Summer Picnic Pleasers: Watermelon Glass Cozy and Napkin Ring Set
by Anita M. Wheeless
Copyright @ 2009 Anita M. Wheeless
First appeared in Popknits, an online knitting site.
Inspired by luncheons and evening parties from days gone by, these juicy, pink-and-green watermelon glass cozies and matching napkin rings can brighten up your summer table. They are a super-easy, totally portable project, perfect for toting along to the beach or sitting poolside. Knit in the round on double-pointed needles, they're flecked with simple duplicatestitched "seeds." They can be non-felted or felted in your washing machine, depending on yarn used and needle size. One skein of pink and one of green knits up approximately four cozies and four napkin rings.
Gauge
: 4" in stockinette stitch on US 5 / 3.75mm needles (non-felted items)
Sizes andMeasurements
Not Applicable Both felted and not-felted glass cozies measures approximately 3" tall by 3" across. They fit a glass from about 9-10 inches around. The cozy does stretch and could possibly fit a larger glass, as well. Both the felted and not-felted napkin rings measure approximately 2" tall by 2" across.
Materials
Cascade 220 yarn [100% Peruvian highland wool, 220yd / 201m per 100g skein]; color 9478 (pink) and 8910 (light green), 1 skeir of each for a set of approximately 4 napkin rings and 4 glass cozies, either felted or not felted. 1 set of Us 5 / 3.75mm double-pointed needles, 7" or longer for non-felted version. 1 set of Us 8 / 5.0mm double-pointed needles, 7" or longer, for felted version. Stitch marker Yarn needle Oddments of black wool yarn for duplicate stitched “seeds"
Directions
Watermelon Glass Cozy (Not felted)
Starting from the top of the cozy, using size US 5 / 3.75mm double-pointed needles and pale green yarn, cast on 36 stitches. Divide onto the three needles by purling 12 stitches onto each needle. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the first stitch on your first needle. (Your working yarn is now coming from your third needle.) You will be joining the round when you work the next round. Round 2: Purl Round 3: Join pink; cut green. Knit this round. Round 4: This is the increase round. You will increase in the first stitch, k2, inc., k2, inc., k2, inc., k2 on each needle, all the way around. (l6 stitches on each needle) Rounds 5-20: Knit these 16 rounds. Round 21: Join green yarn; cut pink. Knit this round. Rounds 22-23: Purl. Round 24 (first decrease round): P2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p2, p2tog on each needle. (12 stitches on each needle) Round 25: Purl Round 26 (second decrease round): Pl, p2tog, pl, p2tog, pl, p2tog, pl, p2tog on each needle. (8 stitches on each needle) Round 27: Purl Round 28 (third decrease round): P2tog, p2tog, p2tog, p2tog on each needle. (4 stitches on each) Round 29: Purl Bind off purlwise. Using a yarn needle and matching-colored yarn, close up any spaces at cast-on edge. Weave in any loose ends.
Duplicate Stitched Seeds:
Using black yarn, cut a length of about 12 inches and thread through a yarn needle. Holding your cozy in front of you, find a V-shaped stitch anywhere on the cozy. Insert your needle from back to front into the opening at the bottom of the V, and pull through to the front, leaving a bit of a tail behind in the back. Now, find the top of that V and, from the front, put your needle under the right side of the V and draw it through, coming out the left side. Don't pull too tightly. Now, finish the stitch by inserting the needle back down into the bottom, where your needle first came out. The black yarn should now make a V of its own, right on top of the original stitch! Repeat this procedure wherever you want a watermelon seed. When you're finished, turn the cozy inside out and carefully knot off the tails. Trim the tails close to the knots. For a Felted (or Fulled) Cozy: Follow the same instructions as above, only use size US 8 / 5.0mm double-pointed needles. Duplicate stitch the seeds before felting. Do not trim the tails of the knotted seeds until after felting, as they are apt to come untied during the agitation. After felting, you may want to trim some of the fuzziness from the cozy. Trim all yarn tails from the seeds.
Basic Felting Instructions:
Put the items you wish to felt (or full) into a mesh lingerie bag. Throw the bag, along with a tennis ball or a pair of jeans, into your washing machine. Add a small amount (1 /2 teaspoon of liquid or a few sprinkles of dry) detergent. Set your washer for the smallest load on the hottest temperature with the most agitation. Check your pieces about every 5 minutes. If the “seeds" are coming undone, you can pull them out and stitch more before the piece has fully felted. Once most of the stitch marks have disappeared and the size is to your liking, remove your pieces. Rinse them in warm water and blot them dry with a towel. Take a glass you would like to use and put the cozy on the glass, stretching it up so that a row of green shows on the bottom while standing. Allow the cozy to dry on the glass. Simply rinse the napkin ring, blot with a towel and allow to dry completely.
Watermelon Napkin Rings Starting from the top of the napkin ring, using size US 5 / 3.75mm double-pointed needles and green yarn, cast on 21 stitches. Divide by purling 7 stitches onto each of the three, double-pointed needles. Place a stitch marker at the first stitch on the first needle to mark your starting point. You will be joining the round when you work the next round. Your working yarn is coming from the third needle. Round 2: Purl. Rounds 3-11: Join pink; cut green. Knit these 9 rounds. Round 12: Join green; cut pink. Knit this round. Rounds 13-14: Purl BO purlwise. Using a yarn needle and matching-colored yarn, close up any spaces at cast-on edge. Weave in any loose ends. Follow directions for the duplicate-stitched seeds as for the glass cozy.
For a Felted (or Fulled) Napkin Ring:
Follow the same instructions as above, only use size Us 8 / 5.0mm double-pointed needles. Duplicate stitch the seeds before felting. Do not trim the tails of the knotted seeds until after felting, as they are apt to come untied during the agitation. After felting, you may want to trim some of the fuzziness from the napkin ring. Trim all yarn tails from the seeds.
About theAuthor
Anita M. Wheeless enjoys knitting nostalgic toys and novelties, and wishes she had more hands and more time to knit all the projects she envisions. She and her husband Randy have three almost-grown children and one elderly, very bossy, Bearded Collie. They reside in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her website is http: / /www.thepatternbox.com and her blog is http://Mummble-jummble2.blogspot.com.
Credits
Photos by Stephanie J Pajonas.
