Witch's Hat Tea Cosy

Witch's Hat Tea Cosy by Rian Anderson

What is Being Made

This is a knitted tea cosy designed to fit a standard 6-8 cup teapot, measuring approximately 48 cm around at the widest part and 35 cm in height to the top at centre. The cosy features a distinctive witch's hat silhouette with a spout opening of 8-9 cm and a handle opening of 10-12 cm. The design includes a decorative broomstick element, making it both functional and whimsical for keeping teapots warm while adding a themed accent to the table.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to achieve its witch's hat structure and broomstick detail. The main body is worked in stocking stitch using doubled yarn for added warmth and texture. The pattern requires careful tension work to ensure the cosy fits properly over a standard teapot. A tension swatch is essential before beginning, with the pattern specifying 15 stitches and 21 rows to 10 cm in stocking stitch on 5.5 mm needles using doubled 8 ply yarn. The broomstick element adds visual interest and demonstrates shaping and colour work techniques appropriate for intermediate knitters.

Stitches Used

• Stocking Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the main body of the tea cosy, creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric
• Tension-dependent shaping: Increases and decreases worked to create the hat crown and body shaping
• Contrast colour work: Used for the hat band and broomstick details to enhance the witch's hat theme

Materials

The Witch's Hat Tea Cosy requires 150 grams of black 8 ply yarn, used doubled throughout to create a thicker, more insulating fabric suitable for a tea cosy. Additional materials include a small ball of contrast yarn for the hat band detail, and small balls of 3 or 4 ply brown or orange yarn for the twigs element. A small amount of paler brown or fawn 8 ply yarn is needed for the broomstick component. The pattern calls for 1 pair of 5.5 mm (US 9) needles or the size required to achieve correct tension, along with 2 double-pointed needles in 3.5 mm (US 4) or 4 mm (US 6) for finer detail work. A chenille stick or thin straw is used as a support element for the broomstick feature.