A Westie Tea Cozy and some Rhubarbery

 I do drink allot of tea, probably too much but I figure I could be doing worse things in life.I usually warm up my tea in the microwave. I recently purchased a lined cotton tea cosy from a tea shop and I was amazed for how long my tea stayed so hot. I have had it on my mind to knit one for quite awhile, I had knit a Noro tea cozy several years ago but it had gone amiss. Churchmouse has some great tea cozy patterns. I did remember seeing one in a newsletter a couple of years ago.

A greener alternative to keep your tea warm

It is Seed Stitch Tea Cozy . It is a free pattern and there are charts you can use to put in a little dog, heart or a snowflake or you could use any charted motif you like. I knit this one using Loden, a tweedy wool alpaca nylon mix. Sadly this yarn has been discontinued, well actually the company who produces it  is going out of business after 110 years.Too bad. I love this yarn, it has the same composition and look as the Rowan Felted Tweed Aran so I wonder if they both came from the same mill. If you see this yarn and like it, scoop it up. It's great. I chose to do the Westie dogs using duplicate stitch. Seemed to be the easier thing to do but using instarsia would have worked just as well. I know some of you  may think it's a bit goofy but its cute and functional and hey, that's my style! It was fun and quick, nice giftie idea too.

Churchmouse also has a nice water bottle pattern too. I use them when we go camping and hope and pray they don't leak. Apparently there are some really swanky water bottles available now that are probably less prone to leaking than their dollar store counterparts. I will have to keep an eye out for them. Who knew?

I have three rhubarb plants, I. don't need three but rhubarb is so easy to grow and we all like rhubarb here. This is a great rhubarb muffin recipe, Healthy Whole Wheat Rhubarb Muffins. Super good and very moist. The only mod I make is I add more spices to the mix. Its a one bowl mix and quick and easy. This coffee cake
Rhubarb Coffee Cake is really really good too. I am going to make some strawberry rhubarb salsa this week. I have a salsa thing going on right now.
With fish tacos..yum!!

Happy knitting friends   Chris