{"id":2124,"date":"2019-11-29T09:52:30","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T09:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aliceinknittingland.wordpress.com\/?p=2124"},"modified":"2019-11-29T09:52:30","modified_gmt":"2019-11-29T09:52:30","slug":"new-beginnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aliceinknittingland.co.uk\/?p=2124","title":{"rendered":"New beginnings…"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we hurtle towards the end of the year with ever-increasing, head-spinning, brain-curdling speed, and prepare to enter not just a new year but a new decade, I had a little epiphany.<\/p>\n

Ok, epiphany may be over-egging the pudding. But the germ of an idea which I just couldn’t budge.<\/p>\n

It’s time for me to shake things up a little, to rejig, to shift the focus of what I do, how I spend my time and how I go about things in life in general, but with no small regard to the woolly arts.<\/p>\n

I have a Patreon account<\/a>, which a few people have been kind enough to contribute to, in exchange for free access to patterns. I am giving it a bit of a rejig, so that the minimum contribution is the lowest tier of $5 a month and instead of publishing patterns, I shall put all the details up here, on my blog, of what I am making, how I have made it, the materials I have used, and the lessons I have learned along the way (all my existing patterns will, of course, still be for sale here<\/a>). Naturally, I hope it goes without saying that nobody is obliged to contribute, but those who do will also receive for free all the existing patterns uploaded there, and occasional exclusive information \/ patterns \/ offers \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

To start us off, here is a little tea cozy I whipped up in about half an hour the other night. My husband is quite particular about his cuppa, and has a small white porcelain teapot which, until now, has been kept warm with one of the myriad knitted hats my now teenaged sons wouldn’t be caught dead in (Sigh… such is the lot of a knitting mum’s life). So he requested a tea cosy a while ago and a quiet night at the kitchen table afforded me the perfect opportunity to honour said request.<\/p>\n

\"No<\/p>\n

Yarn: Paintbox wool mix super chunky<\/a>.
\nMethod (for a small teapot):<\/p>\n

9mm circulars, magic loop method.<\/p>\n

Cast on 32 stitches.
\nKnit 3 rounds of K1P1 rib, then knit around twice.
\nOn one side of 16 stitches, knit back and forth in stocking stitch for 4 rows. Cut yarn and attach to other side and repeat 4 rows of stocking stitch on that side, then continue knitting around so you are back to knitting in the round.
\nKnit around 5 times.
\nThen decrease round 1) *knit 6, k2tog* around
\n2) *knit 5, k2tog* around
\n3) *knit 4, k2tog* around
\n4) *knit 3, k2tog* around
\n5) *knit 2, k2tog* around
\n6) *knit1, k2tog* around
\n7) *k2tog* around
\nBind off and sew in ends.<\/p>\n

Obviously, if your teapot is larger than our rather delicate, squat little thing, add a few more rounds, or a few more cast on stitches, to fit.<\/p>\n

Happy teatime!<\/p>\n

Next: I shall be sharing how I made this gorgeous little jumper and the hat that I am currently finishing to match it.<\/p>\n

\"No<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n