My love is like a red, red rose…tea cosy!

This is my latest crochet project… its a completely made up pattern, because I find following a pattern the equivalent of doing someone else’s algebra homework!

When I was a child I had a beautiful tea set, with cups and saucers, a pretty matching milk jug and a lovely full bellied tea pot. Never, in living memory, did I ever play with a few mugs and a kettle! So it is no surprise that I am somewhat of a tea lover and a bit of a tea snob – I like leaf tea in a pot!

One of the many little things I missed – (when our house move fell through and everything… I mean everything went into storage) was our lovely big tea pot that my grandma gave me as a wedding present …over thirty years ago! (oh my! now I feel old) Given that we have three large containers full to the brim with boxes it was easier to be on the look out for a new one, than spend hours rummaging – plus visiting the storage yard, just makes me sad.

This beauty was sitting, looking somewhat rejected in the most delightful tea emporium in Bath. It had a big red sticker on saying REDUCED to a fiver! It seemed in perfect condition – apparently it was missing it’s inner metal strainer – and they could not find one to fit – hence the huge reduction in price. The lovely assistant then kindly went through a complete stack of metal strainers until she found one to fit. (at an extra £2.00). I whipped out my card, faster than a whippet at a racetrack, and the tea pot was mine, complete with strainer for £7.00, before the realisation of what she was doing sunk in. Not only do we have a great pot but a lovely souvenir of Bath at the same time. (Jane Austen would be proud!) 

The wool has a delightful tiny streak of glitter – Mayfield Yarn, called Sparkle Baby, that gorgeous vintage shade – a mixture of green/blue that works so well with the deep red, which is – (sit up straight now) from the WI Brand. Both were lovely to crochet with.

It might seem a little odd, but I am actually quite lazy, the great thing about making tea in a huge blue tea pot is that you can keep going back for more with the same effort it takes to make one cup!

Mr D, struggles to get his porkie pinkies into a delicate tea cup, so he has a manly mug, while I play, with girlie delight, use a delicate cup and saucer – half the size of his – hence I go back more than once!

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I love the pretty basket cosies with flowers on the top so decided to make one of my own, it is a very easy pattern. I find knitting hard on my hands so found a delightful youtube video on how to do a crochet basket stitch, it is quite a thick chunky stitch providing good insulation.

The roses, too, are crochet, but in one long strip and rolled together – and they look so lovely. I made a little crochet button and button hole to go round the base, just to bring it together and to encourage Mr D to use it. (he hates fiddling around with cosies – so it had to be easy to slip on and off).

I am not sure how I managed it, but my roses are all ready for Valentines Day… of course it is all perfectly planned. 

If you would like to make one – I can send you the pattern. I would suggest a black and white 1940 version of Rebbecca to crochet to while the rain lashes to the window pane.. last night I dreamt I was in Mandalay…

ttfn x