Eclecticitee

This was originally knitted for a tea towel swap in the Ravelry Cuppa Tea? Group, with Ornaghi Filati Natural (cotton/linen blend).   It’s adapted from the Lily Sugar’n Cream Table Runner, the original pattern and chart can be found here.

Materials:   Cotton or linen yarn

Main colour – I used 2½ 50g balls

Contrast A – about 25g

Contrast B – about 25g

Needles: Size 4.5mm (US 7)

Note: To change colours, twist the two colours around each other where they meet, on WS, to avoid a hole.

Tea towel                                                                                      

With MC, cast on 51 sts.

1st row: (RS). K1. *P1. K1. Rep from * to end of row. This row forms seed st pat. Work a further 12 rows in seed st. pat.

Next row: (WS). Pat. 24 sts. Inc 1 st. in next st. Pat. to end of row. 52 sts.

Proceed as follows:

1st row: With MC, work 15 sts. In seed st pat. Work 1st row of Chart in stocking st across next 22 sts, reading row from right to left. With MC, work 15 sts in seed st.

2nd row: With MC, work 15 sts in seed st pat.   Work 2nd row of Chart in stocking st across 22 sts, reading row from left to right.   With MC, work 15 sts in seed st.

Chart is now in position. Continue working Chart to end, with 15 sts seed st edging.

Next row: (WS). Work 15 sts in seed st pat. Work 2tog. Work in seed st pat to end of row. 51 sts.

Work 6 rows in seed st pat.

With A, work 2 rows in stocking st

Next row: With MC, knit. With MC, work 3 rows in seed st pat.

With B, work 2 rows in stocking st.

Next row: With MC, knit. With MC, cont in seed st pat until work measures 40 cm (or almost desired length), ending with RS facing for next row.

With B, work 2 rows in stocking st.

Next row: With MC, knit. With MC, work 3 rows in seed st pat.

With A, work 2 rows in stocking st

Next row: With MC, knit. With MC, work 13 rows in seed st pat. Bind off in pat. Weave in ends.

Finishing:  With B, embroider teacup and handle using stem st.

Coasters                                   

Note: I used the contrast colours in the towel for the main colours in the coasters. Just sayin’.

With MC, cast on 19 sts.

Row 1: (RS). K1. *P1. K1. Rep from * to end of row. Work 2 rows in seed st. pat.

Proceed as follows:

Row 3: With MC, work 2 sts. In seed st pat. Work row in stocking st across next 15 sts, reading row from right to left, work 2 sts in seed st. pat.

Row 4: With MC, work 2 sts in seed st pat. Work row in stocking st across 15 sts, reading row from left to right. Work 2 sts in seed st.

Continue working Chart to end, with edging of 2 sts in seed st. Chart ends with 2 rows of seed st.

Bind off in pat. Weave in ends.

Finishing: With contrast colour, embroider teacup and handle using stem st.

I washed the coasters with a little bit of starch to keep them firm.

Put the kettle on to boil and enjoy!

»  To download this pattern as a pdf file, please go to my pattern page!

I finally got a chance to give Batya her scarf.  But what I didn’t know is that she has a bad allergy to animal fiber!  Even opening the present irritated her hands.   She thought the scarf is absolutely beautiful, but sadly told me that I’ll have to give it to someone else, it would be a shame to waste it on her, since she can’t wear it.    I could kick myself for not knowing about her allergy.   She herself knits so much that I never gave it a second thought.  Lesson learned.    I ignored my own creed of never assume.  I’ve renamed her scarf to Waves of Mist, and I haven’t decided yet what its fate will be.   Anyone else have a story of a gift gone bad?

Luckily, I also made her another gift, she admired a necklace that I wore once, so I made one for her in gold (which she wears) instead of silver (which I usually wear).  That gift was a success!   She wore the necklace all last evening.  

Made the first hexagon for my Sagrantino shawl.  The middle is a bit wonky, I was doing lace in a semi-dark vehicle on a bumpy road, which is no excuse, I know.   It’s blocking now, if I decide I like it I’ll make the rest of the shawl. 

(And yes, once I saw the photo I noticed the little ladders from the loop…they’re now fixed.)

On an entirely different note, last month my boss and one of the execs went on a business trip to China.  The other fellow knows I love tea, so he asked one of the hosts to make sure to take him to the best tea shop in their city. And he asked me for a specific list of what I want, since he knows nothing about tea and didn’t know what to get me.  Yesterday he got back, and what a treasure! Seems he had quite an adventure, because twice he called me from China that he found a shop but had left the list in the hotel. His heavily Hebrew-accented English and his attempts to say the Chinese names, and the shopkeeper’s Chinese-with-a-sort-of-English made it difficult. But he came through with flying colours and brought me several teas, and even wrote down what the shopkeeper told him they were good for (told mostly through pantomime, he said). And he told me he’d get more next trip!

The long green package is Lung Ching (which is supposed to help with low blood pressure), the round packages are Yunnan Gold (for stomach upset), and the green packets are Ti Guan Yin (helpful with high cholesterol).

I’m putting the water on to boil NOW!  Thanks, Nir!!