Robin Yarns Vintage Tea Cosy

I was surfing around Ravelry and other sites looking for Tea Cosy patterns and other cute household items that might make fun homemade gifts, when I remembered that I had some fun "mid-century modern" patterns of my own that might be worth exploring.

This crocheted tea cosy pattern was originally published in a small 1960s British pattern booklet entitled Robin "Oddies" #2040 and priced at 14p (about 25 cents?). Robin yarns are still available from Thomas B Ramsden, a British yarn manufacturer based in Leeds. You can learn more about them here.   

The booklet was given to me by my mother-in-law, the wonderful woman who taught me to knit back in 1993 and changed my life.  I have edited the pattern only by amending the old UK crochet hook sizes, and by changing the UK stitch names to American.  Very cute and easy...

I had intended to publish this pattern but then realized that there may well be copyright issues to deal with. So I contacted Robin yarns to ask for permission. They responded very promptly via email and said yes, go ahead...So here is the pattern:

TEAPOT AND EGG COSIES

Materials:

3 balls double knitting yarn in the following colors 

2 balls light

1 ball each medium and dark

4mm (US6) crochet hook

I used leftover skeins of Jaeger DK 8ply (yes, very posh tea cosy but I liked the colors).

No gauge is specified. Finished size is 6 inches high x 11 inches wide at the base, and will stretch easily over a large teapot.

My tension is quite loose at 13dc to 4 inches.

Make two pieces:

With  4mm (US 6) hook and Light make 37 ch. Work 1 sc into 2nd ch. from hook, 1 sc into each ch. to end, turn with 1 ch.

Next row: work in sc, turn, break Light, join in Dark.

*Next Row: 2 ch., work in dc to end. Turn, break Dark join in Medium.

Next row: 2ch., work in dc to end, turn break meduim, join in light 1 ch.

Work 2 rows sc, break Light, join in Dark.* 

Rep. from * twice more do not break Light.

 

Continue in sc. with light to 5 ins from beg.

Next row, working in sc, dec 7 sts.evenly over the next and each of the following 3 alternate rows. Work 1 row. Take 2tog to end of row, fasten off.

Leaving openings for handle and spout, join pieces tog.

Make a loop from double yarn and sew to top. Press lightly on wrong side using a warm iron over a damp cloth.

Egg Cosy

With 4mm hook and Light, make 27 ch. and work as for teacosy until the 2nd rep of patt. has been completed, do not break Light. Continue in sc until work measures 3 ins. from beg.

Dec. 6 sts. evenly over the next and each of the 2 following alternate rows. Work 1 row.

 

Next row: Take 2 tog to end of row. Fasten off, join seam.

Make loop and sew to top. Press as above.