This is the time of year when my crafting urges are most strong, so it's no surprise that in 24 hours I've swung from sugar cookies to quilting (I came across a new quilting mag with a teapot/teacup quilt pattern) to knitting. But the knitting is the craft that actually spurred me to action, because I'm always looking for something fairly mindless to work on while watching TV on these cooler evenings at home.
Yesterday in the mail I received a review copy of the new book "Tea Cozies" which the good people of Sterling Publishing were kind enough to send. I had read that it had patterns for both crocheted and knitted tea cozies. Alas, only one of the tea cozies is actually crocheted, although many of the knitted cozies have crocheted accents. I have been crocheting for about 35 years now (thank you, Grandmother Doris), but I do wish she'd known how to knit as well. I've been knitting for only about 6 or 7 years and can turn out a mean dishcloth, but now I'm ready to try a simple tea cozy.
The tan/brown/blue colors up top were the first yarns I came across and have potential, I think. If I can take my knitting up a few notches, I'd really love to make the book's tea cozy with a teacup pattern knitted in, and there's also an adorable sunflower tea cozy, a tea cozy topped with roses (gotta have it), and a tea cozy fox surrounded by dimensional foxgloves. Because this book was originally published in the UK I find that some of the knitting terms are slightly different, and I need to do a little Googling to see what yarns in the U.S. are comparable to the ones listed here. This is a lovely and inspiring book, and those of you fortunate enough to possess some real knitting skills will certainly want a copy of your own.
This is the time of year when my crafting urges are most strong, so it's no surprise that in 24 hours I've swung from sugar cookies to quilting (I came across a new quilting mag with a teapot/teacup quilt pattern) to knitting. But the knitting is the craft that actually spurred me to action, because I'm always looking for something fairly mindless to work on while watching TV on these cooler evenings at home. 
Yesterday in the mail I received a review copy of the new book "Tea Cozies" which the good people of Sterling Publishing were kind enough to send. I had read that it had patterns for both crocheted and knitted tea cozies. Alas, only one of the tea cozies is actually crocheted, although many of the knitted cozies have crocheted accents. I have been crocheting for about 35 years now (thank you, Grandmother Doris), but I do wish she'd known how to knit as well. I've been knitting for only about 6 or 7 years and can turn out a mean dishcloth, but now I'm ready to try a simple tea cozy. 
The tan/brown/blue colors up top were the first yarns I came across and have potential, I think. If I can take my knitting up a few notches, I'd really love to make the book's tea cozy with a teacup pattern knitted in, and there's also an adorable sunflower tea cozy, a tea cozy topped with roses (gotta have it), and a tea cozy fox surrounded by dimensional foxgloves. Because this book was originally published in the UK I find that some of the knitting terms are slightly different, and I need to do a little Googling to see what yarns in the U.S. are comparable to the ones listed here. This is a lovely and inspiring book, and those of you fortunate enough to possess some real knitting skills will certainly want a copy of your own.
As a fellow quilter and tea lover, where did you find the quilt pattern? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI agree - can you share where you got the quilt pattern? I love the cozies!
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to help a fellow needleworker! The magazine (which I got at Barnes and Noble just last night) is called Quick Quilts. It has a solid orange band up top, and the cover quilt is a kiddie dinosaur pattern, and there is a "doggy coat and bed" pictured in the lower right corner. The neat thing about this quilt pattern, which features needle turn applique, is that it includes two different cups and three different teapots.
ReplyDeleteI love that you can do this kinda stuff!!! Beautiful,and to know that thought, and precious time went into such wonderful hand crafts makes them extra special!!! I want to learn-but until and after- i am a great admirer of the art of hand work. Thanks for sharin--tammyp
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela.
ReplyDeleteI *love* these knitted cozies! The style of the one on the front of the book is found in most English homes. I've always wanted one ... hmmm .... Santa? Are you there?
ReplyDelete(I've been known to use knitted ski hats for tea cozies!) :-)