This is the second one of these I am making as a gift. I knitted the first one 11years ago for a friend. That time I followed the pattern, but adapted it to a larger gauge.
This time I am going to stay in the smaller gauge with the smaller needle. I hope that I can pull this off in the three weeks I have.
I fondly remember my mother in law knitting a tea cozy while sitting under the willow tree in our garden when she visited us for the first time in the summer of 1991.
It is a nice gift across generations feeling comforted by a nice hot cup of tea.
I know my son’s fiancée was quite taken by these cozies last time they went to England visiting family there.
I had to dive into my stash and perhaps these are not the colors I would have chosen or even the yarn ( the Hayfield Aran is quite a bit heavier), but I am staying home during the covid pandemic, not taking chances.

Since I am working with two different weights of yarn I am getting a neat effect of the grey pleats being tighter than the white ones.

5.24.: Reached 5.5” and stopped with the first piece, will start on the second piece , waiting for the teapot to arrive in the mail before starting the decreases on the top, just in case I need to adjust the height.
I am considering to join the two halves and do the decrease rows in the round.

Shape top: After reaching the right height, I join the two halves together:
Round 1 ( joining row): k7A, k7B all around, changing the color of the selvage sts.
Round 2: P7A, p7B all around
Round 3: (k2A, cdd, k2A, k2B,cdd, k2B ) repeat to end of round
Round 4: p5A, p5B all around
Round 5: (k1A, cdd, k1A, k1B,cdd, k1B) repeat to end of round
Round 6: p3A, p3B all round
Round 6: ( cddA, cddB) repeat to end of round. 28 sts left
Round 7: P28A
Round 8: K28A
Keep repeating rounds 7 and 8 until desired length for ruffle top is reached.

Finishing : Make I-cord in color B, feed through gaps in row 6 of shaping the top, pull tight and knot into a bow.

6.8.: I waited this long for the teapot to arrive, but it is still not here and I have to finish the cozy before the drive- by bridal shower on Saturday.
Finishing as written above and will present it without the pot

6.11.: Finished. It fits my teapot which I used for some of the pictures, so it should be all right.
6.12.: The teapot arrived this afternoon just in time for the bridal shower tomorrow. Miracle of miracles!!!

FUN FACT: In the picture my Mother in law is sitting under our willow tree back in 1991 , the very spot and time when she knitted the brown/white tea cozy for me.
She is sitting with Rich for whose fiancée I am knitting this tea cozy 29 years later. My MIL was only five years elder then than I am now.

Coincidentally the last two digits of the dye lot number of the Cascade yarn are the same as Richard’s birth year (89).