Warm your tea with our rainbow fantasy tea cosy
Take your teatime into the world of imagination and fantasy with TeaCosyFolk’s unicorn and dream-inspired tea cosy.
We’re big fans of this tea cosy! Neigh, we love this tinsel-tastic, rainbow-filled teapot cover. Have fun learning new stitches, like knitting four below, and creating your own unicorn onesie-wearing character. With 68 shades to choose from, why not go for a pastel colour theme? TEA COSY
TEA COSY SIDE
Cast on 46 stitches using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Rows 1 to 4 *K1, P1; rep from * to end.
Break Yarn A and join in Yarn B.
Next row Knit.
Note As you knit this row, notice the back loops of the previous row on the wrong side of the work. You will be knitting into these back loops later and they will be referred to as the back loops from the previous colour band.
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 7 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts]
Next row Purl.
Break Yarn B and join in Yarn C. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts]
Next row Purl.
Break Yarn C and join in Yarn D. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts]
Next row Purl.
Break Yarn D and join in Yarn E. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts] Next row Purl.
Break Yarn E and join in Yarn F. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts]
Next row Purl.
Break Yarn F and join in Yarn G. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts]
Next row Purl.
Break Yarn G and join in Yarn H. Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Next row *Pick up the first available back loop from the previous colour band with the left-hand needle and knit this loop together with the next stitch on the needle; rep from * to end. [46 sts] Break Yarn H.
Divide Yarn A into two balls so that the yarn can be used as double thickness and knitted up as a single strand. Only use double thickness yarn if the pattern specifies to do so.
Change to 5 mm needles and two strands of Yarn A HELD DOUBLE.
Next row P2, (p2tog, P3) 8 times, p2tog, P2. [37 sts]
Next row Purl.
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 5 rows.
Next row K1, * knit 4 below, K3; rep from * to end.
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 5 rows.
Next row *K3, knit 4 below; rep from * to last st, K1.
***
Leave these stitches on a stitch holder. Make another Tea Cosy Side to ***.
TEA COSY TOP
Working in Yarn A HELD DOUBLE, work across this Tea Cosy Side and then the
Tea Cosy Side on the stitch holder, joining them together as folls:
Row 1 P36, p2tog, purl to end. [73 sts] Row 2 *K6, k2tog; rep from * to last st, K1. [64 sts]
Row 3 Purl.
Row 4 *K5, k2tog; rep from * to last st, K1. [55 sts]
Row 5 Purl.
Row 6 K1, knit 4 below, *K2, knit 4 below; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.
Row 7 Purl.
Row 8 *K4, k2tog; rep from * to last st, K1. [46 sts]
Row 9 Purl.
Row 10 *K3, k2tog; rep from * to last st, K1. [37 sts]
Row 11 Purl.
Row 12 K2, *knit 4 below, K1; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 13 Purl.
Row 14 *K2, k2tog; rep from * to last st, K1. [28 sts]
Row 15 *P2tog; rep from * to end. [14 sts] Row 16 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [7 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With the front and back RS tog, sew about 9cm from the finishing off point, down the side seam towards the cast-on edge. Make the other side match.
At the cast-on edge, with the RS tog, pin the row end edges of sides together and sew the white row ends together.
Sew in any colour change loose ends. Test this part out on your teapot.
UNICORN FIGURE
BODY
Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Row 1 (RS) *Inc1; rep from * to end. [16 sts]
Row 2 and every foll alt row Purl. Row 3 *K1, inc1; rep from * to end. [24 sts]
Row 5 *K2, inc1; rep from * to end. [32 sts]
Row 7 *K7, inc1; rep from * to end. [36 sts]
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 5 rows.
Row 13 *K2, k2tog; rep from * to end. [27 sts]
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 3 rows.
Row 17 *K1, k2tog; rep from * to end. [18 sts]
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 3 rows.
Row 21 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [9 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With RS tog, sew the row ends together from drawn-up part, to halfway down the Body. At the cast-on edge, sew a row of running stitches and draw-up the knitting. Sew the row ends seam to meet the other stitching leaving a gap. Turn RS out and stuff, and sew the gap closed. Put to one side until other Unicorn Figure parts are made.
HOOD
Cast on 20 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 12 rows.
Row 13 *K2tog; rep from * to end.
[10 sts]
Row 14 *P2tog; rep from * to end. [5 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With RS tog, sew the row ends together from drawn-up part to cast-on edge. Turn right sides out and stuff up to 3 rows short of the cast-on edge and set to one side.
FACE
Cast on 6 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn J.
Row 1 Inc1, K4, inc1. [8 sts] Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 3 rows.
Row 5 K2tog, K4, k2tog. [6 sts] Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 2 rows.
Row 8 P2, p2tog, P2. [5 sts] Cast off.
Take the Hood part, with the seam bottom-most and place the face inside, so that the cast-off edge of the Face is at the top. The Face sits slightly inside the Hood, so press the Face into the Hood. Using Yarn A, sew the Face to the Hood.
With a length of black DK yarn, next embroider on eyes and mouth. A length of Yarn J can be used to sew a few sts on top of each other to make a nose. Use a length of Yarn F to sew on some wisps of hair at the centre front.
Sew the Head to the drawn-up part of Body.
HORN
Cast on 6 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn F.
Rows 1 to 4 Knit.
Row 5 K2, k2tog, K2. [5 sts]
Rows 6 to 8 Knit.
Row 9 K2, k2tog, K1. [4 sts]
Rows 10 to 12 Knit.
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With WS tog, allow the knitting to roll lengthways and sew the row ends together from the drawn-up point to the cast-on edge.
Pin the cast-on edge to the centre-top of the Hood, about 2 rows back from the cast-on edge of Hood. Sew into place.
MANE
Cast on 14 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn K.
Row 1 Knit.
Row 2 K2, yo, k2tog, K10. [14 sts]
Row 3 Knit.
Cast off.
With the hairiest side uppermost, slip the hole in the Mane over the Horn and lay the rest of the Mane straight down the back of the Hood. Sew into place.
EARS
(MAKE 2)
Cast on 20 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Row 1 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [10 sts] Row 2 *P2tog; rep from * to end. [5 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
Bring the row ends around together to make a circle and sew the row end edges.
Fold the circle in half to make a semicircle and sew the cast-on edge together.
Pin an Ear to either side of the Head. Sew into place.
LEGS
(MAKE 2)
Cast on 12 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 10 rows.
Row 11 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [6 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With RS tog, sew the row ends together from drawn-up part to cast-on edge. Turn right sides out and lightly stuff and set to one side.
FEET
(MAKE 2)
Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn J.
Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 4 rows.
Row 11 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [4 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off. With RS tog, sew the row ends together from drawn-up part to cast-on edge. Turn RS out and then fold flat with the seam at the centre-back of the Foot. Oversew across the cast-on edge.
Place the seam side of the Foot against the open end of the Leg. The bottom of the Leg should rest on the bottom of the ‘heel’, and the top part of the Foot will be higher than the Leg reaches. Sew the Foot to the Leg.
Pin the Legs on the Body and sew into place.
Note It’s best to pin the Legs on with the character perched on top of the Tea Cosy, while it is on a teapot.
ARMS
(MAKE 2)
Cast on 5 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn A.
Row 1 (RS) *Inc1, rep from * to end. [10 sts]
Starting with a purl row, work in st st for 8 rows.
Row 10 Knit. Break Yarn A and join Yarn J.
Starting with a knit row, work in st st for 4 rows.
Row 15 *K2tog, rep from * to end. [5 sts]
Break off and thread the end of the yarn through the remaining stitches and through the loop of the yarn itself, then draw up the knitting tightly and fasten off.
With RS tog, sew the row ends together from drawn-up part, to colour change of the Arm. At the cast-on edge, sew a row of running stitches and draw up the knitting. Sew the row ends seam to meet the other stitching, leaving a gap. Turn RS out and lightly stuff Arm end. Sew the gap closed.
With a length of Yarn A, sew a row of running sts around the Arm where the colour change is and draw up to make a wrist.
Pin the Arms to the Body and sew into place.
TAIL
Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn K.
Knit 3 rows.
Cast off.
With fluffiest side uppermost, pin the Tail into place on the Body and sew on. Sew the Unicorn Figure to the centre-top of the Tea Cosy.