Mom's Tea Cozy: My First Class Project!

When I was first signing up for the Intermediate Knitting Class at So Much Yarn I knew that I needed a project to work on. I actually struggled a bit with this (strange, considering that now I have so many things I want to make that I have a hard time remembering them all). Maybe it's because I hadn't knit anything in more than a year...

Then it came to me. I'll knit the tea cozy that my mom had been asking about practically forever and that I'd be denying her all that time. I started searching around online and finally came across a pattern for Grandma's Traditional Tea Cosy posted on Keren's blog teabythesea. This was a pattern she wrote based on an actual 80+ year old tea cozy of her grandma's and I loved it!

By making this cozy, I learned how NOT to knit with multiple colors -- that is, I learned to pull the loose strands of yarn tight (but not too tight) across the back to make each column pucker. The entire cozy is knit in garter stitch so it's really pretty simple. It took me a long time to finish though since you change colors every eight stitches and I was just getting back into the swing of things.

It does require some sewing, since you knit two pieces and then sew the seams. This makes it simple to fit the right pot though, since you can leave holes for the handle and spout. This was my first real experience with mattress stitch.

And a fun added touch? I learned how to make i-cord for the first time to make the flowers on top. Here it is:
She loves it, by the way. :D

Yarn:
Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc. Cotton Classic (100% Mercerised cotton)
50g/108 yds skeins
2x Color No. Dark Olive (3609)
1x Color No. Burgundy (3432)
1x Color No. Light Milk Chocolate (3203)

Needle:
US 6/4mm 24" circular needle (though straight needles would totally work too)

Not bad for my first project back, if I do say so myself. ;)