Tea Toting Owl -- A Free Pattern

 

This month's Christmas Knit is a simple gift idea to knit for your tea loving friends.

As an herbal tea lover, I usually carry my own bags with me when I travel.  So I created this little "Tea Toting Owl" for a fun place to store a teabag or two.  

Open the Owl's beak and you'll find your own personal tea bag !  

Pop a Tea Toting Owl into your purse, your briefcase, or your carry-on and you'll easily spot it when you want to pull out your own special tea bag.  Plus it makes a fun conversation piece.

So, pour yourself a cup of tea, grab some fingering yarn, some size three needles, and follow along to make your own little owl for yourself or a friend.  

Tea Toting Owl Pattern

Materials Needed:

Size 3 mm needles

Scrap Fingering weight yarn  approx. 40 yards of main color yarn , 20 yards of contrast color.  (this is a generous estimate)

Small strand of orange fingering yarn or embroidery thread for beak

Darning needle

2 googly eyes

2 small pieces of velcro 

Fabric glue

To Begin (starting with point of beak):

With Color A cast on 1 stitch

 First Row: Knit forward and back into stitch (2 stitches)

Next Row: Knit forward and back into first stitch, knit to end of row. 

Repeat last row until you have 25 stitches on the needle ending with a wrong side row.

Next Row (RS):  Join color B and knit first 2 stitches together. Knit to last 2 stitches, Knit 2 stitches together. 

Next row (WS): Purl

Continue in Stocking stitch until back reaches 3.5 " (from start of color B) ending with a wrong side row. 

Next Row: (K2 together, K1) repeat to end

Next Row: Purl

Next Row: (K1, KFB into next stitch) repeat to end. 

Next Row: Purl

Continue in Stocking stitch (this is now the front of the owl) for 3.5 "

Bind off loosely. 

To Finish:

Fold bind off edge inside about 1/8th of an inch and slip stitch across to form a small hem at top of the owl front. 

Fold (owl body) wrong sides together using gathered bottom as your half-way point.  Stitch up sides using the mattress stitch. Weave in any ends.

Fold over top of owl.  With orange yarn/embroidery thread, embroider the beak on the right side using a simple straight overcast stitch. Repeat as many times as needed. 

Using fabric glue, affix a small piece of velcro to the backside of your beak.  When dry, attach your matching piece of velcro, apply glue to back, and pull beak down into place on owl front. Press firmly and allow fabric glue to dry completely.

Put a small drop of fabric glue on the back of each googly eye and place one eye on either side of beak. 

When glue has dried, open your owl, insert a bag or two of your favorite tea, and your Tea Toting Owl is ready to pop in your purse or gift to a friend. 

 

Comments

[Dorothy]

Seriously cute!

[Teresa]

I finished one...and I'll be making more...this is so CUTE and practical!

Thanks for sharing and have a lovely day!

[Wool Free and Lovin']

Teresa, I popped over to your blog and took a peak. You did a FANTASTIC job with the owl and love your embroidered eyes. Hope your friend appreciated all your work. It looks great!

[Alexandre]

Hi!

Very cute!
I've tried to make one too:

http://www.mercipourletricot.com/2013/03/un-hibou-pour-stocker-un-sachet-de-the.html

Bye-bye