Robin Tea Cosy by Arne & Carlos

With colours inspired by a robin’s plumage, this sweet cosy will make a quick-knit gift or treat for your home

Sweet colourwork tea cosy will make a quick-knit gift or treat for you

INSPIRED BY the robin who visits their garden in Norway, the design team Arne and Carlos created this cheerful tea cosy. The stranded colourwork pattern is worked in DK merino wool, and can be adapted to reflect the colours of your own favourite garden bird! The cosy in our photograph has been decorated with a knitted robin on top. Find instructions for the robin in Arne and Carlos’s new book, Field Guide to Knitted Birds.

TEA COSY

Using 3mm circular needles and yarn A, cast on 96 sts. Pm and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Work 15 rnds in K2, P2 ribbing. Change to 3.5mm circular needles. Knit 1 rnd, inc 2 sts evenly around. 98 sts. Each side of the cosy is now worked separately in rows over the next 49 sts, leaving rem sts on a holder.

BEGIN CHART

Work in st st following Chart A; begin each row of the Chart with Sl 1, K3, and end with K4 (sets garter stitch vertical panel). Note: When beginning a row with a slip stitch, it is important to make sure that the yarn at the beginning of the row doesn’t tighten the slipped stitch. The edge stitches should lie smoothly, one above the other. When all 17 rows of Chart A are complete, cut the yarn and work the other side of the cosy the same way. Join the two pieces following Row 1 of Chart B (WS) as folls: Row 1: Sl 1, K3, P44, purl the last st of piece 1 together with the first st of piece 2, P44, K4. The opening for the spout is now complete. (Note that the last st of Chart B will now also be the first st of the other side at the spout end of the tea cosy.) 97 sts. Cont to work back and forth over all sts until Row 7 of Chart B is complete, beginning each row with Sl 1, K3, and ending with K4. Rnd 8: Begin knitting in the round again beginning with K1 and slipping the last st of the round over the first knit st when you reach it. The opening for the handle is complete. 96 sts. Continue working Chart B, shaping as folls: Rnd 9: (K2tog, K6) to end. 84 sts. Rnd 10 and all alt rnds: Knit. Transfer sts to 3.5mm DPNs, dividing sts evenly over 4 needles. Rnd 11: (K2tog, K5) to end. 72 sts. Rnd 13: (K2tog, K4) to end. 60 sts. Rnd 15: (K2tog, K3) to end. 48 sts. Rnd 17: (K2tog, K2) to end. 36 sts. Rnd 19: (K2tog, K1) to end. 24 sts. Rnd 20: Knit. Change to 3mm DPNs. Work 15 rnds in K2, P2 rib. Cast off knitwise. Weave in ends neatly on WS and tighten any loose strands. Gently steam press the cosy under a damp pressing cloth, following any yarn care instructions on the ball band.