Time for Tea – finally finished!

I don’t know how long I’ve been looking at the vinyl bag that held this project, tucked under a stool in my kitchen “studio/office” … five years? ten years? Yes, it’s come out from time to time, as I “borrowed” the circulars or double points holding it in limbo for another more pressing job. I even made a bit of progress at one point, beginning the decrease for the top.

It’s hard to imagine what kept me from finishing it, along with the other stranded colorwork projects I began so many years ago (the Kaffe Fassett sawtooth vest and diamonds tunic remain unfinished as well), when my boys were little and naptimes were devoted to knitting or quilting. Work, returning to school and graduate school, the boys’ middle and high school years, discovery of Kureyon and felting, clogs and cables, all conspired to keep this cozy unfinished.

But no longer – what began as the materials that came in a Classic Elite kit: a booklet (copyright 1994!!) for Whimsical Tea Cozies, Tea Box Covers, Trivets and French Pres Coffee Cozies, the “recipes” for inventing stranded designs to accomodate various sizes of tea and coffee pots, a vibrant photo of examples, and eight balls of colorful wool & mohair blend yarn, has at last achieved final form.

So yesterday afternoon, with a steaming cup of our favorite new tea discovery (Rishi Tea’s Organic Pu-Erh Ginger blend) at my side, I tackled the top of “the cozy”.

I’m not sure it’s perfect – the chevrons I’d planned inside the “petals” don’t read well, but the final bobbles and loop are very, very satisfying. All ends securely woven in, I expect I’ll line it for added protection and effectiveness on the Brown Betty. Perhaps most importantly, it’s finally finished, and waiting for company to appreciate it’s wit.

Charts and general guidelines for the “recipe” to follow shortly (they’ll be edited in to this post).