I think it's safe to say that there are some days when your average-sized cup of coffee just won't cut it. You know the kinds of days I'm talking about. The ones with early morning meetings, long work hours and endless errands. On those days, you need to super-size your morning "pick-me-up", and we've got the perfect coffee cozy for your extra large dose of caffeine. Keep your fingers safe and your cup warm and fluffy with this extra large "Reboot" coffee cozy!
Supplies
- Knitting needles (pair of size 13, or 9mm)
- Main yarn (use a super-bulky weight yarn. I used Wool-Ease, Thick and Quick in "Lemongrass")
- Accent yarn (this yarn will create the pattern. However, because you will be double knitting, you will be knitting with this yarn almost as much as you will be knitting with your main yarn. For this reason, you will need about the same amount of this yarn as the main yarn. This yarn should also be a super-bulky weight. I went with Wool-Ease, Thick and Quick, this time in "Fisherman")
- Two buttons
- Needle threader (optional, but incredibly helpful when it comes to threading bulky yarn)
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
1. Cast-On
With your main yarn, create a slip knot and start casting on. You will need to cast nine stitches onto your needle.
2. Complete Row One
Once you've got nine stitches cast onto your needle, you are ready to start the first row. The first row in this project is incredibly simple, and calls for you to knit all nine stitches.
3. Complete Row Two
Row two is equally as simple as row one. Just purl all nine stitches. Don't forget to move your working yarn to the front of your work before you start purling!
4. Create Two Button Holes
This cozy is being knitted flat, so we are going to use buttons and button holes to secure it around a coffee cup. Row three is the row in which you will be creating the button holes. You will add the buttons later on in the project.
Row three is a bit more complicated than the previous rows. Start by knitting the first stitch in the row. After this, knit the next two stitches together. Doing this will create a hole in your project, which will become the hole in which you put your buttons.
Knitting two stitches together means that there will only be eight stitches in our row, and if left that way, would result in quite a wonky coffee cozy. So, to make up for this, you will now yarn over, and then knit the next stitch. The row now has nine stitches again.
This cozy is being knitted flat, so we are going to use buttons and button holes to secure it around a coffee cup.
Now, knit the next stitch normally. Then, yarn over and knit. That yarn over will preemptively add an extra stitch to your row, because you will be knitting the next two stitches together.
After you have knitted those two stitches together, knit your last stitch as normal. You have now completed the third row and created two button holes in your cozy!
5. Complete Row Four
Row four is another simple row. Just purl all nine stitches. After you've completed this row, you should be able to more easily see the button holes you created in row three.
6. Join the Contrasting Colour
This step can be difficult if you've never done double knitting before, but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly. It's also important to note, that after this row, things do get a bit easier!
Start by inserting your needle into your first stitch knit-wise (from the bottom to the top). Now, wrap both your main yarn and your new contrasting yarn around the needle and knit the stitch.
The next stitch will be knit as follows: knit into the first stitch and wrap it with your main yarn. When you go to completely knit this stitch, take it off of your working needle, but do not remove it from your other needle. Instead, move both of your working yarns (the main colour and the contrasting colour) to the front of your work, and go back into that same stitch (the one you just knitted into) purl-wise. Now, wrap your contrasting yarn around the needle, and purl the stitch off.
It's also important to note, that after this row, things do get a bit easier!
Continue to knit this way until you reach the very last stitch. The last stitch should be knit with both working yarns at the same time (in the same way that you knit the first stitch in this row).
7. Take a Look at the Chart
You've reached the point where you need to look over the chart for this project, and make sure that you understand it.
This chart is read from the bottom up. Each row on the chart represents a row in your knitting, and each box represents a stitch (or set of stitches). It should also be noted that the odd numbered rows on the chart should be read from right to left, while the even numbered rows should be read from left to right.
This chart is read from the bottom up.
You'll notice that there are white boxes and dark boxes on the chart. Each white box tells you to knit in the background colour, while each dark box indicates that you should knit in the opposite colour of your background.
8. Knit Row Six
This is the row in which you will really start to double knit, so make sure you follow the chart carefully!
When double knitting, you will be working with sets of stitches. In each stitch set, you will knit one stitch and purl the next one. The stitch that you knit will show up on the side of the work that you are currently knitting on, and the stitch that you purl will show up on the other side. However, one important thing to remember is that you always knit the first and last set of stitches together with both strands of working yarn.
According to the chart, row six contains six stitches that are knit in the background colour, one stitch that is knit in the opposite of the background colour, and two more stitches in the background colour.
So, to start row six, you will knit the first set of stitches together using both strands of working yarn (this is how you will start and end each row in the double knitting portions of this project). Then for the next five sets of stitches, you will knit the first stitch in the set with the current background colour, and purl the next stitch in the set with the colour that is the opposite of the background.
When double knitting, you will be working with sets of stitches.
After you've completed those stitches, you should be to the third-to-last stitch set in the row. On the chart, the box that represents this set of stitches is a dark colour, which means you need to knit in the colour that is opposite of the background. So, for that set, knit the first stitch in the colour opposite of the current background, and purl in the background colour.
Then, you will do one more set of stitches with a knit in the background colour and a purl in the opposite of the background. Finally, you will finish the row by knitting the last set of stitches together with both strands of yarn.
9. Knit Row Seven
If you check your chart before working on row seven, you will see that there are two white boxes, followed by five dark boxes, and finally there are two more white boxes to end the row.
To begin this row remember to knit the first set of stitches together with both strands of working yarn. Then, following the chart, knit the first stitch in the next set with the background colour (and purl the second stitch in that set in the opposite colour), and knit the next five sets in the opposite of the background colour (purling the paired stitches in the background colour).
Then finish up with one more set of knitting in the background colour and purling in the opposite colour, and knitting the last set together with both strands of yarn.
10. Continue Following the Chart
Now that you've completed rows six and seven, you should have a pretty good understanding of how the double knitting process works. Continue following the chart and knitting in this manner until you've finished the last row on the chart.
11. Bind Off
When you bind-off your work, you will only use your main colour of yarn (the one you started with). Let your strand of working accent yarn just hang in the back while you bind-off.
Knit the first set of stitches as you usually do, only make sure that you're only wrapping your main yarn around it.
For the rest of the sets, you will be slipping them onto your right needle, one at a time, knit-wise. Then, use your left needle and your main yarn to purl them together. After you've done this, you should have two stitches on your right needle. Pull the back stitch over the front stitch and off the needle as you do in a normal bind-off. You have officially bound-off your first stitch!
Continue this slipping, purling, and binding process for all of your sets until you have only one set of stitches remaining on your left needle. That last set of stitches will simply be knit together as you've been doing on the row ends, and then bound-off. Once you've only got one stitch left on your right needle, loosen it, carefully take it off your needle, cut a six inch tail with your scissors, and pull the tail through the stitch loop, making a knot.
You have completed the binding-off process!
12. Add Buttons
Remember how you added those button holes way back in step four? Well, now it's time to add a couple of buttons to go with them! Make sure that you have a threaded needle and two buttons handy before you start this step.
In order to make sure that your buttons and button holes will line up correctly, fold your cozy in half length-wise and see where the button holes line up on the opposite end. Poke your threaded yarn needle through the back of your work to mark where the button should go.
At this time, you can un-fold your cozy, and pull the needle all the way through to the front of your work, until the knot in the threaded yarn stops it in the back. Next, poke your needle through the other hole in your button, and down to the back of your work.
Your button should be safe and secure. Tie it off in the back of your work, and either clip or weave in the ends. Repeat this process with the second button.
13. Weave in the Ends
You're almost finished, you just have to get rid of all of those long yarn tails that are dangling down from your coffee cozy.
One at a time, take a tail and thread it onto your yarn needle. Before you start weaving it in, determine which side of your cozy it will best hide in. For example, if you are weaving in a tail that is in your main colour, you will likely want to weave it into the side of your work in which the background colour matches your main coloured tail.
Once you have decided which side to weave into, begin weaving your tail up and behind the v-shaped stitches in your work. Weave it behind as many stitches as you think are required for it to be secure. Then, start weaving the tail down and behind the v-shaped stitches in the next row. End the weaving in process on the edge of your work, where you will use your scissors to clip the end of the tail off. Continue this process until all of your stray yarn tails are weaved into your work.
Make It Your Own!
You have done it! Bring on those "I need a giant cup of caffeine" days, because you, and your coffee cup, are ready for them!
We know you are never satisfied with just following a pattern and calling it a day. And why should you be? Making a project your own is half the fun, and it's the kind of fun that we want to hear about! So whether you added a zipper instead of buttons, used bright colours to really wake you up in the morning, or did something completely wild with this project, let know all about it in the comment section below.
