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Knitted Tea Cosy Pattern | Ice Cream Swirl

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In this post, you will see a knitted tea cosy pattern that looks like an ice cream swirl.

Fancy making something delicious-looking for your teapot? For a little afternoon tea?

The ice cream swirl tea cosy is made in two striped pieces and then stitched together leaving openings for the handle and spout.

Scroll down to view the free pattern or grab the ad-free printable PDF pattern from my shop here.

pink and white striped tea cosy on a pink plate

An Easy Level Knitting Pattern

This is an easy cozy pattern for those of you who are advanced beginner level, and the techniques you will need to know are knit, purl and k2tog.

The cosy has been knit in pink and white stripes and then structured to form this sloping swirl shape.

Knit flat in two pieces, the cosy is then assembled and finished off with coordinating poms poms on top.

The yarn required for this pattern is DK yarn/lightweight yarn (03).

Knitted Tea Cosy Pattern
ice cream swirl tea cosy with pink and white stripes on a table

How The Tea Cosy Fits Together

As you can see in the images above and below, the side seams are stitched together, leaving openings for the tea pot handle and the spout at each end.

The bottom of the cosy needs some shaping, a long length of yarn is loosely stitched through the bottom of the cosy.

Once you place the cosy over your teapot, you can then pull the yarn tight, so that the shape forms and tie it into a bow to secure.

spout view of the pink and white knitted tea cosy

Making Up The Cosy

In the pattern you will see these instructions;

  • Pick up 35 stitches along the bottom of the piece in the white yarn.
  • Work in stockinette stitch – Purl 1st row, Knit, until the piece measures 1.5 inches long.
handle view of the pink and white knitted tea cosy

The Top Of The Cosy

This forms the top of the cosy – this also needs to have a running stitch of yarn through the top of the cosy, so that it can be pulled tight into shape.

You can see this in the photograph below.

Once this has been pulled tight and secured with a bow – you can then stitch pom poms on top.

spout view of the pink and white knitted tea cosy

The Bottom Of The Tea Cosy

The bottom of the cosy requires a little crochet knowledge, making a crochet edge in the white yarn.

As an alternative, you could pick up and knit stitches here in white and knit 2 rows.

Then a running stitch (I did this in pink) is stitched around the bottom edging and once placed over the cosy, pulled tight to secure and make the shape.

top view of the striped knitted tea cosy showing the pom poms

More Tea Cosy Patterns

You can use up leftover yarns in your stash and make lots of tea cosies in different colors.

The tea cosy pattern is great for any advanced beginners, as it is a great project for practicing the basic knitting stitches and learning how to knit stripes.

If you would like to make more knitted items for the home, please take a look at the other patterns in the home knitting patterns library.

You can also see my most popular tea cosy patterns here;

knitted tea cozy with pink and white stripes on a table

Knitted Tea Cosy Pattern

Purchase the inexpensive ad-free, PDF printable pattern in my shop here.

Skill Level – Easy

Notes

This tea cozy pattern is knit in two pieces and stitched together to leave openings for the handle and spout.

This is knit flat, back and forth on straight needles (you can knit on circulars if you wish but not join in the round).

To adjust the size for a larger teapot you may wish to add one or more stripes.

Size – To fit the circumference of the teapot 18 inches.

Gauge – 20 sts and 66 rows in 4×4 inches / 10×10 cm measured over stripe pattern.

Copyright Info

  • Please do not copy, sell, redistribute or republish this pattern. 
  • If you wish to share this pattern, link to the pattern page only.
  • You may sell items produced using this pattern.
  • Do NOT use the copyrighted photos for your product listing.
  • For the copyright T&C please read my Terms of Use.

The supplies you need…

Yarn

  • 1 x 50g double knit yarn in white
  • 1 x 50g double knit yarn in pink
  • Lightweight Yarn (03)/DK yarn.
  • Yarn Substitute – Debbie Bliss Rialto DK.

Needles/Hook

Notions

Other Materials

  • Clover pom pom makers – sizes – 1 3/8 inch and 1 5/8 inch

Abbreviations >

  • Approx = Approximately
  • Beg = Begin(ning)
  • Cont = Continue(ing)
  • K = Knit
  • K2tog = Knit next 2 stitches together
  • P = Purl
  • M1 = Make 1 stitch
  • Rem = Remaining
  • Rep = Repeat
  • St(s) = Stitch(es)

Teapot Cosy Pattern

Make 2 pieces – these will later be seamed together.

Yarn A – Pink / Yarn B – White

Cast on 40 stitches in Yarn A

  1. Row 1 – Knit
  2. Row 2 – Purl the first two stitches together, purl to the last stitch, M1, K1
  3. Row 3 – Knit
  4. Row 4 – Purl the first two stitches together, purl to the last stitch, M1, K1
  5. Row 5 – Knit
  6. Row 6 – Purl the first two stitches together, purl to the last stitch, M1, K1
  7. (Change color to Yarn B) Row 7 – Purl
  8. Row 8 – Knit the first two stitches together, knit to the last stitch, M1, K1
  9. Row 9 – Purl
  10. Row 10 – Knit the first two stitches together, knit to the last stitch, M1, K1
  11. Row 11 – Purl
  12. Row 12 – Knit the first two stitches together, knit to the last stitch, M1, K1

Repeat these 12 rows a further 4 times, then rows 1-6 only in Yarn A.

You should have 11 stripes altogether.

The panel should start with Yarn A and end with Yarn A.

Cast off.

Pick up and knit 35 stitches along the bottom of the piece in Yarn B.

Work in stockinette stitch – Purl 1st row, Knit, until the piece measures 1.5 inches long.

Making Up

Stitch the two sides together leaving gaps for the teapot spout and handle.

The stocking stitch edge will be at the top of the cozy.

Sew a running stitch around the top of the cosy and pull up tight to secure.

This is the top of the cosy – this stays in place and pom poms are sewn on top to hide the gathered top.

tea cosy

For the bottom edge, single crochet 2 rows around in white yarn.

With the pink yarn thread through the darning needle and sew large loose stitches through the bottom of the cosy, pull tight, and tie in a small bow.

tea cosy

This allows the swirl pattern to stay in shape.

Make 2 large pom poms and 2 small poms in coordinating colors and stitch to the top of the tea cosy.

Share your work with us…

I love seeing your finished projects!

If you enjoyed making the tea cosy, I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @handylittleme.

Happy Knitting!

More Patterns You May Be Interested In…

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4 Comments

    1. Hello, can you measure the circumference of your teapot? The cosy will fit any teapot with the circumference of 18". Thanks for reading 🙂