Spring Roses Tea Cosy

We have had the hottest weather of late; a heatwave of note, prolonged and uncomfortable .... more so because it makes working with wool a big no-no!! And so when we woke to a cloudy and cool Saturday here in my neck of the woods, I literally fell on my yarn and hook with such delight, and finished a WIP .. 

Spring Roses Tea Cosy Ta-dahhh!

I did not have the tea pot to hand to work around, just measurements, quite a challenge.  After scrapping two designs, I was finally happy with this sweet cosy, in white with leaves in beautiful Spring Green, and roses in Soft Yellow, Wisteria and Fondant, these all being gorgeous colours in the Stylecraft Special DK range.  

There is no complete pattern as such, I have notes on the body in white, and details of how I finished it off. The pattern consists of two rows :: 1 row in hdc, 1 row in hdc but including the bobble stitch every 6th stitch.  The bobbles are offset (see photo).  The widest measurement around the 'belly' of the pot is 40cm. I worked the body in two pieces and sewed the pieces together

First side:

I started with around 42 chains.

Row 1 ~ First hdc in 2nd chain from hook, hdc to end, turn

Row 2 ~ 2ch, hdc to last 3 sts, ch 1, miss one st, hdc to end. This forms the buttonhole, turn

Row 3 ~ 2ch, 9hdc, bobble st in next stitch (note here :: the bobble st is worked on the wrong side of your work), *5hdc, bobble st, continue to end, turn

Row 4 ~ 2ch, hdc to last 5 sts, and turn.  This forms the button hole strip.

Row 5 ~ 2ch, 1hdc, bobble st in next stitch, *5hdc, bobble st, continue to end, turn

Row 6 ~ 2ch, hdc to end of row

Row 7 ~ 2ch, 4hdc, bobble st in next stitch, *5hdc, bobble st, continue to end, turn

Now continue until you have the height you need minus about 2cm, which we will take up with decreasing rows. For this cosy, that worked out to a total of 19 rows from the start row ( 9 bobble rows and 10 plain hdc rows).

Row 20 ~ (or your next row depending on how many rows you have for the height you need) and (Right side) 2ch and 4hdc, 2hdc tog., *4hdc, 2hdc tog., continue from * to end of row, turn

Row 21 ~ Wrong side :: 2ch and 3hdc, bobble st in next st, *4hdc. bobble st, continue to end and hdc last however many sts you have left, I had 2 so I worked 2hdc, turn

Row 22 ~Right side ::  2 ch and 1hdc, 2hdc tog, *3hdc, 2hdc tog; continue to end, turn

Row 23 ~ Wrong side :: 2ch, hdc to end, turn

Row 24 ~ Right side :: 2ch,and 1hdc, *2hdc tog, 2hdc, continue from * to end, turn

Row 25 ~ Wrong side :: 2ch, hdc to end. That completes one side.

Second side ~

Repeat the instructions for the first side, except cast on stitches minus the buttonhole strip .. so I started with 36 chains instead of 42 chains.

Note:  once you have started the decrease rows, just work with the stitches you have.  You may have fewer or more sts that I had, remember that you are going to cover the decrease rows with masses of flowers and leaves, which will cover up with decrease rows anyway!

Once you have completed the two sides, fit to your tea pot and sew up the sides where necessary.  One seam will be short to come up to the bottom of the spout. The handle side closes with a pretty button and buttonhole.  I left the gaps open to the top of the cosy almost all the way, just stitching the last 1.5cm of each side together so that I had a complete round 'cap' onto which I attached the leaves and flowers 

I embellished the cosy with May roses and leaves from Lucy's pattern on Attic 24.  I added a row of slip stitches in green for a small neat edging along the handle and spout edges. For the finish on the bottom edge, I used a braid stitch in green :: see my post on Braid edging here

Hope you are having a good Sunday wherever you are, take care until next time,

Pat xxxxxxxxxx

Braid edging

A recent FB post of a Mandala I made for my Christmas wall collage, resulted in a flurry of requests for a 'how-to' for the braiding on the last row ..... 

The pattern for my Christmas Mandala is The Sunny Flower Mandala from Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog.  With her blessing I added three more rows to make a larger Mandala, two of which make up the braiding rows.

The last cluster row in white is made up of 2dc 1ch 2dc, 

and then a row of 1sc into 1ch space, 2ch, 1sc into space between clusters in green followed.  

Thereafter I added the row of braid crochet in red.

Here is the 'how-to' for the braid row  ...

I have crocheted a small mat shape to start us off.  Then you need a row of chain spaces into which you will work the braid.  So I add a row like this:  1sc into a suitable starting stitch, 2ch, miss 1 st, 1sc into next st.  Proceed in this way to the end of the row, sl st into 1st sc to join row.

    Next join the new colour for the braid into any chain sp leaving a longish thread, about 10cm. 

Chain 5

Remove hook from loop.  The point of the hook is pointing to the space where you will insert hook, i.e. the next 2 ch space.

 Insert the hook through the 2ch space ..

 and then through the loop at the end of the 5ch leg.

Pull 5ch leg through from the wrong side to the right side of work.

Chain 5 again.

Repeat the process

to the end of the row

When you have pulled the braiding through the last 2ch space, chain 3.

 
This photo shows the wrong side of the work.  You can clearly see the starting stitch at the beginning of your row.

Back to the right side of the work.  Sl St carefully into the st at the back of work;  leaving a 10cm thread, cut yarn, and pull the thread through the last loop on your hook.

Turn your work over so you have the wrong side facing you again.    Gently pull the braid at the back so that it looks good on the front.   Collect your starting 10cm thread and then carefully tie a small neat knot, using your finishing 10cm tread (I know .. knots are not OK) but in this case there is a purpose for the knot.  It serves to pull the braid nicely to the back of the work, so that once you have securely sewn the threads away   ......

This is your end result!

Do try this fun edging on your next doily or mandala!  I would love to see your creations, so please pop a

 photo onto my Sunshine and a Sewing Basket FB page!

Have a lovely weekend all

Pat xxxxxxxxxx