Alfie the fluffy puppy tea cosy

 This is the revised version of the little white dog tea cosy.

‘Alfie the Spoodle Puppy’ tea cosy

You’ll need 4x50g balls of Passioknit Cassowary, in White. Knit throughout with two strands together.
Alternatively, you could use 1 strand of 8 ply woollen yarn together with 1 strand of fluffy yarn.

One pair of 6 mm knitting needles.

2x double pointed 6mm needles, used for knitting the I-cord for the tail.
2 crystal eyes.
A black flock nose.

A small amount of polyester fibre-fill.
The tea cosy measures 20 cm wide and 16 cm high when laid flat.


Cosy body

Use two strands of Cassowary worked together throughout the project. This will produce a firm thick fabric; perfect for keeping the tea in your pot nice and warm.

Back

With 6mm needles and two strands of yarn, cast on 26 stitches,
Work for 10 cm in garter stitch (knit every row).
Start decreasing: Row 1. K2, K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2.
                            Row 2.  Knit.
Repeat these 2 rows till 22 sts remain.

Tie a length of coloured yarn around the thread that lies between the 11^th and 12^th stitches. This marks the position where the tail will be attached later.

Continue decreasing as before, until 14 stitches remain.
Next row; (K2, K2tog) x3, K2.  (11 sts)
Next row; K2, K2 tog, K3, K2 tog, K2 (9 sts)
Cast off.

Front

With 6mm needles, and two strands of yarn, cast on 26 stitches.

Knit 2 rows. Mark the positions for paws by tying a length of coloured yarn on the thread between the 9^th and 10^th stitches, and between the 17^th and 18^th stitches.
Continue knitting until the work measures 10 cm.
Start decreasing: Row 1. K2, K2tog, K to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2.
                            Row 2.  knit.
Repeat these 2 rows till 22 sts remain.

Tie a length of coloured yarn on to the thread that lies between the 10^th and 11^th stitches. This marks the position where the centre back of the head will be attached later.

Continue decreasing until 14 stitches remain.
Next row; (K2, K2tog) x3, K2.  (11 sts)
Next row; K2, K2 tog, K3, K2 tog, K2 (9 sts)
Cast off.

Stitch the front and back together by joining 2½cm at the base. Leave a 10cm gap each side for the handle and spout, then join across the top.


Head

Using 2strands of yarn together, cast on 20 sts.

Knit 4 rows

Next row, K1, (increase in next st, K1) to the end of the row. (30 stitches).

Continue, knitting every row without shaping until the work measures 6 cm.

Decrease on each row as follows:

Row 1. K8, K2 tog, K10, K2 tog, K8

Row 2. K8, K2 tog, K8, K2 tog, K8

Row 3. K8, K2 tog, K6, K2 tog, K8

Row 4. K8, K2 together, tie a coloured yarn onto the thread between the 9^th and 10^th stitches. K4,  tie a coloured yarn onto the thread between the 13^th and 14^th stitches, K2 together, K8. These two pieces of yarn mark the position of the eyes.

Row 5. K8, K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, K8

Row 6. K2, K2 tog, knit to last 4 stitches, K2 tog, K2.
Repeat this row till 10 sts remain.
K2 tog all along next row, (5 sts)
Cast off. Tie a coloured thread on the middle stitch of the cast off row. This marks the position where the nose is attached.

Fold the head in half, so that the two side edges are together.

With a length of yarn, sew along the outer edges of the work from the nose marker on the cast-off edge, all the way along the side edge. Leave the cast-on edge open. With a 60cm length of plain yarn in a matching colour, sew a running stitch around the cast on edge, leaving it open.

The marker on the cast off edge is the spot to place the nose. The side seam of the work is the lower edge of the head. On the upper side, the eyes and the nose are positioned to form a 4cm equilateral triangle. The markers will help find the approximate spots, but it’s a good idea to make some small adjustments to the positions to give a cute appearance. Attach the nose and eyes.

Using some polyester fibre, stuff the head quite firmly, and close by pulling the ends of the running stitch. Fasten, but don’t cut off the excess yarn. To give the face a bit more shape, with a darning needle, and one piece of yarn at a time, take a small stitch, entering from the back of the head through to the front, next to an eye, on the nose side, and return the needle to the back of the head. Repeat for the other eye. Pull the threads just enough to give the face a friendly expression. Fasten off. The remaining ends of the yarn can then be used to attach the head to the body.

Position the centre back of the head on to the marker on the front side of the body. Squash the head a little with your fingers, and sew onto the body, leaving the top half of the head free.

Tail

Using a pair of double pointed needles, cast on 3 sts, and work an I-cord for 8 cm.
In case you need reminding of how to do an I-cord, it goes like this......
knit 3, don't turn your work, just push it across to the other end of the needle, and K3 again. Just repeat this for the length required, and cast off.
Attach to the back of the cosy in the marked spot, or where it looks right to you. The tail will curl a little by itself.

Ears

Using two strands of yarn, cast on 6 sts. Knit one row. Second row, increase one stitch at each end; 8 sts.
Knit 4 rows.
Start decreasing.
In the middle of each row; decrease one stitch per row until 3 sts remain.
Knit 3 rows. Cast off.
To place the ears, first measure 3cm vertically up from the top of the eye. Pin each ear in position, 3-4 cm above the eye; adjust slightly to give a pleasing appearance. The ears are sewn on with the cast-off edge pointing to the outside of the face; when sewn; flip over.

Paws

Cast on 10sts with 2 strands of yarn together, on 6mm needles.
Knit 6 rows.
Cast off.
Join side seams, run a gathering stitch around the top, pull tight; stuff with the tails of the yarns...the paws are little and this is probably enough stuffing. You can add a bit of polyester fibre fill if you think it needs it. Run another gathering stitch around the open end, pull tight to form a ball.
Attach the paws to the front of the cosy at the marked spots.

Tea cosy competition

Oops, I've been busy making tea cosies, and haven't posted on the blog in ages. So here's an update..
Entries for the 2016 Tea Cosy Competition are due in by 1st July.
Entries can be posted to Post Office Box 109, East Ringwood, Victoria, 3135.
You may have noticed that Spotlight, in their current issue of 'Get Creative' magazine, are promoting the Tea Cosy Competition, and have asked people to send their entries to Spotlight head office in South Melbourne. From there, they'll courier them out to me asap after the 1st July.
If you live in Melbourne, tea cosies can be dropped off at Maroondah Handicrafts, Bedford Rd, East Ringwood. Also at Our Little Caravan, in Westerfield Drive, Notting Hill. Café Orchard, in Hopetoun Rd Park Orchards, will also collect tea cosies for us. And Warratina Lavender Farm tearooms is another drop-off point.
This year, prizes have been donated by Bendigo Bank, Bendigo Woollen Mills, Spotlight Stores; still working on more. Prizes for raffles have been donated by Angela Leung and Marg Hartley. Thanks to those ladies.
The display is on once again at the Warratina Lavender Farm, in Quayle Rd, Wandin Yallock, from 9th to 17th July. It will be open from 10-4 every day; the entrance fee is a gold coin donation to the Cancer Council. All the tea cosies at the exhibition are for sale; they can be picked up or posted at the end of the display. Some that were made in 2014 or 2015, and haven't yet been sold, can be purchased and taken on the day of your visit. 100% of the sale price of the tea cosies is donated to the Cancer Council.
A new idea for this year....we've bought some new teapots, and Kathy and I are making tea cosies for these, to be sold together as a unit, for those people who may prefer to buy the pot and cosy together. These will be available for immediate sale.

A tea cosy to inspire you.

A very enjoyable morning was had by all who attended a morning tea and tea cosy chat at Mont de Lancey in Wandin. Thanks to all who attended. A further $356 has now been added to the fundraising total. Currently that stands at $11,068 on the old website, plus $846 on the new website. Great work everyone!!

We've been invited to sell the tea cosies at the market at Mont de Lancey, 71 Wellington Rd, Wandin North, on Saturday 14th November, and again on Saturday 12th December.

See you there!

New Cancer Council web address

New Cancer Council fundraising address

We now have a new fundraising address with the Cancer Council. After raising $11,068 from the 2014 and 2015 Tea Cosy Competitions, we also now have a new fundraising target of $20,000. The new address is https://my-own-way.everydayhero.com/au/craftacure. It's easier to navigate than the old website, and it's possible to put in photos and updates, similar to Facebook.

Tea Cosy and Soft Toy competition winners.

Congratulations to all the Winners, 2015

The Tea Cosy Competition winner for 2015 is Anne Saunders of Scoresby with her wonderful vase of daffodils tea cosy.

 

Second prize goes to Kaye Whitney of Mooroopna, with an imaginative tea cosy that features a board game!

For something totally different, third prize goes to Max of Blackburn, with his ingeniously crafted timber tea cosy.

The winner of the AFL prize is Janet Gilbert of Sale with her beautifully made blue and white kangaroo.

The soft toy competition was won by Kathy Basile of Chirnside Park, with her gorgeous snowman, Olaf.

 

 

And last but not least, the children's prize has been won by 8 year old Ava Scott from Heathmont with her little mouse tea cosy. Well done Ava!!

 

Congratulations to all the winners!!

 

 

Hi Everyone,

We’re getting near the exciting bit of the Tea Cosy and Soft Toy Competition. Judging will be on Sunday afternoon; then next week, we take all the entries to the Lavender Farm, and set up the display. This year, five ladies have loaned us  their beautiful handmade quilts to decorate the walls of the shed at Warratina....thank you ladies...I don’t know all of your names yet! I noticed last year that people loved the quilts as much as the tea cosies...so enjoy the bonus quilt airing as well.

There are more entries this year than last year; I don’t know exactly how many yet; tomorrow we’ll pick up the last of them from the Maroondah Handicrafts, the East Ringwood Post Office, and from the Lavender Farm.

Thank you to all those people who have donated teapots. Tea cosies look so cute when sitting on a pot...where they’re meant to be!!

The display will be open from 10 am –4 pm every day, from Saturday 4th July – Sunday 19th July.

Entry is by a gold coin donation.

All money raised by the entry donation, and from the sale of the tea cosies and soft toys, is donated to the Cancer Council. Go to http://vic.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/craftacure anytime to check out our progressive total. So far, we’ve raised $5150.

I hope to see all of you at the display again this year.

Warratina Lavender Farm

105 Quayle Rd

Wandin Yallock

Just a note about the tea rooms at Warratina; it gets a bit busy in there when the tea cosy display is on, so it’s a good idea to make a booking if you intend to go and spend a bit of time munching lavender scones, or whatever other delicacy takes your fancy. The tea rooms will be open every day, from 9-4; so you can go in and have breakfast, lunch, or morning or afternoon tea to sustain yourselves before or after checking out the tea cosy display, which is held in the lavender drying shed. The phone number for the tea rooms is 59644650. 

 

Just like we did last year; the tea cosies that you purchase will have ‘sold’ written on their price tags; but will remain in the display till 19th. You can arrange to have them posted to you, at a cost of $7.45 for up to 500 grams. Also, we’ll be arranging pick up points. We’re fairly flexible and will try to work out something mutually convenient.

If you have any queries about the Tea Cosy and Soft Toy competition and display, contact me (Lorraine) by email, or phone 0400102554.

Cheers,

Lorraine

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re all busy knitting or sewing or felting or whatever; the tea cosy competition deadline is drawing near. To be eligible for one of the prizes on offer this year, we need your entry by 26th June. Just a reminder that the tea cosies and soft toys that you send in, are a donation towards the fund raising effort, they will be exhibited and sold to raise money for the Cancer Council. At present, we’re up to $5150. You can check the progress on http://vic.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/craftacure. 

 

The display and sales at the Lavender Farm runs from 4th July to 19th July.

If you are available to help out during that time, please contact me on 0400102554.

 

I’m always looking for more tea pots, the more tea pots we have, the more tea cosies can be displayed to their full potential!!! Second hand tea pots from the op shop are perfect.

 

Tea cosy and soft toy themes

You can choose whatever you like; but I do try to group entries into themes for the display. Here are a few themes that will have their own little area (or maybe big area..depending on how many we get)

 

Poppies....two ladies are making some poppies for some poppy themed tea cosies...if you have any knitted or crocheted poppies that didn’t quite make it to the Anzac Day memorial, I would be very pleased if you would like to donate them to the tea cosy competition.

Maroondah Handicrafts in Bedford Rd East Ringwood, will collect donations; just let them know it’s for the tea cosy competition; they have a box out the back of the shop to put them in.

They have different ladies there each day, and some may not be aware unless you let them know.

If you’re not near East Ringwood, then the postal address is PO Box 109, East Ringwood, Vic, 3135.

 

Christmas in July....we have a number of gorgeous Christmas themed tea cosies...if you’re looking for a theme for your tea cosy; something Christmassy would be good.

 

Animals.....animal tea cosies are very popular.

 

AFL footy.....soft toys and cosies with an AFL theme are eligible for a special prize, see below.

 

Children’s work...there’s a special prize for entries by school aged children...if your kids have made something, please tag it with their age...it’s lovely to see craft work by the young ones.

 

Flowers...always beautiful.

 

Daleks....will we get more this year?

 

And whatever else you can dream up....it’s very exciting to see the beautiful and imaginative entries that come in

 

 

A reminder that there’s a prize of 4 tickets to an AFL home-and-away game of your choice for the best AFL themed tea cosy or small soft toy.

 

There’s a prize of a $25 Bendigo Bank voucher for the best entry from a school aged child.