Tutorial Tuesday: Dimpled Stripe Cup Cozy

Here is another project to use up bits of yarn left over from your fall and winter projects, the Dimple Stripe cup cozy.

After learning how to do seed stitch, I played around with the little dimple effect that it made. I knew that I must be able to use the same method to create little patterns and designs. I sketched out some rather complex designs last year, but never got the chance to work them before losing the sketches.

Recently I tried again, and this is what I came up with. I worked up a little sample size, and then tried the design on a cup cozy (it had a better chance of being finished if it was a small and quick project). It looks just like I had hoped it would!

This is how I drew it up. At first I didn't think about what direction I would need to go, etc., but added that later. You could do this with a numbers of shapes and patterns (originally I drew out hearts, but lost the sketch).

So, you could look at this a couple of ways. I am a pretty spacial person and like maps, so I prefer to work this looking at my sketch... Here is some text you can copy and paste if you also like to see it mapped out:

6     -   -   -   -   -   +  

5     -   -   -   -   +   -  

4     -   -   -   +   -   -

3     -   -   +   -   -   -

2     -   +   -   -   -   -

1     +   -   -   -   -   -

This would start at the bottom and work up, right to left in the knit stitch, left to right in the purl stitch.

You continue the pattern for as many sets of six stitches that you want.

For my cozy I use 36 stitches on 4.5mm needles and use Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted.

I stacked, vertically, two sets of the pattern, so twelve tall in the design. For the boarder I did three rows on the top and bottom of seed-stitch. You could do a garter stitch or rib-stitch (k2, p2 might look nice), or no border at all (keep in mind that it will roll).

Here is the written pattern for the cozy, just in case you don't want to use the sketched pattern:

Dimple Stripe Cup Cozy

Cast on 36 stitches

Row 1:   k1, p1. repeat to the end.

Row 2:   p1, k1. repeat to the end.

Row 3:   k1, p1. repeat to the end.

Row 4:   k5, p1. repeat to the end.

Row 5:   p1, k1, *p5, k1. repeat from * ending with 4 purl stitches.

Row 6:   k3, p1, *k5, p1. repeat from * ending with 2 knit stitches.

Row 7:   p3, k1, *p5, k1. repeat from * ending with 2 purl stitches.

Row 8:   k1, p1, *k5, p1. repeat from * ending with 4 knit stitches.

Row 9:   p5, k1. repeat to the end.

Rows 10-15:   repeat rows 4-9.

Rows 16-18:   repeat rows 1-3.

Bind off. The piece should measure about 7-1/2" x 3"

Use the loose ends to sew a seam down the short end of the wrong side.

All done! You now have a cute cozy that you can use yourself, or give as a gift (perhaps with a gift card to a coffee or tea shop). 

Enjoy!

Stephanie