The Stitches and Abbreviations!
yo= Yarn over (hook). Bring
yarn over hook from behind.
ch= Chain. Make a slip knot,
insert hook and pull firmish but not tight. yo and pull loop through.
slst = Slip Stitch. Insert hook into stitch, pull through loop,
pull loop through stitch on hook.
sc= Single crochet. Insert
hook into stitch, pull loop through, yo, pull through both loops on hook.
hdc= Half double crochet.
Yo, insert hook into stitch, pull loop through, yo, pull through all three
loops on hook.
dc= Double crochet. Yo,
insert hook into stitch, pull loop through, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook,
yo, pull through remaining 2 loops on hook.
htr= Half treble. Yo twice,
insert hook into stitch, pull loop through stitch, yo, pull through 2 loops on
hook, yo, pull through 3 remaining loops on hook.
tr= Treble. Yo twice, insert hook
into stitch, pull loop through stitch, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo,
pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through last 2 loops on hook.
Picot= ch3, slst into 3rd ch from hook.
(Picot made)
Firstly, I used a 4mm
hook and 8ply wool…. and here is my little warning, this cozy will not fit
every tea pot, so please adjust the pattern accordingly to fit yours!
If
yours is taller, add a row or two before increasing at the top,
If it is wider,
make the original chain longer etc...
My tea pot measures
11cms from base to top (not including little knobby bit at the top) and
17cms from side to side.
However, for this
pattern, you will see that the new rows need to begin between the first and
second dc of the 3dc clusters, to make it more compact…. I’ll show you that in
the pictures.
Also, if you usually join your new colour like I used to,
until just recently (!) with a lovely big knot, it is important in the pattern
to join invisibly so the big knots don’t ruin the whole effect… to do this,
bring the new colour through stitch and join with a slip stitch, then continue
with instructions and fasten later by weaving in the end with a needle…. if
anyone would like photographic instructions on how to do this, as I may have
just confused you, let me know!
OK, less words, more pattern.
Foundation Row: Ch 72. sc into 2nd chain from
hook, sc to end of row. Turn. Ch3, skip the first two stitches and
make 3dc into the next stitch. *skip 2 stitches, 3dc into next
stitch* repeat ** until end of row, 1dc into last stitch in foundation chain.
Fasten off.
Row Two: Fold the piece in half and find the centre
point. Join new colour into the space either side of the centre
point, between the dc clusters of the first row using slst and
ch3 (counts as 1dc) 2dc into the same space, 3dc into each of the
next spaces along the row until the end, 1dc into the end space. Fasten
off. Repeat on the other side.
The intention, as you will have gathered, is to make a
piece of granny stripe with a gap in the middle which is where the spout will
sit!
Now, carry on with these instructions until you have
reached the top of the spout and handle. My tea pot needed seven
rows in total, including the foundation row… have a good look at this next
picture which shows you these seven rows, you will see that each alternating
row begins with a 3dc cluster, and the ones between begin with a chain
space. This is important because we want to keep the edges straight
instead of veering off into a slope!
So you’re joining the new rows between the dc’s there… it
looks a bit unfinished at this stage, but don’t forget we will be edging all of
the edges with some pretty, yet charmingly discrete frills!
Joining the sides: OK, so when you have reached the
top of the spout and are ready to join the sides to make a circle, join the
next colour with a slst in the gap closest to the edge, ch3 (counts as
1dc) and make 2dc into the same space, 3dc into each space until you
reach the spout edge. Into the very edge gap, make 2dc, then join the two
by making 2dc into the very edge space on the other side. Make sure
you make this nice and tight, and don’t have a big saggy stitch in between
these two 2dc’s. Carry on around the row making the 3dc clusters
until you reach the other edge, join the two edge 3dc clusters with a slst
into the 3rd ch of original 3ch and fasten off. JOINED!
Decreasing: So if you have a tea pot like mine,
the decrease will be quite important here, if yours is taller and not so flat
on the top, just carry on making the 3dc clusters into each space until
you need to decrease. For the next row, join the next colour with a slst
and make 3dc clusters right around the row, in each space EXCEPT the spaces
where you joined the spout and handle edge, just leave them empty. At end
of row, join with a slst.
Next row, join new colour, we are decreasing a lot in
this row, so once again, please ensure that you are making these stitches nice
and tight and that the spaces between the dc’s are tight and not floppy and
loose! OK, so you’ve joined the next colour, ch3 (counts as 1dc)
2dc into same space, into the next space, make 2dc, into the next space
2dc, into the next space 3dc. Repeat sequence of 3dc, 2dc, 2dc until end
of row, join with a slst.
Next row, join new colour with a slst, ch3 (counts
as 1dc) 1dc into same space, into each space make 2dc until end of round,
join with a slst.
Next row, join new colour with a slst, make 3dc cluster
into every SECOND space until end of the row, join with a slst.
Next row, join new colour with a slst, make 2dc into
every space until end of round, join with a slst. Do not fasten
off. You are now going to shape the area around the knob, so ch1,
1hdc into each stitch until and of round, join with a slst. Ch1,
make 1hdc into every second stitch from previous round, (decreasing here)
join with a slst. Ch1, 2hdc into 1st stitch, 1hdc into next, 2 into
next, 2 into next, repeat until end of round and join with a slst. Fasten
off.
And there you have it! Finished, all we need to do
now is the edging! From beginning to end, this took me about two
hours including pattern writing and photographing the process, so it’s not a
huge task.
OK, so let’s prettify it and make it nice and
professional looking! Shall we begin with the very top? I got a
couple of comments saying the first one looked like it was wearing a crown, it
did a bit! So choose which edging you want to use, for the first, I used
a picot edge, and for this one I used ch and slst… so join the top colour
with a slst, ch1 and sc into each stitch. Join with a slst at end of
round. Ch3, into next 2 stitches make a slst, ch3 into next 2 stitches
make a slst… continue around… this is cute! It looks like a frilly
flower!
So it’s up to you how you want to do that… That might look
cool and very crown-like!
Now for the bottom… For both of the cozies I’ve
made, I did a nice big scallop edging, so grab your foundation colour and
attach with a slst to one of the ends, skip 2 stitches and make 5dc into
the next stitch, skip 2 stitches and make a slst into the next, skip 2 stitches
and make 5dc into next stitch and carry on until the very end. Now
slst around the corner of the work until you reach the edge of the 3dc cluster
in the foundation colour, and make 12 chain loop (or longer depending how big
or small your gap is between the two pieces when your tea pot is wearing
it’s cozy) to make a button hole. Attach with a slst to same stitch.
Now get yourself a nice button, I found this nice smart
looking brass button in my vintage button collection….
And sew it to the other side!
OK, now the edging around the spout hole and handle
edge. I used the same colour as the top edging, joined with a slst then
made nice even sc around the edges. As you are edging something that
doesn’t have a nice clean edge, you may need to make 2sc into one stitch
to make it even. Join at end of round, and to make the 3ch, slst into
next 2 stitches sequence as around the top!
