Your Tea Cosies are Loopy

Knitted Looped Tea Cosies from Bazaar Novelties and gifts by Beehive, c. 1960.

January is National Hot Tea Month!

I suspect that the nation officially celebrating hot tea is the United States, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t enjoy a hot cuppa as well. After all, the Chinese invented tea, Dutch traders brought it to Europe, and the British believe they’re the only ones who know how to properly serve it. Sure, American tea parties are getting all the news coverage, but I doubt they actually drink even a single cup of desiccated plant leaves in boiling water!

To ensure that your tea remains hot stuff, here’s a pattern which will enable you to drape your pots in dead tribbles -- I mean, loopy yarn loops.

Tea-drinking knitters with dust allergies should proceed with extreme caution.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

Knitted Looped Tea Cosies

MATERIALS:
You will find a colourful tea cosy like this so easy to knit when you are sure to use Canadiana Superwash Wool or Canadiana Sayelle. You will need:– 1 (50g) ball for the two cup size or 2 balls for the four or six cup size. Two No. 9 (3 3/4 mm), (U.S. 5) knitting needles.

And if you don’t use Canadiana Superwash Wool or Canadiana Sayelle, you will find this colourful tea cosy dreadfully difficult to knit. Mainly because Patons will send pixies to tie all of your yarn into knots.

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

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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

See that little screaming face at the end of the above sentence? That’s what you’re going to look like if you try to use any yarn other than Canadiana Superwash Wool or Canadiana Sayelle.

Cast on 31 sts. (4 - 39 sts) (6 - 47 sts)

1st row: K3. Purl to last 3 sts. K3.
2nd row: Knit.
3rd row: As 1st. row.
4th row: K3. *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 3 loops on right hand needle through st. on left hand needle, dropping this st. from left hand needle in usual way. Remove finger.

No, don’t remove any of your fingers! You’ll need all of them if you’re going to drink tea properly, especially Mr. Pinkie.

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 inch in length. K1.* Repeat from * to * to last 2 sts. K2.

Repeat these 4 rows for approx. 4 ins. ( 4–5 ins.) ( 6–6 ins.) in all, ending with 1st. pattern row.

Upon further investigation, I’ve discovered that Canadiana Superwash Wool and Canadiana Sayelle are no longer in production, but don’t despair! Patons still produces a Canadiana yarn, in a wide variety of fun colours. You can make your cosy using “Really Green”, “Super Purple”, “School Bus Yellow” or all of them together in “Crazy Shades”, without risking a passel of Patons patented pixies putting your project in peril.

Probably.

And don’t let the name Canadiana fool you. Unlike Red Rose Tea, it’s available outside Canada.

Next row: K5. *K2tog. K2. Repeat from * to last 2 sts. K2. Work 7 rows even in pattern.
Next row: K4. *K2tog. K1. Repeat from * to last 3 sts. K3. Work 7 rows even in pattern.
Next row: K3. *K2tog. Repeat from * to last 4 sts. K4. Break wool. Thread end through remaining sts. Draw up and fasten securely.

Make another piece to correspond. Sew side and top seams, leaving openings for handle and spout. Make and sew a pompon to top as given for Large Size Pompons on page 20.

Just so we don’t accidentally derail our peace negotiations with the Patons Pixies, here’s how to correctly make a Large Size Pompon.

LARGE POMPONS: Wind yarn over 4 fingers 75 times. Remove from fingers. Tie tightly in centre. Cut through each side of loops thus formed. Trim to smooth round shape. Sew in position.

As Mr. Snaffleburger says, “Conform, consume, obey!”

And look! It’s a mini Mr. Snaffleburger! I bet he’d make an adorable large pompom. As long as the Patons pixies don’t find out.

Click here for the printable pattern.