Comments about Knitty's Tea Cozy?

[cookworm]

Has anybody made Knitty's Tea Cozy? Is it hard? I'm looking at the pattern and I don't understand most of it. Maybe it's one of those things that once you start working on it, it will make sense?

[knitqueen]

Let us know what part you find confusing and I bet someone here can help you out! That's a really cute tea cozy, too bad I don't drink tea cause I'd make it myself!

[humblestumble]

It can seem confusing at first, but I read through it and I seem to be understanding most of it. It looks pretty darn easy. I didn't read through all of it, but it's making sense here... Let me try to explain it easier...

To begin the Inner base,
Cast on 8 stitches, then distribute them onto double pointed needles. If you have a set of 5, that would be 2 per needle, leaving you with an empty one (which is the one that you will be working into the rest of the stitches with - I dont know if you've used double pointed needles before)

Bring the needles together in a circle being careful not to twist the stitches, and begin knitting in the round. The first round and all odd rows are just simply knit. Before joining the first to the last stitch, you can place a marker to make it easier for you to see where the round begins (it's called a round instead of a row - short for round is rnd)

Also, m1 is short for make one. It is an increase where you pick up the stitch from the previous row of the one you are about to work into, and you knit through that loop to increase one stitch into your work. There's a video in the increase section on this increase.

Rnd 2: (M1, K1) around. This means just to repeat "m1, k1, m1, k1, m1, k1,..." until you reach the marker. You now have 16 stitches on the needle

Rnd 3: Knit

Rnd 4: (M1, K 2) Around. This means to repeat "m1, k2, m1, k1, k2, m1, k2,..." until you reach the marker. You now have 24 stitches on the needle.

Rnd 5: Knit.

Rnd 6: (M1, k3) around. This means to repeat "m1, k3, m1, k3, m1, k3,...." until you reach the marker. You now have 32 sts

Rnd 7: Knit.

Rnd 8: (M1, k4) around. Meaning to repeat "m1, k4, m1, k4, m1, k4,...." You now have 40 sts.

Rnd 9: Knit

Rnd 10: (M1, k5) around. Meaning to repeat in this pattern until you reach the marker. You now have 48 sts.

If you are knitting the LARGE only, then you add these next 4 rows:

Rnd 11: Knit

Rnd 12: (M1, k6) around. Meaning to repeat "m1, k6, m1, k6, m1, k6,..." Until the marker. You have 56 sts now.

Rnd 13: Knit
Rnd 14: (M1, k7) around. Repeat the pattern in the parenthesis until the marker. 64 sts

Both sizes:
- If internal pocket for sachet is desired, BO 12[16] sts, then place rem sts on hold on spare dpns.
- If pocket not desired, place all sts on hold on spare dpns..

Break yarn and weave in ends.

Note: (I dont know how much of a knitter you are, so assuming that you are new to knitting....) The first number -12- above is for the small tea cozy. The second - [16] - is for the larger.

Outer Base
Work as for inner base, but do not BO sts for pocket, and do not break yarn.
Weave in end at beg of work.
K1 rnd.

Note: I quoted the above so that I can explain it. "Work as for inner base" means to do the SAME thing you just did with the first set of instructions up until the pocket section. You would NOT Bind Off (aka: BO) any stitches when you are through with the first set of instructions.

Join Bases
Hold Inner Base and Outer Base together, purl sides together.
Insert tip of right needle through first st of outer base, then through first st of inner base.
K these 2 sts tog. Continue knit together 1 stitch from each base until all sts on second base have been joined to first base.

This can sound confusing, but it really is very simple. If you've ever done a 3 needle bind off, this is exactly the same only you are not binding off. You are basically knitting through two peices of fabric instead of one. So therefore, you would be knitting through two stitches instead of one.

If making internal pocket, DO NOT pick up the BO sts on the inner base. Instead, simply k the corresponding sts on the Outer Base normally. 48[64] sts
P 2 rounds.
Next Rnd: (M1, k6[8]) around. 56[72] sts.
Next Rnd: K all sts.
Next Rnd: (M1, k7[9]) around. 64[80] sts.
Next Rnd: K all sts.

If making cozy with pocket, k 8[10] sts to center pocket opening under handle opening.

For all versions, place 32[40] sts just worked on hold on spare dpns.

This is similar to the beginning again. The only note I am making here is that you understand that the number before the bracket is for the small size and the one inside the bracket is only applicable to the larger size.

Then it goes onto the sides instruction. If you decide to knit this project and need anymore help once you've gotten here, please let me know. I hope that this has helped you. Good luck

[Old Knitter]

I hadn't seen that pattern. Thanks for pointing it out. I am going to make that...I have an old quilted one that should fall in the kitchen trash bucket.

I think you'll find it fine once you start the project....one instruction at a time....