space of 5 stitches to accommodate it.  You could leave just 3 stitches for a more slender spout.  For the next few rows you'll be working up one side at a time.  As before, always Ch2 to start the first row and then at the end of the row before turning and continue working your rows until you reach the same level as the top of your spout base.  I find it best to stay level with your spout at this point so that once your cosy is finished, the hole isn't too large.

You can now fasten off this section.

Now it's time to start the other side, working from the middle of the cosy now.  So if you are using a 5 stitch  gap, you will now start in the 3rd space to the left of your stitch marker.  Pull your wool through and chain 2, then continue working across in HDC.  Remembering to Ch2 before turning.

 Continue working in rows until both sides are the same height.

Just tall enough to reach the top of your spout where it joins to the pot.  Don't fasten off this time as you are going to work it as one piece now.  Ideally the next row will be Right Side Facing - this always seems to work out by fluke with my teapots but you may need to add an additional row so bear this in mind.

Now work across the next row until you get to the middle gap.  This is where you join it up with the other side.  I have tried various ways of joining up here, and you may like to try a different way, but this is the way I like to do it!

If your gap at the base of your spout was 5 stitches, you now want to add 3 stitches back in to cover the top of your spout.  Instead of using a regular chain stitch here, I like using a Single Crochet chainless foundation stitch which is a bit more substantial for this part of the cosy.  Keeping your wool nice and tight here to avoid a gapey stitch, start with a chain 2 ....

then working into the first chain (making sure to insert through both posts/strands), YOH, pull through stitch (2 loops on hook), YOH and pull through first loop, YOH and pull through both loops.  Repeat twice more.

There it is - nice and chunky. The single crochet here ends up being level with the HDC in the rest of the row.  Now I join to the other side with an HDC into the first space.  Make sure you keep your wool nice and firm for this part so you don't end up with a gape in this stitch.

And carry on across the rest of the row.

Continue on in HDC rows  ...

... until you are sitting just above the top of your teapot where it starts to shape in towards the lid.

From here on you still work in HDC but only into every 2nd space.  Keep working in rounds until you get to the top of your lid.

You could stop here and add a little picot edge or leave it plain.

If I plan on covering the cosy with flowers I prefer to crochet right to the top so it gives me more of a base to secure my flowers to.

I should point out that you can also join your sides together just about the handle height and continue on in rounds if the top of your cosy is going to be visible. This gives a lovely finish and I do this with my non-flowery cosies.  But if I'm piling mine up with flowers and leaves, I go with this slightly lazier option and join at the end.

So now you've reached the top you can fasten off and leave a nice long thread to sew in your ends.

Then it's just a case of sewing down this seam until you reach just above the handle.  Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Now you can make a wee loop at the base of your cosy which will secure to a button on the opposite side - making it a breeze to remove the cosy from the pot.

Insert your hook into the edge of your first row and Ch5.  Slip stitch into the row above to create the loop and fasten off.  Sew in your ends.

Sew a button on to the opposite side ...

... and wackydoo, there you have it, one snug little tea cosy!

Now you can go crazy and add flowers, leaves, hearts, stars, pom poms or anything else you fancy!!

I have played around with lots of leaf patterns but this is one that I came up with that gives a nice shape and is super fast to make.  I always use the same size hook and the same thickness wool to match the flowers I am making. That way your leaves are always the right proportion to match your flowers.

Ch10, DC into 3rd chain from hook, HTR in next chain, DC in next chain, HDC in next chain, SC in remaining 3 chains.

Now working the opposite side, SC in first 2 chains, HDC in next 2 chain, DC in next chain, HTR in next chain, DC in next chain, SC in last chain and fasten off.  Sew in ends.

Apologies to anyone who has been trying to use the link I had provided for the large rose pattern. It seems the original source is no longer active. And thank you for all your lovely emails asking questions about the pattern. I hope the written pattern below helps!

Large Crochet Rose Pattern (updated 18 September 2021)

(US)  4mm hook

Leave a 10” tail. Chain 57.

Row 1: (wrong side) (DC, Ch2, DC) in 6^th chain from hook.  (5 skipped chains count as first DC+Ch2).  *Ch2, skip next 2 chains, (DC, Ch2, DC) in next chain. Repeat from * across to end.  36 spaces.

Row 2:  Ch3, turn.  5DC in next ch-2 space, SC next ch-2 space.  (6DC in next ch-2 space, SC in next ch-2 space) 5 times. (9DC in next ch-2 space, SC next ch-2 space) 5 times. (12 DC in next ch-2 space, SC in next ch-2 space) 7 times.

Finish off and sew in loose ends.  With the 10” tail, thread a needle from beginning chain. With right side facing and beginning with first petal made, roll rose, sew to secure as you roll with stitches on the back of the rose. Make sure you're rolling it evenly, layering the petals to give a nice full rose when you're finished.

Enjoy!

Hope you all have a fabulous week.
Leah
xxxx

A week of things to make me smile!

I apologise in advance if this post is a bit lengthy! I only do one post a week and this week, it's been pretty full on so I have lots of things to write about. This morning, I popped into town to meet a girlfriend at Moore Wilson's (a fabulous wholesale store which regularly tempts me with all its gorgeous kitchen bits and pieces). This amazing ice display has just been created outside the store as part of "Wellington on a Plate", which is a month of food based events. Isn't it fantastic? Fresh produce sealed in huge blocks of ice. Thankfully we are having fairly chilly temperatures here, so hopefully this wonderful piece will last for a while!

We treated our family to one of the events, which was a gourmet food/steam train excursion. It was brilliant!! I was so excited to go on a steam train - there is something so charming about them, the noise of the engines, the whistle and toots, the gentle rock of the carriages ... We had the most wonderful day - plenty of lovely foodie treats and gorgeous countryside to chug through. The journey was from Otaki to Feilding and back. Here are a few pics from both inside and outside the train. When we got off the train, it was continuing on its journey and we were lucky enough to find ourselves right beside it along the main road. Mr 6 and Miss 4 had a total blast - as did the grown ups!! I just wish I had taken my vintage crochet bag with me, then I could have sat there like an old nana with my hooks!

Not a lot of progress on my blanket this week as have had lots of hat orders to complete. I was having a wee play the other night, trying to work out what, if anything, I could pop onto the boys hats. The girls hats look gorgeous with flowers but the newborn boys hats looked a little plain. I ended up creating this cute wee bear and he looks adorable. I've even managed to decipher my pattern scribbles if you fancy making one. I used a 4.5mm hook and double knit for this particular one and he measures approx 4cm across his face (not including ears). Any size hook will do. And it only uses up a tiny bit of wool so great for little leftover pieces you have. This is using US stitch terms.

For the face:
Rd 1: Ch3 then join to first chain with sl st.
Rd2: Ch2, 10hdc into ring. The ring will be small so you may need to jiggle it a bit to find the centre.

Rd3: Ch2, 1hdc into same stitch, then 2hdc into every stitch. Join with sl st to top of first Ch2. Do not fasten off just yet.

Now for the ears:
Sl st into next stitch. Into the same stitch Ch1, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sl st. Fasten off.

Working towards the left now, skip 4 stitches. Insert hook into 5th stitch and draw yarn through.

Ch1, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sl st into same stitch. Fasten off. Tidy ends and now you can make his wee face.

Using contrast thread stitch eyes ...

... nose and mouth. And there you go - a cute wee bear face. Just what my little hat needed!!

We had an after school play date with some friends so Miss 4 asked if we could make cupcakes. Violet icing was especially requested and boy they looked nice. We had some fondant hearts in the pantry that we made a while ago so Miss 4 carefully popped one on each cupcake. They didn't last long once all the friends arrived!! I was quick enough to get a pic before they got eaten - they looked lovely sitting on my dear Nana's cake stand. In the past I have kept all my china treasures in a cabinet and rarely used them. But since the terrible earthquakes that ravaged Christchurch in February, I have read many stories about people losing their entire china collections and that everyone should use their special pieces on a daily basis and enjoy them. One lady had said that it was better to use something special and break it yourself than have it broken by a force of nature. So I am taking her advice!!

I recently spotted this cowl pic in a magazine and have now added it to my to-make list! I'd better get a wriggle on though or summer will be here and I'll have to wait 6 months before I can use it. It's similar to something I've already made, but different enough to make me want to give it a go!! Another thing added to my to-make list is a tiny tea cosy to go over a gorgeous little red teapot I have just picked up for a bargain - just the thing to use when I'm by myself with a quiet cuppa.

My dear friend Ange has just been away for the week and when we caught up yesterday, she gave me this gorgeous Russian doll that she found on her travels! I love, love, love it! The doll is now sitting on my kitchen shelf and she looks fabulous - such bright, cheerful colours. How lucky am I? And talking about Russian dolls ...

When I was at Moore Wilson's this morning I spotted this little gem. It's an egg poacher!! And for less than $10 I had to have it. Apparently you pop your egg in the bottom half, sit the top half lightly on top and microwave for one minute. Utterly fabulous and oh so cute!!!

Only one op shop treasure to show you this week - this lovely little pale green jar. For $2.50 it makes a fab little vase. I did also get a wonderful winter jacket/coat for $7.00 brand new - how ridiculous is that! Will try and get a pic to show you next week.

And just a silly wee thing to end with, but something that totally made me smile ... my new socks, 1 pair stripey, 1 pair spotty. Talk about happy looking feet!!

Wow I have gone on a bit, so I will end now. I hope you all have a fabulous week.

Take care,
Leah
xx

Lots of crochet and my first pattern!

I made one of these lovely wee jar covers for my very first crochet project last year. I haven't made any since, but today I had a bit of free time while the rest of the family were at the local pool. I decided to make another one with some lovely wool I have been using recently. It is quite a firm wool so feels more like a cotton in some ways, and it is perfect for this little cover. When my little ones got home, they both agreed that these stripes would be really nice as a hat. So they have put in their requests for what colours and styles they want!

Lovely rainbow-y stripes!

Just a quick cushion update .... I started joining them yesterday but forgot to take a pic of it all joined. So here is one after joining the horizontal rows. I have joined these squares with a raised join as I wanted a bit more texture to this one. I love the result! I'm sure there is a perfectly good crochet term for this but I don't have a clue what the stitch would be called!!! I am still on the hunt for either some merino fabric or a jersey to use on the back. Fingers crossed I find something this week as I'm bursting to get it finished. Tomorrow my small folk are going to help choose the buttons from our big button jar. These woolly cushions are so warm to snuggle up against! I adore them.

I am loving this long Easter weekend! I have been able to grab a bit of extra time to crochet which has been fab. The weather hasn't been so great so it's a good excuse to stay inside with my hooks, oh and lots of chocolate too! I think next week I will have to have a bit of vege fest to feel healthy again.

As we head into winter, it's so lovely to find monarch butterflies still in the garden. This gorgeous butterfly sat and posed quite happily for me. They really are the most stunning creatures aren't they?

And now, here's my first pattern! It's not exactly a tricky one, but something that gets lots of compliments whenever I wear mine.

I have been meaning to pop this on my blog for a while but kept forgetting to take pictures while I was making one. So this weekend I finally did it. It's a little pattern I have done to make a fab necklace. It's a fairly simple thing to make but to people who don't crochet, it looks difficult. I have given quite a few of these to friends to 'road test' and they all really like them. They look great over a plain t-shirt. You can make it any length you like, so you can wear it doubled or tripled around your neck. The possibilities are endless - colour, length, yarn etc. I have gone for just a single strand here to show you.

I have never written a pattern before so fingers crossed this makes sense!!! I have tried to take pics of each step. I'd love to hear what you think of it. So here goes ...

I have used thin crochet cotton and a 1.3mm hook for this example - and I am using US terms.

Firstly, chain 25. Try and keep your chain fairly tight.

Insert hook into the 5th chain from hook and sl st to form a small ring.

The ring will be fairly tiny so you might need to give it a wiggle to gently find the centre.

Make 8dc into ring. At this point your original chain length will be coming out of the bottom of your work (see below).

You now need to move your chain in a clockwise direction so it is now at the top of your work (see pic below). This will ensure that you have a nice even entry/exit chain coming out of the circle/round that you have created.Make another 8dc into ring. Join with a sl st into the top of your first dc. You have now completed your first 'circle'!

Now you chain 25 again ...... and repeat the above instructions until you have reached your desired length. Join your last 'circle' to your initial chain and fasten off.And there you go, a cute wee necklace! You can go as crazy as you like with colour, or even add some small beads or buttons to the centre of the circles perhaps? And if you want the circles to be smaller, just use a smaller stitch, an hdc works well too.

I hope that all made sense!

Have a fab week.

Leah