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

I don’t often share knitting patterns for pets, mostly because I don’t think of it. I don’t have a dog, and I’ve never knit for my cats except a knit couch and a little cat bed I made on a knitting machine, both of which were pretty much ignored.

I have shared some pet bed knitting patterns, and both hats and sweaters for dogs.

But I don’t think I’ve shared a pattern for a cat sweater, until now.

This one is the Bunny sweater by Sarah Zhou, so named because her cat is named Bunny, of course.

It’s a made to measure pattern because cats come in all shapes and sizes, and you can also use any yarn you like and whatever gauge you are getting with that yarn.

The design is knit from the bottom up, that is, from the tail side up toward the head. Pairs of decreases shape the body as you work toward the armholes, which are made by binding off a few stitches. Then the belly and the back are worked flat, then joined and worked in the round for the chest part.

There are some design options in the pattern, from the look of the photos they include using a contrasting color for the edging, working a scalloped edging, maybe a foldover collar? But of course you can add your own embellishments, stripes, make it in team colors or for a Halloween costume. I’m sure they’re quick to knit so you can make a bunch if you have a cat who is willing to submit to such torture.

Bunny looks like a very good and mostly tolerant girl; I don’t think either of my cats would be willing to wear a sweater. But if you make one (the pattern is available on Ravelry) and successfully get your cat to wear it I would love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah Zhou]

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