See this tea cosy? I made it in four days. A fast and furious knit if ever there was one.
It’s the Rosie Posy Cosy by wild tea cosy designer, Loani Prior. Some of her designs are totally out there. This was one of the more sedate designs and just perfect for my sister, Adele, who has a birthday coming up next week. Knowing she’d be in town today for a football game, I cast this on on Tuesday and worked like a frenzied woman possessed for the next four days. It may not look like there’s a lot in it, but like a lot of tea cosies, it’s knit double, for extra insulation so it’s like knitting it twice.
Then there’s a crocheted circle sewn into the top for the roses.
The roses themselves took two nights but it was all worth it. I gave it to Adele today at a little party we had in the afternoon (it’s Willem’s birthday too!) and I think she was truly delighted. She’s been begging me, no, harrassing me, for a tea cosy for ages so now, she can go home happy.
It’s a really great free pattern that Loani offers from her book, Wild Tea Cosies. I used Jo Sharp Classic DK wool which I’ve never used before. The expense puts me off a bit because I didn’t think I liked many of the Jo Sharp lines but this was fantastic. Solid and sturdy but soft and a pleasure to work with at the same time. I’ll use it again and i love the colours Sean and I chose at Morris and Sons. Dusky shades suit this perfectly. I didn’t want to anything too loud!
And I have to show you this. For the party for Adele and Willem, I made a chocolate cake I’m pretty proud of. A Malteser topped dark chocolate cake.
I’d thought of just doing a ring or two but our nine-year old niece was here and she felt it needed to be filled with rings of dark and light maltesers. She was absolutely right! Just don’t ask me about cutting into this. Not easy! Some smart arse (my brother!) called out as I was cutting it, ‘make sure you get a couple of malteers on mine!’. Still, it was great to eat, even if not that neat to cut!
Bells
Hey Bells
Thanks so much for knitting and showing off and linking.
It is beautiful
And you are a brick.
And YES that cake is to die for. Lucky lucky sister of yours.
Cheers
Loani
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Pretty tea cosy & I love Maltesers. I must remember to add that when I next bake a chocolate cake.
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Cut the cake horizontally… cake layer for you, maltesers for me. No problem.
That tea cosy is so fun, and some of the other designs in the book are whacky! I must get myself a teapot one day. Love the one you chose, and the colors are perfect.
So I love the tea cosy – have a bunch of her patterns in my rav queue. But I want to make that cake! I just asked G if we could make it – one of his work mate’s requested that I make a chocolate cake for her birthday – but apparently his work mate doesn’t like maltesers.
I am going to try and make choc mud cupcakes and decorate them like that, it looks so good!
I’m pretty much going to say the same as everyone else here, the tea cosy looks great, but that cake, Wow!! A piece of that would go down very well just about now…..I’m off to rummage through the cupboard, I think I have little packets of Maltesers stashed away somewhere.
You have such a gift for presentation! Both the cozy and the cake are just picture perfect. I don’t know how you find the time to not only make stuff, but to make is look so beautiful.
sweet cosy! That’s one of my faves out of that book – it looks less “novelty” than some of the others in there.
and that cake! I’m on a sugar high just looking
Fabulous cake!!! I didn’t know there were dark Maltesers. Beautiful tea cosy, you can have tea and cake!!!
Oh, boy, that looks yummy!
And what a cheerful tea cosy. There are so many great ones out there.
I’ve just added hot tea to my list of favorite things (having been raised to drink it iced, it was initially a hard sell, but English Breakfast Blend won me over). Now my things to acquire list includes:
Tea Cosy
Special, dedicated tea cup — preferably one with flowers
Tea pot
Not necessarily in that order.
Also, if I beg and plead, will you share that chocolate cake recipe? It looks like heaven on a plate.
Cute cosy and yummy looking cake.
I wondered how you managed cutting that cake!! It just looks so spectacular, I just want to dive right into it with a fork!
The tea cosy is fab! Perfect vintagey colours for the pattern, I am not surprised that Adele loved it!
What a fantastic cake Helen. There will be some orders for later on in the year. Lovely tea cosy too. Hope the party went well and dad and I wish we could have made it. Also loved the pictures about Playing Beattie Bow. I remember so well how you loved that book. We both have a love for travelling back in time. I wonder what that says about us. Chat soon. Love Mum xo
That’s a fantastic tea cosy!
I really adore your tea cozy. I have been looking for a nice one to knit up for my mum, my sister and myself so this one might just be perfect. I love the colors you chose to knit your sister’s too. The malteser cake looks fabulous and your niece was right about filling the top. Who cares about a messy cut when you get to eat fabulous cake! Oh and I have given you an award if you want to pop over and see.
Cute tea cosy. Mmm! chocolate on chocolate – what’s not to love (even if it’s not easy to cut!!)
Both the tea cosy and cake look fantastic Bells!
The cake has inspired me to do some cooking of my own today though!
It looks very yummy! I can see how it would be daunting to cut, though!
The cake is amazing and the cozy is lovely.
With a cake like that, I imagine it tastes fabulous. A messy cut wouldn’t put me off in the least – plus, it’s a beautiful presentation whole.
The tea cosy is very cute. Now I need a little teapot to knit for.
I absolutely need a tea cosy.
And malty balls are one of our favorites. I think I see a cake like that in our future!
That cosy is so cute it makes me want to buy a teapot and knit one up! And that cake looks delish!
love your rosy tea cosy! i’ve been wanting to knit a tea cosy for ages, and this one has just the right degrees of vintage charm and contemporary flair. and the cake looks amazing!
I really think you should make this cake for me next weekend, just because maltesers are my faves. And then we can go to kokoblack. And then you can make me one of those tea cosies cos I think it is awesome! Happy birthday Adele and will, by the way!