Knit matching tea and egg cosies

These cute strawberry tea and egg cosies are easy to knit and make fabulous gifts for friends and family.

We based these designs on a pattern that appeared in The Queenslander newspaper in 1938. The instructions here are for one tea cosy and one egg cosy, but you will have enough wool left over to make more egg cosies.

Materials:

100g strawberry-coloured 8-ply wool
50g leaf-green 4-ply wool
1 pair 4mm (No.8 UK / No.6 US) knitting needles
1 pair 3.75mm (No.9 UK / No.5 US) knitting needles

Measurements: 

Tea cosy: from top to bottom edge, 17.5cm (7in). Across at bottom edge, 20cm (8in).
Egg cosy: From top to bottom edge, 6.5cm (2.5in). Across at bottom edge, 7.5cm (3in).

Abbreviations:

k, knit
p, purl
st, stitches
tog, together
beg, beginning
dec, decrease

Tea cosy

With No. 8 needles and strawberry wool, cast on 51 sts. Knit into the backs of stitches in 1st row.

2nd row: Knit.

Now start pattern:
1st row: * K 2, p 2. Repeat from * to last 3 sts. k 2, p 1. Repeat this row until work measures 10cm (4in). Then dec by knitting 2 tog at the beg of each row, keeping to the pattern, until 25 sts remain.

Next row: K 2 tog all along row. K last st.

Next row: K 2 tog all along the row, k last st. Cast off. Make another piece exactly the same.

Leaves for tea cosy

With No. 9 needles and green wool, cast on 3 sts.

1st row: Work in garter-st, increasing 1 st each end of row.

2nd row: Knit

3rd row: As 1st row (there are 7 sts).

4th row: Knit.

5th row: Kl, k twice into next st, p to last 3 sts, p 1. k 1. into next st, k 2.

Repeat rows 4 and 5 until there are 13 sts. Continue without increasing for 9 rows, keeping 3 sts each end in garter-st and centre sts in stocking st. Then dec 1 st each end of next 3 rows inside garter-st border until 7 sts remain. Continue in garter-st, decreasing 1 st each end of next 2 rows until 3 sts remain. Cast off. Make four more leaves to match.

Loop

With No. 9 needles and green wool cast on 5 st. Work 7.5cm (3in) garter-st. Cast off.

Egg cosy

With No. 8 needles and strawberry-coloured wool cast on 17 sts.

1st row: Knit into back of st.

2nd row: Knit.

Now start pattern.
1st row: * K 2, p 2. Repeat from * to last st, k 1. Repeat this row for 5cm (2in). Then dec by knitting 2 tog at beg. of every row, keeping to the pattern, until 11 sts remain.

Next row: K 2 tog all along the row to last st, k 1. Cast off. Make another half exactly the same.

Leaves for egg cosy

With No. 9 needles and green wool cast on 3 sts. Increase both ends of every alternate row (working in garter-st) until there are 7 sts.

Next row: Knit.

Next row: K 1, k twice into next st, p to last 3 sts, p 1, k 1 into next st, k 2 (there are 9 stitches).

Now work 7 rows without increasing, keeping 3 sts each end in garter-st and 3 centre sts in stocking st. Dec 1 st each end of next row, then change to garter-st and dec each end of every row until 3 sts remain. Cast off. Make two more leaves to match.

To make up

Press the leaves with warm iron and damp cloth. Sew up side seams, leaving a space for the handle and spout of tea pot. Sew on the leaves. Roll the loop and sew up neatly, then sew to top of cosy. Sew leaves onto egg cosy as well.