WILD TEA COSIES

Contents
5 Acknowledgments 60 Simply magic
8 Introduction 63 Sea Squirt
67 Cactus Delight
10 Sock it to me 71 Party Girl
13 Carmen Miranda
73 Wonder Weave
17 Rosie Posy
21 Sandwich, Anyone? 76 Lofty lovelies
25 Roly Poly 79 Turkish Delight
83 Eddie Emu
28 Diagonal addiction 87 Prized Rooster
31 Liquorice Allsorts
33 Red Comet 90 A good yarn
35 Night Cap 93 Beauty and the Beast
95 Harlequin Flower
38 Round and round 99 Chicken Little
41 Coral Fantasy
101 Candy Popcorn
45 A Single Rose
103 Bella Bell
49 Sunflower
53 Sea Clam 107 Knit or Crochet: Circles
57 Green-Eyed Monster 109 Knit or Crochet: Frill
110 Knit or Crochet: Twirl
111 Abbreviations

1
Introduction
I’m glad you are reading this introduction. It is a very
useful introduction. It tells you stuff you need to
know. But careful …
KNITTING IS ADDICTIVE
Wool shops, wool shops, I love them. I’m like a girl
in a lolly shop — eyes wide bright. What shall I buy?
Not satisfied with just one colour or texture, I want
everything. ‘What’s your project, madam?’ There is
no project. Just a greedy stash: a palette of paints
to replenish.
Barely an evening goes by in my house without
knitting, crochet, or spinning. A 1950s varnished
drinks trolley is my toolshed, sitting beside my comfy
chair in the living room. Everything is at hand:
2 3
reading light, knitting needles, darning needles,
crochet hooks, tape measure, scissors, pins, buttons,
beads and wool for at least three projects (often a
tea cosy).
REMEMBER, TEAPOTS ARE LIKE WOMEN …
… they come in many shapes and sizes. My six-cup
teapot is round and plump with a generous mound at
her top. The cosies in this book are made to show off
her voluptuous figure and perky personality. Other
six-cup teapots may be less well-endowed, taller or
shorter, but the one-size-fits-all patterns in this book
should still suit.
ALWAYS READ A PATTERN FROM GO TO WHOA
This way there won’t be any surprises. Make notes if
you need to. Temporary sticky notes are great if you
don’t want to write in this gorgeous book.
TO SWATCH OR NOT TO SWATCH?
Any self-respecting knitter will make a gauge swatch
to check their tension, but in tea cosy land, if you
knit a gauge swatch you have almost completed
one side of a tea cosy. I tend to trust my eye, and
compare the work often with the actual teapot.
If I get it wrong I pull it undone. It’s only a tea cosy.
On the other hand, some fancy yarns don’t
unravel all that well once knitted together. If you
are worried, do knit a gauge swatch.
AND WHERE DOES INSPIRATION STRIKE?
Some of my tea cosies have been requested for a
themed party or celebration. Some are inspired by
the beach or garden. Some jump out at me from my
yarn stash yelling “knit ME!”. Some designs are the
result of running out of one yarn and having to
choose another. Some shapes are accidental, not
quite matching the picture that I had in my mind’s
eye. Some end up on the cutting-room floor.
They all make me smile and are loved for that
reason alone. My hope is that you will approach
each pattern as an inspiration rather than a
paint-by-numbers project. Mix and match. Change
yarns. Change colours. Experiment! Go wild!

Sea Squirt
Knitted base and bits
There is a lot of knitting in this tea cosy but what a
result! You could make it for a smaller tea pot but
somehow I think it would lose a little of its
magnificence. Afternoon tea on the verandah with
Sea Squirt will never be quite the same again.
SIZE
8 cup tea pot
MATERIALS
6 x 50g balls 8 ply wool dusty green
6 x 50g balls 8 ply wool mustard yellow
6 x 50g balls 4 ply mohair terracotta orange
6 mm single end needles
6 mm x 4 double end needles
Feathers
poly fill
BODY
Make 2
Using 6mm single end needles and one strand each
of the green, yellow and orange wool, cast on 35
stitches.
To Moss
It is important to have an uneven number of
stitches on your needle to produce Moss stitch.
Knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches.
Row 1: *Knit 1, purl 1* to last stitch. Knit 1.
Row 2: *Knit 1, purl 1* to last stitch. Knit 1.
Continue Moss stitch pattern for 30 rows or until
WILD TEA COSIES
body measures 3cm above the spout and handle.
SHAPING THE TOP
While decreasing to shape the curve you will not be
able to keep exactly with the moss stitch pattern. In
some rows, 2 purl stitches will sit side by side and
2 knit stitches will sit side by side. This doesn’t
matter too much as most of the base will be covered
with the Sea Squirt cones. It all adds to the rough
ocean floor look of the tea cosy.
Row 31: *P2tg, moss 3 stitches, K2tg, moss 3
stitches*, repeat to end. (28 stitches)
Row 32: Moss.
Row 34: Moss.
Row 35: Moss 3 stitches, *P2tg, moss 2 stitches
K2tg, moss 2 stitches*, repeat to last 3 stitches,
moss. (22 stitches).
Note: You should now have K1, P1, K1, P1 along
the entire row. It doesn’t really matter if you don’t.
Row 36: Moss.
Row 37: Moss.
Row 38: *K2tg, moss 3 stitches, P2tg, moss
3 stitches*, repeat to end. (18 stitches)
Row 39: Moss.
Row 40: Moss.
Row 41: *K2tg, moss 2 stitches, P2tg, moss
2 stitches*, repeat to last 3 stitches, moss.
(13 stitches)
Row 42: Moss, knitting all purl stitches and purling
all knit stitches.
Row 43: Moss.
Cast off.
5
WILD TEA COSIES WILD TEA COSIES

SEA SQUIRT CONE need to, to get the best effect.

Make 16 Now that you know what it will look like, unpin all
Using 6mm double ended needles and one strand the Sea Squirt cones and using the yellow thread,
each of the green, yellow and orange thread, cast on sew them on one by one. Every now and then put
21 stitches. Divide the stitches onto 3 needles, 7, 7 the tea cosy on the tea pot to make sure the cones
and 7 stitches. are sitting well.
Round 1: K1, P1, K1, P1 to end. For the finishing touch, spear the feather shafts into
Round 2: P1, K1, P1, K1 to end. the end of each of the Sea Squirt cones and secure
Continue in Moss stitch for 9 rounds. with a couple of stitches. Cotton thread is best.
Round 10: and each alternate row. Knit.
Round 11: K5, K2tg repeat to end WARNING
Round 13: K4, K2tg repeat to end. Beware the cat. Cats LOVE feathers.
Round 15: K3, K2tg repeat to end.
Round 17: K2, K2tg repeat to end.
Round 19: K1, K2tg repeat to end.
Round 21: K2tg onto the one needle (3 stitches).
Cut the threads leaving enough to thread a darning
needle. Pick up the last 3 stitches with the darning
needle and secure with 2 or 3 over stitches.
Turn inside out so the that the ‘wrong’ side of
stocking stitch becomes the ‘right’ side and stuff
with poly fill.

FINISHING
Darn in all the loose ends in the tea cosy base. Sew
the two sides together leaving spout and handle
holes to fit your tea pot.
There is no need to darn in loose ends in the Sea
Squirt cones. These threads can simply be hidden
up inside with the poly fill stuffing.
Place the tea cosy base over your tea pot. Pin seven
Sea Squirt cones to each side of the base. Try not to
line them up too evenly. Pin two Sea Squirt cones
to the top of the base, one above the handle and
one above the spout. Move them around if you

6 7

Coral Fantasy
Crocheted
I chose all these colours from my stash. There’s royal
purple, iridescent purple, mottled mauve, dark dusty
blue, sooty black and a sparkly slubbed fancy wool
for spilling out of each of the volcanic towers.
SIZE
6 cup tea pot
MATERIALS
5 x 50g 8ply main colour
3 x 25g 8ply contrasting colours
Fancy wool can be anything you like.
3.5 mm crochet hook
poly fill
BODY PATTERN
Work from the top down. Using the main colour
and the 3.5 mm crochet hook, make 18 chain. Use a
slip stitch to join the 18 chain string together to
form a ring. Mark the beginning of the round with a
short piece of contrasting coloured thread.
Round 1: 2 chain (counts as 1st dc), 1dc into each
chain of the ring.
Continue to crochet straight across the beginning of
the last round to form a seamless cylinder.
Rounds 2–11: 1dc into each dc of previous round.
Increase using the first contrasting colours
Round 12: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 2dc*,
repeat to end. (24 stitches)
WILD TEA COSIES
Round 13 and each alternate round: 1dc into each
dc.
Round 14: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 3dc*,
repeat to end. (30 stitches)
Round 16: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 4dc*,
repeat to end. (36 stitches)
Change colours when it takes your fancy.
Round 18–30: Continue in this increasing pattern.
(80 stitches)
BODY – RIGHT SIDE
Rows 1–22: Using the main colour, crochet 2 chain
(counts as 1st dc). 1dc into each of the next 39dc.
(40 stitches). When work measures to the bottom of
the tea pot, cut and tie off yarn.
BODY – LEFT SIDE
Tie thread directly beside the right side and
continue as for the right side pattern.
Do not break off the yarn.
BODY – BOTTOM BAND
Round 1: Make 2 chain as a joining bridge between
the left and right sides. Continue in the round, 1dc
into each dc.
Round 2–6: 1dc into each dc. Include 1dc into each
of the chains joining the two sides of the tea cosy.
(84 stitches)
9
WILD TEA COSIES
VOLCANIC BELLS
Make 4
Mix and match the colours as you like. I ended
each volcano bell with the colour black, and chose
all the other colours at random. Have fun with it.
Using 3.5 mm crochet hook, make 18 chain. Use a
slip stitch to join your 18 chain string together to
form a ring.
Round 1: 2 chain (counts as 1st dc), 1dc into each
chain of the ring. Continue to crochet straight
across the beginning of the last round to form a
seamless cylinder. Mark the beginning of each
round with a short piece of contrasting coloured
thread.
Round 2–10: 1dc into each dc of previous round.
Round 11: *2dc into next dc, 1 dc into next 2dc*
repeat to end
Round 12: and each alternate round, 1dc into
each dc
Round 13: *2dc into next dc, 1 dc
into next 3dc* repeat to end
Round 15: *2dc into next dc, 1 dc
into next 4dc* repeat to end
Round 17: *2dc into next dc, 1 dc into
next 5dc* repeat to end
Slip stitch into next 2dc for smooth
ending. Cut and tie off thread.
PLUG
Make 1 to plug the underside of the top volcanic
bell.
Both a knitted circle pattern and a crocheted circle
pattern can be found on page….
10
WILD TEA COSIES
FINISHING
Stuff the top volcanic bell with poly fill. Sew your
plug in place at the bottom of the volcano (directly
above the tea pot lid).
Place the tea cosy base on the tea pot. Crochet has a
tighter weave than knitted weave. Don’t be afraid to
give the band around the bottom of the tea cosy a
good stretch to easily fit over the handle and spout.
Stuff the 4 volcano bells with poly fill and pin
them to the tea cosy base. Sew into place. Dress up
your volcano bells with fancy wool, feathers or
whatever tickles your fancy. I have used a sparkly
slubbed fancy wool. Loop the wool round and
round the fingers of one hand and tie off at the
base. Poke the base down inside the volcano bell
and fix into position by sewing a number of loose
threads through the volcano bell walls.
Voila! You have a wild thing for your
tea pot.
11
Eddie Emu
Crocheted and Knitted BODY
Starting at the very top of the tea cosy and working
OK. He doesn’t look exactly like an Emu. But surely down, use a 4 mm crochet hook and the variegated
he reminds you of an Emu doesn’t he. He has the brown green wool to make 4 chain. Use a slip stitch
essence of an Emu. He is kindred Emu. If he had a to join your 4 chain string together to form a ring.
beak he might be Darrel Duck or if he had some
feathers popping out the top he might be Ronald VERY IMPORTANT
Rooster. But he doesn’t have any of these things. So Work into the back of the loop only for all crochet
let me introduce Eddie Emu. Tough, earthy, macho stitches. This technique give a great ribbed effect.
Eddie Emu. Round 1: 8dc into ring
Mark the beginning of the round with a small
SIZE thread of contrasting colour.
6 cup tea pot Round 2: 1dc into each dc to end.
Round 3: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next dc*
MATERIAL repeat to end. (12 stitches)
1 x 50g ball 10 ply variegated brown green wool Next 3 Rounds: 1dc into next dc to end.
such as Patons Jet. Round 7: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 2dc*
1 x 50g ball 12 ply grey green fury wool. I used repeat to end. (16 stitches)
Anny Blatt Fine Kid. Next 5 Rounds: 1dc into next dc to end.
4 mm crochet hook Round 13: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 3dc*
6 mm knitting needles repeat to end. (20 stitches)
poly fill Next 7 Rounds: 1dc into next dc to end.
Round 21: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 4dc*
repeat to end. (24 stitches)
Next and every alternate round: 1dc into next dc to
end.
Round 23: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 5dc*
repeat to end. (28 stitches)
Round 25: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 6dc*
repeat to end. (32 stitches)
Round 27: *2dc into next dc, 1dc into next 7dc*
repeat to end. (36 stitches)