Completely Cosy

I loved doing the Coffee Couture so much, I turned around and did it all again but bigger and redder.

It's Dad's birthday tomorrow. 67 he'll be and finding a gift is increasingly difficult. His plunger is the 12 cup size, so I did some maths and added two extra cable patterns and cast on 100 stitches. I did an extra half a pattern repeat in length as well.

This yarn wasn't as thick as the first lot, so the cosy is a little more stretched out. After sewing the ribbing together I picked up 22 stitches along one edge leaving a little room for the handles, double ribbed for 5 rows, chucked in 3 yo button holes in the next row, then two more double rib rows and cast off in rib. This band could have been a little longer, but it will do.

I finally got to use these very cute wooden Scottish Terrier buttons again. I bought a heap of them at the Lisa Ho factory outlet in Sydney years ago and the last time I used them was on cot doona covers for the twins who turn 13 next month.

A workmate pointed out today that we could use a cosy on the plunger at work. Do you reckon I could just knit these until the end of the KAL?

Also finished yesterday was a Time Thief Watch Cap. I'm reusing a photo of one I prepared earlier to save hassle.

TTWC 2008.005 Recycled yarn.

Happy Knit Year

Well it's over. The dastardly 2005 with all its Unfortunate Events is gone and it's a brand Knit Year.

Happy Knit Year to you all.

The unexpected arrival of house guests yesterday has put the knitting plans back a little, but as Miss Julie is a knitter, they weren't at all upset that I pulled out Kelly the Kelpie's jumper after dinner last night and finished the leg bands. I put the last stitch in the bands and had enough time to retrieve the champagne from the fridge and pop it as the clock struck 12. So only the body band to go with that sexy little red number.

The general clean up has revealed a hitherto forgotten UFO. In a fit of Christmas exuberance a couple of years ago I knitted a few festivity themed teapot cosies as gifts (and was so embarrassed by them gave none away). One was hiding in the bottom of a bag of ack-rylic I was hoping to turn into Lochie's Jumper. All it needed was to be sewn up. So for the first day of the Knit Year I have one FO. A tea cosy in chocolate brown ack-rylic. I seem to recall it was meant to be a pudding, but I'll be buggered if I'm knitting green leaves and embroidering grub raisins and cherries over this baby! It's done.

PROJECT: Little Brown Tea Cosy
RECIPIENT: I'll take this one to work and reclaim the gorgeous fairisle one
MATERIALS: 8 ply ack-rylic (no band, but I think it was that cheap stuff from BigW)
EQUIPMENT: 4 mm bamboo needles
PATTERN: Can't remember, out of a magazine, I think. Knitted in two pieces from the bottom up and sewn together at the sides leaving gaps for handle and spout. Dead easy and not particularly attractive.

Right, I'm off to celebrate with a cosy pot of tea. Not that we need a cosy in this weather. It was 39.9 degrees C an hour ago, with strong hot westerly winds. Thank goodness for airconditioning (which is struggling a little, but holding it's own).