Colorwork Christmas Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns

For someone who never really leaves the house, I sure like knitting coffee cup cozies. I guess I could use them in the house, but I usually drink from a mug with a handle, which these sleeve designs don’t really work with. Maybe I need to knit a cozy that buttons on so I can use it at home?

Coffee cup cozies are fun, fast little projects and a great way to try out new skills. I’ve actually recently designed two different ones with Christmas trees on them, using different colorwork techniques.

The intarsia coffee cup cozy has a single Christmas tree on it and is a great first intarsia project because you only need three strands of yarn to work it. You can also embellish the tree with beads, surface embroidery, buttons, whatever you like, to make it even more festive. (If you’ve never knit intarsia before, I’ve got a how-to here.)

The stranded knitting cozy is a little more technical, because it uses three colors per round in the colorwork section, and you have to catch the strands on the back because the space between colors can get pretty long. I’d say this is more of an intermediate stranded knitting project. But the colorwork section is only 11 rounds, so it’s over pretty fast even if you have to take it slow. The key on this one is keeping those floats loose so it will fit on your cup when you’re done. (Learn more about stranded knitting here.)

Both of these are quick projects that would be great to give as gifts along with a new travel mug and a gift card to a favorite coffee shop. Or if you’re out of the house more than I am, you can deck your mug and spread holiday cheer wherever you go.

Easy Knit Gift: Coffee Cozy Sweaters

Bon Bon Coffee Cozy Knitting Pattern

Knit a Sweet Coffee Cozy with a Woodland Creature

Knit a Cozy for Your Coffee with a Twist

Knit a Super Simple Coffee Cup Cozy

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Sometimes I feel like knitters get intimidated to try new things because they think they need to start with a big project. Your first time working in the round doesn’t need to be a sock, and your first colorwork doesn’t need to be a sweater, for example. You can find little projects that use the skills you want to learn to build your confidence before you move on to something that requires more time commitment.

This adorable knit bunny, for example.

The colorwork bunny from Knit Picks was designed by Amy Munson and is a kind of bowling pin shaped bunny complete with a knit hat, contrasting inner ears and a little stranded colorwork on its body. Note that the ears are attached the the hat not the bunny, but you could stitch them to the bunny if you’d rather.

It’s worked from the bottom up and also has a tiny pompom tail you can’t see in the picture but it’s a really cute touch. There are a variety of little fair isle patterns to choose from to make the best bunny for you.

The bunny comes out about 8 inches tall (or just over 20 cm) and use several colors to complete the colorwork, depending on the design you choose.

You can purchase the pattern by itself from Knit Picks, or make a kit that includes sport weight yarn in all the colors you need for your creation. There are gray and brown options for the main body of the bunny, but of course if you’re using your own yarn you can make it whatever color you like.

Once you’ve tried colorwork (maybe also working in the round and shaping if those are skills you haven’t used before) in a little project like this you’ll be ready to take on something bigger in no time.

Check out the pattern on Knit Picks.

[Photo: Knit Picks]

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