Kitamu cup cozy pattern is a fun project to do when I need a break from a larger project, like a blanket.  I was looking for something to make as gifts for my kids’ teachers, or to compliment a gift.  As I was searching for ideas I kept seeing cup cozies and thought they were a great idea. The cozy could be given with a gift card to a local coffee shop. Another idea is with a special whole bean or ground bag of coffee. I put one on a ‘to go’ cup. Then I filled the cup with chocolate and other small gifts. I found this pattern as a free download on Ravelry.com.

The Kitamu pattern has texture and depth. That gave it the more cushioned hold I wanted to provide. Also, it insulates hands from being too hot from the contents of the cup it was cozying.  This pattern also gives some stretch while still ‘cozying’ the cup to not fall off. For instance, it ‘cozies’ when the cup is not being held, but rather sitting freely on a desk or table. 

Gifting Ideas

When I was ready to gift them I purchased some disposable ‘to go’ cups with lids and filled them with wrapped candy, lip balm and some fun socks.  I found out if the teacher preferred coffee or tea. If the preference was coffee, I gave a bag of coffee from a local coffee shop. If they preferred tea or other beverage, I gave a gift card to a local coffee shop (as they also sold tea and other beverages).  All of that was tucked into a basket with some other useful items, like notebooks, pens and decorative binder clips.  To finish off each basket, my kiddos colored or drew a picture for their teachers and placed that into the basket. 

Caron Simply Soft yarn

To make the Kitamu Cup Cozy, I used size US 6 double pointed knitting needles. With the size US6 needles, I like Caron Simply Soft yarn. This project works with a variety of colors. The pattern suggests worsted weight yarn, and Caron Simply Soft is a lighter worsted weight yarn that works well.  A thicker or heavier yarn on size US 6 needles is sometimes more difficult for me to manage and fatigues/aches my hands.  I like the softness and shine of Caron Simply Soft yarn, though perhaps a thicker yarn would last longer and is more durable.  Caron Simply Soft works well for this item and pattern, and is 100% acrylic. For a cup cozy an acrylic yarn is excellent, as it is easily washable for all of those coffee or tea trips, bumps and spills. 

This pattern is good to practice working in the round and introduces a possibly new skill of K1IRB (Knit 1 stitch in the row below).  I turned to YouTube for a video on how to do that, and picked it up rather quickly.  The designer wrote the pattern in 2 sizes – large and small – though the small works best for my needs. 

I did not try this pattern in any other yarn or needle size, but think it could be adjusted for a bulkier yarn with a slightly larger needle. Using cotton yarn might be another option, as it is also washable and provides some insulation and durability.