Woodruff - To knit or not to knit: helpful and humorous hints for the passionate knitter

Special Thanks to:

Frankie Brown, who uses his talent for designing knitwear to raise money for charities for children in the UK. To see Frankie Browns fund-raising page and learn more, go to www.justgiving.com/frankiesknittedstuff .

To Lindsay Woodruff for her spot-on photographs.

To the many independent yarn shops which supply us with advice, encouragement, and the stuff of our dreams. Buy local, as I do at the outstanding Knitters Edge in Bethlehem, Pa.

Mr. Wicks, Hand Model and In-House Muse.

Copyright 2014 by Elvira Woodruff

Photos copyright of author unless otherwise noted.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62914-211-1

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62914-304-0

Printed in China

For Jen, who keeps our family
knit together.

D EAR M RS . W ICKS ,

My boyfriend says that my passion for knitting is stronger than my passion for him. I hate to admit this but if we broke-up, I think I could go on, but I cant even imagine my life without my knitting. Will I feel like this about all men and yarn?

Sincerely,

Passionate for Fiber in Florida

D EAR P ASSIONATE ,

I suggest we turn to an expert in the passion department, and see what Lord Byron has to say on the subject of love.

In her first passion, a woman loves her lover;
in all the others all she loves is love.
Lord Byron (17881824)

Oh dear, I honestly do not think our boy, Byron, was feeling the love when he wrote those words (this is what comes of over-sampling love). However, what he has described quite perfectly is a knitters passion.

A new knitter may be in love with one yarn, one pattern, or one project. But this soon gives way to an all-encompassing love of all knitting . Unfortunately, this love can be so strong, it can overcome ones reason. A short cautionary tale on the subject follows:

Oh, No! Not Another Tea Cosy!!!

My sister loves to drink tea, so of course, when I stumbled on a pattern for a tea cosy, she came to mind (an innocent little foray, or so I thought). Id try one in a snappy blue worsted. It was a quick and easy knit. Her teapot looked so natty now dressed in wool, I found myself yearning to make another. Why not try one in an emerald green merino? Next, there came a dusty rose in DK, after which I whipped up a wooly white alpaca beauty. Surely, she would love one for every day of the week!

Oh, no! Not another tea cosy!

I thought the seventh in the series was by far the standout in a fuzzy coral wool-silk blend. But when I delivered it to my sister, her face fell. I had the sudden, sinking realization that my passion had overtaken my reason. She didnt say a word. She didnt have to. I could read it in her pleading eyes.

A H OLIDAY T EA C OSY

Lets Begin!

This is a pattern by the talented designer, Frankie Brown, called Mistake Rib Tea Cosy. I simply added a lid with leaves and some lace for the holidays. (Frankie Brown was kind enough to point out to me that while in America it is spelled tea cozy, in England, where the first tea cozy was probably invented, it is spelled tea cosy. I defer to those English tea drinkers of old).

By varying the size of the needles and yarn used, this simple tea cosy can be knit to fit two sizes of teapots. Use worsted weight for a three-cup (one pint) teapot and bulky for a six-cup (two pint) pot.

Materials: Either 30 grams worsted weight or 40 grams aran (in red). Needles US size 7 or US size 5.

Method

Make two identical pieces, one for each side. Using the long tail method for flexibility, cast on 31 sts. Work two rows in mistake rib as follows:

Every Row: P2, K2 to last 3 sts. P2, K1

K1M1 increase in the first stitch of the next 4 rows, taking the new stitches into the pattern as set. You should now have 35 sts and the mistake rib will have settled down to a normal: K2, P2 to last 3 sts, K2, P1. 4t. P the last stitch.

Work 30 more rows in this pattern. To shape the top a certain amount of blind following is required.

Row 1: (K2, P2, K1, P2tog, P1) 4 times, K2, P1. (31 sts.)

Row 2: (K2, P2, K1, P2) 4 times, K2, P1.

Row 3: (K2, P2, K2, P2 tog.) 4 times, K2, P1. (27 sts.)

Row 4: K2, P1, K1, P2) 4 times, K2, P1.

Row 5: (K2, P2, K2 tog) 4 times, K2 P1. (23 sts.)

Row 6: (K2 P3) 4 t. K2, P1.

Row 7: K2 (P2, K2 tog, K1) 4 times, P1. (19 sts.)

Row 8: K2, P2, to last 3 sts. K2, P1.

Row 9: (K2 P2 tog) 4 times, K2 P1. (15 sts.)

Row 10: (K2, P1) across row.

Row 11: (K1, P2 tog) across row. (10 sts.)

Row 12: K1, P1 across row.

Cast off loosely in rib.

Note: For a tea cosy that leaves the lid uncovered cast off after Row 2.

Sew the two pieces together, leaving holes for the spout and handle.
Its probably easier to try the cosy on the pot as you do this but, if you dont happen to have your teapot at hand, try the following measurements.
For a smaller size: Sew up 1 inch below the handle and 2 inches above it.

Sew up inch below the spout and 2 inches above it.

For the bigger size: Sew up inch below the handle and 2 inches above it.

Sew 1 inch below the spout and 4 inches above it.

Knit enough I-cord to wrap around teapot and sew into circles at the ends.

Abbreviations:

K Knit

P Purl

St Stitch

Sts Stitches

K2tog Knit 2 together

P2tog Purl 2 together

For the Lid

Small amount of Fingering weight, white for lace trim