Friday, July 19, 2013

new crochet pattern - tea time cozy by kim miller.


 
 
Skill Level: Intermediate

Crochet a little sweater for your teapot! Besides being decorative and adding a touch of traditional flair to your home, a tea cozy is a very practical way to keep your tea warm during infusing and serving.

This well written crochet pattern has lots of colour illustrations, and includes directions on how to make a tiny pompom using a fork. The crochet pattern calls for 1 skein of Berroco Vintage worsted weight yarn, a 4.00 mm (G), 3.50 mm (E) and a 3.25 mm (D) crochet hook. The pattern uses the following stitches and techniques: single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, front post double crochet, back post double crochet, front post treble crochet and reverse single crochet.


The finished tea cozy measures 20.25 cm (8”) wide and 19 cm (7½”) long and will fit a standard sized teapot. The Gordon Ramsay Maze teapot by Royal Doulton is the model for the tea cozy shown. The blue tea cozy that is pictured was made using 1 ball of Cascade 220 Superwash.


 
 
 
(Purchase this pattern and receive 20% off by entering the coupon code TEATIMECOZY20 at the checkout! Offer valid until Friday - August 2, 2013)
 
 
 
 
kim.

 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

sneak peek.

When I was still in my teens, I was taught that the proper way to make tea was in a teapot, and that the sin of all sins was to make tea in a cup.  In addition to keeping your tea hot for a longer period of time a tea cozy was part of the tradition and charm of making a proper cup of tea.

Jump ahead 3 decades and tea has become a huge trend, complete with the latest equipment and techniques....not to mention the tons of different varieties of tea that have hit the market. Not only has tea has been dubbed the "new coffee" it has also been named, by multiple food experts, as one of the hot food trends of 2013. 

My one daughter who is an avid tea drinker, has been keeping me up to date with this new trend and she has inspired me to come up with a new crochet design for a tea cozy.  From what I understand, different teas need to be brewed at different temperatures, so it only makes sense to have a proper tea cozy keep your water at the optimal temperature for perfect brewing.




I have a busy weekend planned, but the crochet pattern for the "Tea Time Cozy" should be ready by early next week.



kim.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

how to make a tiny pompom using a fork.


I am currently working on a project that requires a tiny pompom, and I found that one of the easiest ways to make a tiny pompom is with a fork.

Start by holding an 8" strand of yarn between the center prongs as shown below.


Next, wrap the yarn around the prongs of the fork. For an extra fluffy pompom you are going to want 50 to 60 wraps.


Once you have finished wrapping the yarn, you are going to use the 8" strand of yarn to tie around the center. Make sure to pull your yarn so that you have a nice, tight knot.


Now, simply slide your yarn off of the fork, and using sharp scissors snip through all of the loops on both ends of the pompom.


Fluff and trim into a nice round ball...




kim.




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

new crochet pattern - striped slouch by kim miller.

 
 
 

Skill Level: Intermediate

You can crochet this knit-look, 2 colour, stripped slouch! This hat is crocheted using 2 different colours of fingering weight cotton, which gives this hat year round appeal. Plus, I show you an easy way to switch the colours without having to fasten off, and having a ton of yarn ends to work in.

This well written crochet pattern calls for a 3.25 mm (D) and a 2.75 mm (C) crochet hook, and 1 to 1.1 balls (depending on the size made) of each colour of Knit Picks® Comfy Fingering [50 g (1.76 oz)/199 meters (218 yds) per ball] or comparable yarn. The pattern includes illustrations and instructions for 3 different sizes to fit ladies 21” to 23" in circumference. The pattern calls for the following stitches and techniques: double adjustable ring, single crochet, and front post double crochet.





(Purchase this pattern and receive 20% off by entering the coupon code STRIPEDSLOUCH20 at the checkout! Offer valid until Wednesday - July 17th, 2013)
 
 
kim.