Three Tea Cosies

I have finally got around to finishing 3 tea cosies which I started knitting about 5 years ago.  It was silly really the first one is based on a  Fondant Fancy and it may be that it was longer than 5 years ago that I started knitting this.  When I say “started” – I mean I knitted it all apart from putting the decoration on the top and sewing it up.

I could not decide how to do the decoration – whether to do embroidery or crochet.  This month – it still took my ages to decide what to do.  In the end I made a crocheted chain using 2 strands of yarn and sewed it onto the top of the cosy.  I then sewed up the sides and it was finished.

The second cosy was inspired by the Tower of London – so it is meant to be a Keep.  All it needed was sewing up.  I had started doing it years ago – there were pins in it – but for some reason – long forgotten – I abandoned it unfinished until now.

The third cosy was inspired by a bus.  I hope that is obvious.  It was much more complicated than the other 2 cosies and much less finished.

It is padded and lined.  I had only knitted one side of the lining and one of the end pieces was too short so needed to be lengthened.   I know why I stopped working on it – I had run out of yarn – but the new ball was there – so why didn’t I carry on a finish it after I had bought the new yarn?  The answer is – that I got interested in something else and just stuffed it into a bag with all the other unfinished tea cosies.  It took a bit longer to sew all the bits together, attach the padding, and then attach the lining to the outer knitting.  I am quite pleased with it because it does stand up on its own.  In the photos – there is a teapot under it but that is not obvious.

I have now drafted a design for a fourth tea cosy.  I wonder if I will knit it before I get distracted by something else.  I mean I have some old yarn that would make a nice summer jumper!  I bought the yarn about 15 years ago – and have no idea what I intended to use it for but now I have found a pattern…

Eyelet Infinity Scarf by Sarah Radow

Last week I decided I wanted to knit something easy.  This is the result.

It is the Eyelet Infinity Scarf by Sarah Radow which is included in the book celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Noro Silk Garden yarn.

There are lots of lovely patterns in this book and I did consider knitting some of the other cowl patterns but they are knitted in the round which put me off.  I started one – I tried it but I don’t like it.  I wanted to enjoy knitting not find it a struggle.  This pattern I recommend.  It is easy and interesting.  

I did use Silk Garden.  The pattern needs 3 balls.  I had 4 balls of Shade 418 which is sort of orange/brown/green and red.   

While I was knitting I thought about a new throw that I want to knit.  I can’t make a start on it until I have finished a few more projects.  However – the way I design things – I need to think about them for weeks before I make a start – the design process takes much longer than the actual knitting.