Ice Cream Swirl Knitted Tea Cosy (Easy Free Knitting Pattern)

This knitted tea cosy pattern looks like an ice cream swirl — the perfect handmade accessory for your afternoon tea table.

Made in two striped panels (pink and white) and topped with playful pom poms, this easy knitting project is ideal for advanced beginners.

The cosy fits snugly around your teapot, leaving openings for the handle and spout, and is shaped to create a fun swirl effect.

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

Ice Cream Swirl Tea Cosy Knitting Pattern

Before You Get Started

Here’s what to know before you begin knitting your tea cosy:

Shaping: Gathered at the top and bottom with running stitches to create the swirl effect.
Skill Level: Easy – suitable for advanced beginners.
Techniques Used: Knit, purl, k2tog, M1, basic seaming, single crochet edging.
Construction: Knit flat in two panels, seamed with openings for handle and spout.

pink and white striped tea cosy on a pink plate

Tools & Materials Needed

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

Pair 4 mm (US 6) knitting needles
Crochet hook 4 mm (optional)

Notions

Tape measure
Darning needle
Scissors

Other Materials

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

Knitted Tea Cosy Pattern

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

Size: Fits a teapot with an 18-inch circumference.

Gauge: 20 sts and 66 rows = 4×4 in / 10×10 cm in stripe pattern.

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)

Pattern Instructions

Make 2 pieces – these will later be sewn together.

Yarn A – Pink
Yarn B – White

Cast on 40 stitches in Yarn A

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

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

How The Tea Cosy Fits Together

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

The bottom of the cosy needs some shaping, and 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.

The top and sides 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.

handle view of the pink and white knitted tea cosy

spout view of the pink and white knitted tea cosy

Finishing the bottom edge

Crochet Method:

Using white yarn, single crochet 2 rounds around the bottom edge.

Knitting Alternative:

Pick up and knit stitches in white, work 2 rows knit, then cast off.

Add Shaping:

With pink yarn, sew a loose running stitch around the bottom edge.
Place the cosy over your teapot, pull the yarn tight to create the swirl shape, and tie into a bow.

FAQs & Extra Tips

→ Can I make this for a larger teapot?

Yes — add extra stripes to increase height.

→ Do I need to crochet the edging?

No — you can knit the bottom edge instead.

→ How do I get the swirl shape?

The swirl comes from gathering both the top and bottom edges with running stitches, then tying them snugly while the cosy is on your teapot.

Share your project

I love seeing your finished projects on social media.

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

Happy Knitting!

More Tea Cosy Patterns

You may also like these free patterns for tea cosies:

More Patterns You May Be Interested In…

4 Comments

Ani says:

October 11, 2017 at 9:56 am

Hi
Can you please tell me if this pattern fits a 2 teapot please.
Thankyou

1. Louise Bollanos says:
  
  October 11, 2017 at 10:05 am
  
  Hello, can you measure the circumference of your teapot? The cosy will fit any teapot with the circumference of 18". Thanks for reading 🙂
  
  1. ani sheppard says:
    
    October 11, 2017 at 6:55 pm
    
    hi,does that inculde the handle and the spout ?
    
    1. Louise Bollanos says:
      
      October 12, 2017 at 8:49 am
      
      It includes the spout but goes through the handle.