Poodles, Poodles, Poodles!

Poodle Tea Cozies and Tissue Cover from Bazaar Novelties and Gifts by Beehive, c. 1960

PoodleFest 4. It’s been Poodle week here at the VD Corral!

Oh dear, that didn’t come out quite right, did it?

The point is, I’m not done yet. Today’s canine catastrophes... I mean, canine festivities, will feature even more tea cosies (and these ones are extra fluffy!) as well as a Poodle toilet roll cover.

Keep in mind, however, that while Poodle Tea Cosy can be shortened to Tea-Poo or Poo-Pot, you should resist the temptation to give your Poodle Toilet Roll Cover a cutesy nickname. Unless you really want your children telling everyone that you’ve been leaving “Poo-rolls” all over the bathroom.

Yeah, that’ll go over just dandy at the next Parent-Teacher conference.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

Poodle Tea Cosies and Tissue Cover

MATERIALS:

By popular request...

Poodles are Hot!

...here are instructions for the Poodle Toilet Roll Cover and Tea Cosies to be knitted in three sizes with Patons Canadiana Knitting Worsted or Patons Carefree Canadiana. You will need:– 2 (2 oz.) balls each for the Toilet Roll Cover and the Two and Four Cup Size Tea Cosy. 3 balls for the Six Cup Size. Two No. 9 Milward Knitting Needles. 2 Buttons for eyes. Small piece of ribbon for bow.

You must use the exact yarns specified in order to be sure of satisfactory results.

Yeah, yeah... Like I’m willing to settle for just “satisfactory”. I personally have much higher standards where my PoodleWare is concerned.

TO MAKE LOOP STITCH: Insert point of right hand needle into next st. Place forefinger of left hand under point of right hand needle and wind wool loosely away from you, over top, twice around needle and finger and once around needle only. Draw these three loops on right hand needle through st. on left hand needle, dropping this st. from left hand needle in usual way. Remove finger.

Ouch!

Pass the 3 loops from right hand needle to left hand needle and knit them tog. to make 1 st. Tighten loops at back of work. Be sure to wind wool loosely enough so that finished loops will be at least 1 ins. in length.

TEA COSIES

The instructions are written for Two Cup Size. Any changes necessary for the four cup Size (4) and the Six Cup Size (6) are written in brackets thus:–( ).

*giggle* They said, “Cup Size”.

BACK: Cast on 26 sts. (4 – 32 sts.) (6 – 38 sts.). Purl 1 row. Knit 1 row. Purl 1 row. Proceed:–

1st row: K1. *Loop st. K1. Repeat from * to last st. K1.

2nd row: Purl.

3rd row: K2. *Loop st. K1. Repeat from * to end of row.

4th row: Purl.

No, I’m not a kid just because I giggle at “Cup Size”.

Repeat these 4 rows until work from cast-on edge measures 4 ins. (4 – 5 ins.) (6 – 6 ins.) ending with a purl row.

Purl 1 more row, then knit 1 row, purl 1 row.

It’s just, you know... Poodles! With Boobies!

To shape head: 1st row: K2. *K2tog. K4. Repeat from * to end of row. Purl 1 row.

3rd row: K2. *K2tog. K3. Repeat from * to end of row. Purl 1 row.

5th row:K2. *K2tog. K2. Repeat from * to end of row. 14 sts. on needle. (4 – 17 sts.) (6 – 20 sts.)

Okay, perhaps maturity isn’t one of my strengths.

Continue for all sizes:–

Beginning with purl row, work 4 tows (4 – 4 rows) (6 – 6 rows) Stocking st.

Next row: (wrong side facing). Work 1 Loop st. in each st. across row.

Purl 2 rows.

Beginning with knit row, work 2 ins. (4 – 2 1/2 ins.) (6 – 3 ins.) even in Stocking st. ending with purl row.

Next row: (K2tog.) 7 times. Purl 1 row. Break wool. Thread end through remaining sts. Draw up and fasten securely.

FRONT: Cast on 30 sts. (4 – 36 sts.) (6 – 42 sts.).

1st row: P11. (4 – P13) (6 – P15) Knit to last 11 sts. (4 – 13 sts.) (6 – 15 sts.). Purl to end of row.

2nd row: K11. (4 – K13) (6 – K15). Purl to last 11 sts. (4 – 13 sts.) (6 – 15 sts.). Knit to end of row.

3rd row: As 1st. row.

4th row: K1. (Loop st. K1) 5 times. (4 – 6 times) (6 – 7 times). P8. (4 – P10) (6 – P 12). K1. (Loop st. K1) 5 times. (4 – 6 times) (6 – 7 times)

5th row: As 1st. row.

6th row: K2. (Loop st. K1) 4 times. (4 – 5 times) (6 – 6 times). K1. (all sizes). P8. (4 – P10) (6 – P12). K2. (Loop st. K1) 4 times. (4 – 5 times) (6 – 6 times). K1.

Repeat 3rd to 6th rows inclusive for same number of Loop rows as worked on Back.

Next row: As 1st. row.

With wrong side of work facing, purl 1 row.

Next row: K2. (4 – K8) (6 – K14). *K2tog. K5. Repeat from * to end of row. 26 sts. on needle. (4 – 32 sts.) (6 – 38 sts.). Purl 1 row. Shape head as given for Back. Sew Front to Back, leaving openings for handle and spout.

NOSE: Cast on 5 sts. (4 – 6 sts.) (6 – 7 sts.). Work 8 rows (4 – 9 rows) (6 – 10 rows) Stocking st. Cast off. Sew side edges together. Sew over one end with a contrasting colour to accent tip of nose. Sew other end to head about 3/4 to 1 inch above Loop row. Sew buttons in position for eyes. The head is held in shape by stuffing with wool or inserting the cardboard section of a toilet roll, cut to desired size.

I’d recommend going with the toilet roll option. It’s more environmental – and cheaper!

POMPONS: For making, see below.

Actually, you should see the first post in this series instead. Which, of course, you already knew. And if you didn’t know it – for goodness sake, what are you doing reading PoodleFest out of order? Sacrilege! Click on that link and get right over to the first post!

Sheesh.

HEAD: Make 1 Medium Size. (4 and 6 – Large Size).

FACE: Make 2 Smallest Size. (4 and 6 – Small Size).

FEET: Make 4 Small Size. (4 and 6 – Medium Size).

TAIL: Make 1 Medium Size. (4 and 6 – Large Size).

Sew pompons in position as illustrated.

TOILET ROLL COVER

Follow the instructions for the Four Cup size Tea Cozy and when finishing, sew up both side seams. If desired, thread a length of narrow elastic along cast-on edge to draw up edge slightly.

And thus concludes my first ever PoodleFest! If you’ve been following along – and knitting and crocheting like a madwoman – you should have a veritable army of Poodle Minions by now. They’re concealing soap, Lysol, tea pots and toilet paper beneath their fuzzy exteriors.

MacGyver could easily fashion a nuclear bomb from those simple household items. So I’m sure you can come up with something even more creative – and deadly.

Go forth and conquer the world!

http://www.threadless.com/product/261/What_Would_Macgyver_Do

He’d turn it into a poodle, of course!

Click here for the printable pattern.