Purlbed

Small things · Beginner

Cup cosy

Cup cosy: AI picture of the finished item
AI picture of what this pattern makes, drawn to its own construction (hems, shaping, seams). Not a photo of a real piece.

A strip about as high as the cup and as long as it is round. It is knitted sideways, so the length of the strip is knitted row by row. A button on one end and a loop on the other hold it on.

Open in Make

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All steps, charts, sizes and checks (for printing)

Virtual test knit

✓ Virtual test knit passed

Every row of every piece on this page has just been knitted on a model of your machine, for the size, machine and gauge you chose. The model follows each needle's loops through transfers, held needles, hems and cast-offs, then measures the finished pieces.

112 rows and 3,024 stitches knitted, 0 stitches transferred, 0 held-needle passes: no dropped stitch, no hole, no lost loop, every stitch cast off or secured at the end.

Measured on the simulated pieces
MeasurementShould beSimulated
Height8–10 cm✓ 9 cm
Length, flat23–25 cm✓ 24.5 cm
Rows end where they started0–0 rows✓ 0 rows

The simulation checks the instructions and the arithmetic. Yarn, tension and blocking still differ from knitter to knitter, so knit the gauge swatch first and type in your own numbers. Knitted one? We would love a photo: support@purlbed.com.

One size · Single bed, punch card · Gauge (stocking stitch, after steaming): 30 sts × 40 rows

Sizes

MeasurementOne size
Height9 cm
Length (flat)24 cm

You will need

Yarn: A cotton or cotton blend that can be washed hot: 4-ply / fingering on a standard machine, DK on mid gauge.

About 10 g in total for this size (an estimate from the area of the pieces; buy a little more).

Also: Tapestry needle, Waste yarn (single bed), A button and a short cord for a loop

Gauge swatch first

  1. Cast on 40 needles with waste yarn and knit a few rows. Change to the main yarn and choose a tension that gives a fabric you like (see the starting points below).
  2. Knit 60 rows. Tie a contrast thread to the 11th needle from each side at row 10 and row 50, so the marks are 20 needles and 40 rows apart.
  3. Knit a few rows of waste yarn and take the swatch off. Steam or wash it the way you will treat the finished piece, and let it rest flat for a few hours.
  4. Measure between the marks: stitches in 10 cm = 20 ÷ width in cm × 10, rows in 10 cm = 40 ÷ height in cm × 10. Type the two numbers into the gauge boxes above; that tension is your main tension (MT).

Pieces

Cup cosy

Cast on 27 sts, 112 rows. Flat size about 9 × 24.5 cm.

Row by row

  1. Bring 27 needles into work (L13 to R14). Cast on with waste yarn, knit about 10 rows, 1 row of ravel cord, then change to the main yarn. Set RC to 000.
  2. Turned hem: knit 6 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 (the fold line) and 6 rows at MT−1. Hang the loops of the first main-yarn row (just above the waste yarn) back on the needles, then knit 1 row at MT (RC 014). Remove the waste yarn later.
  3. Knit 85 rows at MT (RC 099).
  4. Closing hem: knit 6 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 and 6 rows at MT−1 (RC 112), then a few rows of waste yarn, and release. Fold the hem inside along the loose row and sew the open loops to the first hem row.
Bed chart
Row 1 is at the bottom. Arrows mark the transfers; the key under the chart names each colour.
Needle notation

Step 1 at the bottom; only the needles around the changes are shown.

Row sequence (7)
RowsWhat the carriage knitsTension
1–6Stocking stitchMT−1
7Stocking stitchMT+2
8–13Stocking stitchMT−1
14–99Stocking stitchMT
100–105Stocking stitchMT−1
106Stocking stitchMT+2
107–112Stocking stitchMT−1
Opens a copy of this piece as an editable bed chart in your browser.

Finishing

  1. Weave in the ends and remove the waste yarn.
  2. Sew a button near one short end, in the middle of the height.
  3. On the other end, sew a small loop of cord or yarn that fits the button. Wrap the cosy round the cup and fasten.

Notes and changes

  • The height and length are starting values from common cup cosies, not rules: measure round your own cup and subtract 1–2 cm so it grips. Change them in the size boxes.
  • A narrow strip like this is a good place for a punch-card pattern.

What the words mean

Short rows (引返)
knitting only some of the needles for a few rows while the others wait. The middle grows taller than the sides, which makes a cup: that is how the heel and toe of a sock get their curve.
Hold
the needle position for short rows: a needle pushed all the way forward keeps its stitch and does not knit while the carriage is set to hold.
Turned hem
a neat double edge: knit a strip, then fold it up and hang its first row back on the needles, so the edge is a fold instead of a raw cast-on.
1×1 rib
one stitch on the main bed, one on the ribber, side by side: the stretchy edge of socks, cuffs and hat brims. Needs a ribber or a double bed.
Decrease / increase
making the piece one stitch narrower or wider at the edge. Fully fashioned means moving the 2 edge stitches in (or out) with a transfer tool, so the edge stays smooth for sewing.
Transfer tool
the small hook (1, 2 or 3 prongs) that lifts stitches off needles and puts them on others.
Waste yarn
a few rows in a spare colour knitted before or after the piece and pulled out later, leaving open loops to hang back or sew.
MT (main tension)
the tension dial number of your gauge swatch. MT−1 is one number tighter, MT+2 two numbers looser.
RC (row counter)
the counter on the carriage. Set it to 000 after casting on; every step says what it should read when the step is done.
L10 / R10
needle numbers, counted outwards from the middle (0) of the needle bed.
Mattress stitch
the usual way to sew knitted pieces together: you catch the bar between the first two stitches on each side, so the seam disappears.
Duplicate stitch
embroidery that follows a knitted stitch's V shape with a needle and a second colour, so the pattern looks knitted in.

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