Cozy for Chinese New Year!

Twins in ChinaHappy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year! This festive holiday has a special place in our hearts because Yarnovator, Deborah, lived in China for five years.

Deborah was a 5th grade teacher at an international school in Kunming, China. While there she enjoyed her first hand experiences of Chinese New Years well wishes, gift giving, loud celebrations with fire crackers, beautiful displays of flowers and fancy red and gold signs and lanterns.

Though not Chinese New Year, we are pictured right at the Dragons Gate. We are touching the top of the gate for luck. Deborah is on the left and I, Dana, am on the right.

Chinese New Years follows the lunar calendar so the date changes each year. In 2013, Chinese New Year is February 10. This is the year of the snake.

Chinese New Year – Plum Blossom Cozy

The plum blossom is a beautiful flower from the Chinese plum tree. It is in bloom during the Chinese New Year. That was our inspiration for our jar cozy. Below is the pattern for the jar cozy on the left crocheted in White with Soft Pink blossoms.

Chinese New Year

This is another great stash buster. The cozies are crocheted using Vanna’s Choice. Vanna’s color selection is great. The white cozy looks simple yet beautiful. The red cozy captures the vibrant colors found at Chinese New Year’s decorations.

Chinese Cozy Supplies:

  • Vanna’s Choice Yarn:
    WHITE, CHOCOLATE, RASPBERRY, SOFT PINK
    Chinese Option: Cranberry, Mustard, Taupe, Raspberry Soft Pink
    Straight Flower Option: Silver Blue, White, Raspberry, Aqua, Radiant Yellow, Radiant Orange, Eggplant
  • Crochet Hook: H, D
  • Yarn Needle for Sewing
  • Pint Size Mason Jar

NEW YEARS COZY INSTRUCTIONS:

white cozy and fortunesJar Cozy Instructions :

White

Hook: H

Ch 34, join with a sl st.

Rnd 1-12: Sc around. (34)

Join with a sl st. Cut yarn; weave in end.

Plum Blossom Flower Instructions:
(make 3)

Raspberry

Hook: D

Ch 2

Rnd 1: 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (5)

Join and change color to Soft Pink with a sl st.

Rnd 2: *Ch 2, 2 dc in same st, ch 2, sl st into same st. Sl st into next st* 5 times.

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing, weave in all other ends.

cozies and cookies flatBranch Instructions:

Chocolate

Hook: D

Ch 14

Row 1: Sl st in 2nd ch from hook. 4 sl st. Ch 9, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 3 sl st. Ch 10, sl st in 2nd ch from hook. Working back to start of ch, 14 sl st, 5 sc, 3 hdc.

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing, weave in all other ends.

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Pin then sew branch to cozy.
  2. Sew plum blossoms to cozy. Sew down the middle of the flower to get a nice 3D effect.
  3. Weave in ends.

Chinese New Year – Fortune Cookie?

making cookies and coziesWe’re mixing our cultures with this jar cozy. The traditional Chinese New Years gift would be a red envelope of money (i.e. $8 for luck…or increments of $8).

But in the USA, when many people think of Chinese good fortune, they think of forutne cookies. So, we’re crocheting some fortune cookies and stuffing them with Chinese New Years wishes.

To further mix our traditions, we’ll put 8 fortune cookies in the mason jar! If you pass these around at the dinner table and there are some left over…that’s a sign of abundance…a good sign for the coming year!

Fortune Cookie Supplies:

  • Vanna’s Choice Yarn:
    BEIGE
  • Crochet Hook: H
  • Printed fortunes (see options below)
  • Yarn Neeedle for Sewing

Crochet Fortune Cookie Instructions:

chinese cozy and cookiesBeige

Hook: H

Ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: Sc inc around. (12)

Rnd 3: *Sc, sc inc* around. (18)

Rnd 4: *2 sc, sc inc* around. (24)

Rnd 5: *3 sc, sc inc* around. (30)

Rnd 6: *4 sc, sc inc* around. (36)

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Fold circle in half and whip stitch a little more than half closed…leave a hole so you can stuff the cookie with a fortune.

Fold the two ends together and whip stitch in the folded position.

crochet fortune cookie

Chinese New Year Wishes:

In addition to wishing friends and family a Happy New Year, below are some additional wishes for luck and prosperity. These make great “fortunes” for the crocheted fortune cookies above. Sayings are from Wikipedia 2/1/2013 and Welch, Patricia Bjaaland, p. 22

“May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”
金玉滿堂Jīnyùmǎntáng

“May you realize your ambitions”
大展鴻圖Dàzhǎnhóngtú

“Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”
迎春接福Yíngchúnjiēfú

“May all your wishes be fulfilled”
萬事如意Wànshìrúyì

“May your happiness be without limit”
吉慶有餘Jíqìngyǒuyú

“May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits”
一本萬利Yīběnwànlì

“May your happiness and longevity be complete”
福壽雙全Fúshòushuāngquán

“When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”
招財進寶Zhāocáijìnbǎo

A Glimpse into China

Just for fun, we thought we would share a couple of photos we took while in China. Deborah was an excellent tour guide and showed me several National Wonders of China.

Below left is the Great Wall of China. To the right are life size Terracotta Warriors.

Great Wall of China and Terracotta Warriors

Near Kunming, China is a lovely place called the Stone Forest. This is a beautiful place for hiking with tall pillars of rock and many beautiful formations.

Stone Forest Pair

Wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

More Cozies in Store

coffee cup cozy patterns ebookLove this plum blossom cozy? There are more seasonal, holiday and just for fun cozies in the store in our Crochet Cup Cozy eBook. We’ve created an entire collection with 28 designs one ebook.

Looking for the cup and mug version? They’re in the ebook.

Each design in the ebook has instructions to fit Mugs, Cups and Mason Jars. Every design has a delicious recipe or fun craft.

All 3 plum blossoms pictured at the beginning of this post are in this ebook! AND the ebook includes 4 new designs – Dracula, Vampire, Mummy and Blue Jeans.

Available in the StoreRead more about the set:

Blog: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Store: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds Recipe & Crochet Jar Cozy

Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds Recipe & Crochet Jar Cozy

Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds Recipe and Recipe CozyWe’ve cooked up this Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds recipe with coordinating Tuxedo Jar Cozy…’cause it’s party time!

And we have a video! (below the recipe)

It’s a little nutty, but we love these tuxedo almonds. They’ll definitely dress up your special occasions. They’re perfect for New Year’s Eve parties, Weddings, Anniversaries or any event where you want to impress your guests.

Let’s start by covering the almonds with chocolate…so they can cool while you crochet.

Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz Whole Natural Almonds (unsalted)
  • 12 oz Almond Bark – Chocolate
  • 12 oz Almond Bark – Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1st Step – Vanilla Shirts

Melt 4 oz of Vanilla Almond Bark in microwave (stirring every 30 seconds). Holding an almond at the widest end, dip into Vanilla Almond Bark. Scrape excess off back. Lay on parchment paper to cool and harden. Make as many as desired.

2nd Step – Chocolate Jackets

Almonds Dressed UpMelt 4 oz of Chocolate Almond Bark in microwave (stirring every 30 seconds). Holding the Vanilla coated almond at the widest end, dip the side edge of the almond into the Chocolate Almond Bark, turn and dip the other side edge. Scrape excess off back. Lay on parchment paper to cool and harden.

3rd Step – Bow Ties and Buttons

Melt 4 oz of Chocolate Almond Bark in microwave (stirring every 30 seconds). Pour Chocolate Almond Bark into a sandwich bag (to act as a cake decorating icing bag). Twist bag to lock chocolate into corner. With scissors, cut off a tiny bit of the corner (as small as you can). Squeeze bag and practice making bow ties and buttons on a scrap of parchment paper. When you are happy with the look, create bow ties and buttons on the almonds.

Cool for a couple of hours (in refrigerator if needed).

tuxedo almonds step by step photo

Creating Bow Ties

How to Make a Bow TieLightly squeeze bag as you create bow tie following the arrows. Stop squeezing at the bottom of the right most arrow. As you pull up and away from the almond, move the bag toward the start of the bow tie (top left).

Creating Buttons

Do no squeeze bag. Simply tap bag to surface of almond and pull straight up. This should leave a dab of Chocolate.

Video: Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds
Click the image below to watch

If you’re having trouble seeing it here, check out Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds on YouTube. The crochet pattern for the snazzy tuxedo jar cozy is below.

The Tuxedo Chocolate Covered Almonds Jar Cozy

Now you need a tuxedo jar cozy for the chocolate covered almonds. These are fun to crochet and will jazz up any party or gift. Crochet a top hat for an extra touch of class!

The cozy and hat are crocheted in the round. The shirt details are crocheted separately and sewn on…as is the hat ribbon.

This is a great stash buster. We are using Vanna’s Choice yarn because we think the Charcoal Grey looks snazzy next to the Black and White.

SUPPLIES:

  • 1 Pint size canning jar
  • Vanna’s Choice: Medium Worsted Weight (4)
  • BLACK, WHITE, CHARCOAL GREY
  • Crochet Hook: H, F
  • Yarn Needle

TUXEDO COZY INSTRUCTIONS:

Tuxedo Crochet Jar Cozy

Black

Hook: H

Ch 34, join with a sl st.

Rnd 1-12: Sc around. (34)

Join with a sl st. Finish off and weave in end.

WHITE SHIRT INSTRUCTIONS:

White

Hook: H

Ch 2

Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook. (1)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc inc. (2)

Row 3: Turn. Sc inc twice. (4)

Row 4: Turn. Sc inc, 2 sc, sc inc. (6)

Row 5: Turn. Sc across. (6)

Row 6: Turn. Sc inc, 4 sc, sc inc. (8)

Row 7: Turn. 3 sc, 2 sl st, 3 sc. (8)

Row 8: Turn. Sc inc, 2 sc, 2 sl st, 2 sc, sc inc. Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing. (10)

Sew white shirt to the front of the cozy with row 8 sticking out above the top of the cozy.

TUX LAPEL INSTRUCTIONS:

Charcoal Grey

Hook: F

LEFT LAPEL

Ch 13

Row 1: Dc in fourth ch from hook, dc inc, 3 hdc, 3 sc, 2 sl st, ch 1. (11)

Finish off leaving tail for sewing.

Pin then sew over the left edge of the white Shirt and on the cozy.

RIGHT LAPEL

Ch 13

Row 1: Dc in fourth ch from hook, dc inc, 3 hdc, 3 sc, 2 sl st, ch 3. (14)

Finish off leaving tail for sewing.

Pin then sew right lapel over the right edge of the white shirt with the last 3 ch stitches sewn vertically to represent the jacket opening.

TIE & BUTTONS INSTRUCTIONS:

Black

Hook: H

Ch 6

Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook, 4 sc. (5)

Row 2: Turn. Sc across. Finish off. Cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing. (5)

Using tail, wrap yarn around the middle of the tie and pull tight. Secure with a knot. Sew tie to white shirt below the sl sts on row 7. Weave in ends.

Whip stitch two buttons below bow tie with black yarn. Weave in ends.

TOP HAT INSTRUCTIONS:

Tuxedo and Hat Crochet PatternBlack

Hook: H

Ch 2

Rnd 1: 8 sc in second ch from hook. (8)

Rnd 2: Sc inc around. (16)

Rnd 3: *1 sc, sc inc* around. (24)

Rnd 4: *2 sc, sc inc* around. (32)

Rnd 5: *3 sc, sc inc* around. (40)

Rnd 6: Work in back loops only. *3 sc, sc dec* around. (32)

Rnd 7-12: Work in both loops. Sc around. Add more rounds for a taller top hat. (32)

Rnd 13: Work in front loops only. *3 sc, sc inc* around. (40)

Rnd 14: Work in both loops. *4 sc, sc inc* around. (48)

Rnd 15: *5 sc, sc inc* around. (56)

Rnd 16: *Sc inc, sc, sc inc, 3 sc* 3 times, 7 sc. Repeat from beginning. (62)

Add more rounds for a larger bill.

Finish off and weave in end.

TOP HAT RIBBON INSTRUCTIONS:

Charcoal Grey

Hook: H

Ch 34

Rnd 1: Join with a sc. Sc around. (34)

Join with a sl st. Finish off and weave in ends.

TOP HAT BOW INSTRUCTIONS:

Charcoal Grey

Hook: H

Ch 6

Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook, 4 sc. (5)

Row 2: Turn. Sc across. (5)

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Using tail, wrap yarn around the middle of the tie and pull tight. Secure with a knot.

Sew tie to Top Hat Ribbon.

Slide Ribbon on Top Hat. Secure if needed.

More Cozies in Store

coffee cup cozy patterns ebookLove this tuxedo cozy? There are more seasonal, holiday and just for fun cozies in the store in our Crochet Cup Cozy eBook. We’ve created an entire collection with 28 designs one ebook.

Looking for the cup and mug version? They’re in the ebook.

Each design in the ebook has instructions to fit Mugs, Cups and Mason Jars. Every design has a delicious recipe or fun craft.

The ebook includes 4 new designs – Dracula, Vampire, Mummy and Blue Jeans.

Available in the StoreRead more about the set:

Blog: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection

Store: Coffee Cup Cozy Collection