Everything's coming up cosy...

I have been blogging for almost 2 years now and by now you may have noticed that there is a distinct lack of acrylic on my blog.  I am a natural fibre kind of gal with champagne tastes on a beer budget.  Today I am going to change all that, because dear readers, not only do I actually have some acrylic in my possession, but I am also rather fond of these items would not give them away for anything.

First I must digress for a second.  I would assume that most of you have heard of that great British tradition of having a cup of tea.  No matter what happens in your life, good or bad, a 'cuppa tea' is the answer.  If your cat gets run over, your husband leaves you for another man, your mother decides she is going to join a pygmy tribe in the middle of the Amazonian jungle or your favourite football team loses the grand final....have a cuppa tea and you'll feel better.  I'm telling you a cuppa tea is the cure for everything, from cancer to infidelity and bad grades in university. 

Although I do drink coffee, and I especially enjoy a well made latté or cappuccino, I am definitely a tea drinker.  Not only that, but I really enjoy a good cup of tea made the old fashioned way in a pot.  (Just like the queen would have it).  I will use teabags occasionally but most of the time it is loose leaf tea from my favourite tea merchant that I first reach for.    I have about 5 teapots but for the most part tend to use 2 regularly, depending if I am making tea only for myself or for more.  My favourite is in fact a gorgeous French teapot which has already had its debut on my blog earlier this year. 

This love of a great cup of tea, is the reason behind this post as I also have a small selection of tea cosies.  Now usually I am not a lover of acrylic, shabby chic or all thing kitsch, but when it comes to tea cosies...bring 'em on!  I am a sucker for a kitsch tea cosy whenever I see them at craft markets or ladies auxiliary gift shops at hospitals.  I have considered making my own, but it is more fun to find them when you are rummaging through craft stalls.

*Please do not email me asking me for copies of the teacosy patterns as a refusal may offend

Clockwise from top left:
1.  Blue and White acrylic stripy tea cosy
2.  Chicken crocheted tea cosy made with some unidentified yarn...shock horror this actually feels like it may even have a small quantity of natural fibre hidden in it.  It was actually gifted to me by my good friend Maree
3.  Crocheted yellow and brown Owl tea cosy made with squeaky squeaky acrylic and with a brown wooden bead beak which one of the ladies at my last work made for me
4.  Red tea cosy with little crocheted flowers made with, yes you guess it...acrylic!

Although I may be a yarn snob, when it comes to my teapot and finding a kitsch tea cosy...no acrylic or tackiness is spared. 

So there you have it, my tea cosy collection.  I would actually love to see what other tea cosies people have so if you do happen to have one or ... errmm a few... showcase them on your blog and let me know.  Seriously, I would love to see them.

*The title of this post is credited to the wonderful word smith Meg.

Comments

[--Deb]

As much as I like the idea of loose tea properly brewed in a pot, I have to admit I almost always go for a teabag in a mug instead. The "proper" way leaves too many things to have to clean up!

[sheilaC]

I came here via Brenda from SerendipityPatchwork and I just have to comment that tea leaves are very good for the plants in hanging baskets. My mother would have loved your cosies. sheila

[yvette]

I love your tea cosies, I don't have any but I do always use a teapot to make tea.

[kris]

i have gone all misty-eyed! such a beautiful collection!

(and you know i'm not joking!)

[gleek]

love the owl... AND a good cuppa. tea is the best. green, black, any kind! i'm a big fan.

[Hedgehog]

So cool! I definitely have a version of the first one made from pink and white by an elderly friend of the family in St. Andrews many moons ago in a box somewhere.... :) Gotta go make a pot of tea!

[Rose Red]

Hi Jacqueline - I'm de-lurking myself to show you my tea cosy - see my blog entry for today (30 October). I *love* your chook and your owl (I always wanted to make the owl but never had the pattern...)

[Tam]

I love tea cosies (I even have a book of them) but I don't have tea pot.

[Meg]

I am sorry to say that I do not own a tea cozy. However, we have one in my office (made by my predecessor - geez do I have big shoes to fill) and we always try to impress visitors who are here for meetings by serving them leaf tea in the pot with the cozy on.

[Ailsa]

Under William Morris' famous quote 'have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or beleive to be beautiful' - your attitude toward both yarn (must be beautiful
) and tea-cosies (kitsch is okay because usefulness is the important thing) passes perfectly.
Kitsch is what the tea-cosy is all about. But they are so good at keeping the tea hot ....

[Stephanie]

Well, that's a lovely collection. I enjoy a good cup of tea myself, brewed in my little Brown Betty, but I'm ashamed to admit that I don't have a single tea cozy. I want one, but I haven't ever found the perfect one. I've thought about making one, but it's one of those things that just gets put off. Sigh.

[meg]

Awww. that owl is just fantastic! I drink tea all the time myself (not liking coffee at all) but I never have much reason to brew an entire tea pot's worth. Even though I have a tea pot.

Perhaps a great tea cosy would make me change my mind!

[Margie]

I particularly love your owl one :)

Click on my December 2005 archive link to see the teacosy I knat for my own teapot. My beloved gave it to me for Christmas and I whipped up the cosy on boxing day - Mum made the flowers to put on the top cause I suck at crochet.

I agree with you that tacky and OTT is perfect for tea cosies!

[hege]

I love this post. Your tea cosies are so cheerful. Who could resist them?!

[trish]

Excellent tea cozies. I'd love to make some as xmas pressies.

[Bells]

Oh I got all excited thinking you were going to direct me to some tea cosy patterns. They're surprising hard to find (ones I want to make anyway). that said, you have a gorgeous collection and I share your views on tea making! Bring on the tea ceremony!!!

[aurora fox]

I have some handmade tea cosies on my blog--look in the ephemera (archives area on the right) under September 27th, 2006 to see them...

[Mrs MJW]

You're funny. I love your tea cozies...so cute.

[rebecca]

Lovely tea cosies, I am an arts and craft tutor. My students are visually challenged, they want to knit a tea cosy, could you let me have a pattern?
Thankyou Rebecca

[Pamela]

I would like to have those crochet owl tea cosies pattern to knit it during my spare time could anyone let me know where to get those pattern or share with me for those patterns thankyou.

[Kimberly Ann]

Oh those cosies are so cute! Love the owl. I hope I can find a pattern.

[Karen Sepp]

Love your tea cozies, do you know if anyone came up with the owl tea cozy pattern?

Thanks!

[Jill Van]

This is the first time I have ever posted a coment but I have to say how much I love your tea cozy's. Please could you email me the patterns for the stripey one and the owl. I no longer have a tea cozy as my husband managed to set it on fire.

[Josephine Heffernan]

could you email me the patterns for the Chicken and the owl. I think they are so cool.

[jacqueline]

I have closed the comments to this post because I was fed up with getting asked for copies of the above patterns.

Firstly I do not distribute copyright patterns and secondly if you actually read the post you will notice that I didn't actually knit any of the teacosies.