Handknitted traditional style tea cosy - neutral colours

Well, after the terrible weather since the beginning of the year I took advantage of some sunshine yesterday and took photographs of all the new tea cosies I have been busy making. Here's the latest one:


 I've been meaning to make a cosy in this style for quite some time - but as with most things, too many ideas and not enough time!

Although knitted in double knitting yarn, carrying the yarn at the back of the work and pulling it tight creates the fluted effect which will certainly keep your teapot hot.

The pale neutral pastel shades make it ideal for most kitchens as it will 'blend into the background' - unlike many of my other tea cosies!

This and other tea cosies are available in my Etsy shop now.

Red tea cosy with pearlised beads

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121907058/wool-red-tea-cosy-with-cream-beads

I've spent the past few months sorting out all my yarn and trying to get to grips with what I have. It's always tempting to buy more yarn, but my current yarn moutain is getting insurmountable!!

Anyway, here's a new tea cosy made with a lovely warm, soft cuddly yarn (wool / acrylic mix) in a delicious berry shade. I've experimented with the pattern quite a bit to try and get 'the ribs' to line up at the top - all very easy until I got to the decreasing part!



https://www.etsy.com/listing/121907058/wool-red-tea-cosy-with-cream-beads

The beads add a 'touch of glamour' - I crocheted these into the first row (after foundation) and then added some at the top too.

Check out my Etsy shop for this and more tea cosies.

Luxury mohair and wool crochet blanket

Well, I fancied a change from tea cosies so decided to make a blanket (or afghan if you prefer!).

 Made from a simple square motif, I have joined 88 squares together to make this lovely lap sized blanket.

I was inspired by an article I read about using a self patterning yarn / colour changing yarn to create a blanket - the idea being that the yarn naturally produces differently coloured squares. I'm pleased to say it worked! Putting the squares together took a bit of time - as the colours had produced randomly, there wasn't a fixed amount of any one colour. Nonetheless, it is very effective.

I joined the squares together with a double crochet stitch to create a ridge - I think this frames the squares nicely.

The blanket is finished with a couple of rows of treble.

I am really pleased with the result and am now in the process of making a second. Available in my Etsy shop!

Knitted bee / beehive tea cosy

Well, my blog has been a bit neglected of late (a major understatement!). Although there haven't been many posts on here, I have been busy adding stock regularly to my Etsy shop.  I've been re-making old favourites like the sheep tea cosy, frog tea cosy and owl tea cosy but also been experimenting with blankets too!

Bee tea cosy

I've been adding to my yarn stash too and recently bought some mohair/wool/acrylic mix yarn by Stylecraft. It's a self patterning yarn which I plan to make blankets from. The yarn is lovely and warm and soft - I can't wait to use it!
Anyway, here is a picture of the bee tea cosy I've recently added to my shop. It's a fun cosy made using 2 strands of double knitting yarn - perfect for keeping your tea hot for longer! The bees are made from a lovely bright gold yarn striped with black - they really stand out on the brown beehive!

I'll be updating my blog more regularly going forward - please visit my Etsy shop to see all items I've currently got in stock. However, don't forget I welcome custom orders so if you see something you'd like me to make, please contact me!

White fluffy crochet Westie Dog tea cosy

This little fella is an order for a lovely lady in America. She contacted me after finding a Westie dog tea cosy that I had made last year (which was another custom order surprisingly!). Anyway, after supplying me with the measurements of her teapot, I used a single strand of fluffy white yarn to make the body of the tea cosy. It is worked in a simple double crochet stitch, along the length of the cosy. It may be a simple stitch but the wool makes things a lot more complicated! Instead of working the head 'in the round', I crocheted it in rows from top to bottom, working the ears in too and saving on sewing up! As this was a custom order I suggested that I could add a felt name tag to the pooch to make it an even more special present. I embroidered 'Mac' onto a felt oval shape using a running stitch and then attached the back using a blanket stitch. Overall, I am very pleased with the result! If you would like me to make a cosy like this for you, please contact me - turnaround time at the moment is about one week. Click here for my Etsy shop.

Cornish Blue and White Granny Square tea cosy

A few weeks ago, I posted pictures of a Granny Square tea cosy in a black and multi coloured yarn combination. Well, after selling that cosy I have repeated the pattern but in a different colourway. I am really pleased with the colour combination - the cosy looks very 'fresh' and being made from yarn, it is fully washable too! As crochet tends to 'come up' a little thicker than knitted pieces, I used a single strand of DK yarn instead of my usual chunky. Despite the difference in yarn weight, the cosy is still very thick and will definitely keep your tea hot!
Over the next few days I am planning to crack on with some fabric tea cosies - but as these require a little more concentration on my part, they may take a little longer! The blue and white tea cosy, is available in my Etsy shop now!

Handmade Amigurumi Hello Kitty dolls

After a rather unsuccessful craft fair in Barton yesterday, I have spent the day taking photographs of some toys I made that unfortunately didn't sell. Here are the Hello Kitty dolls:

My daughter loves anything related to Hello Kitty, hence my inspiration for making these items. They are all varying sizes but made to the same basic pattern. The dolls are crocheted 'in the round' so there are no join marks. To give a smooth flat finish, I used Patons Smoothie yarn - although it is 100% acrylic, it has the look and feel of cotton. They would make a great present! Available in my Etsy shop now!