Nemo Tea Cosy

How better to warm your tea than with a novelty fish?! Ribbing makes the fins 'realistically spinous'. The modular pattern includes some colour work putting black and white stripes in; detailed instructions for each section and a chart should guide you through. Crochet edging is done in black to give the final stripe on the tip of the fins - if you have never crocheted before this is a relatively simple crochet. Have a look at attic 24 if you get stuck as she has more patience in putting up step by step photos!. The actual knitting should be relatively easy, it's just the changing of colour in places that can look onerous on the pattern and make it appear more complicated. I personally found having a smaller fin true nemo style looked a bit weird so have written the instructions and chart for his "lucky" fin, but you might prefer to just make two of the pectoral fins instead.

For a 2-3 cup tea pot, use 4mm needles and DK wool....

Body: (make one)
There are four simple 'rules' for the body... on the odd rows (RS), purl the first 4 stitches then knit all others. On even rows (WS) purl all stitches. On increase rows (always WS) M1P in the second stitch and on a decrease row (also always WS) P2TOG the second and third stitch. Increase rows are rows 1-26 and 43-52, and decrease rows are 32-42 and 59-84. Rows 27-31 and 53-58 are "normal", no increases or decreases.

Cast on 18
row 1 - P4, knit to end
row 2 - P1, M1p, purl to end (increase)
repeat rows 1 and 2 six more times
row 15 - continue in black
rows 16-18 - continue in white
row 19 - continue in black
rows 20-26 - continue in orange (last row at 31 stitches)
Stop the increase
rows 27-31 - continue in orange with no increases
row 32 - start decrease
row 33 - continue in black
rows 34-37 - continue in white
row 38 - continue in black
rows 39-41 - continue in orange (last row 26 stitches)
row 42 - P5, cast off 16, P5 [HALFWAY POINT - hole for handle]
row 43 - P4, K1, cast on 16, K5
rows 44-46 - increase
row 47 - continue increase in black
rows 48-51 - continue increase in white
row 52 - continue increase in black (last row 31 stitches)
rows 53-58 - continue in orange, no increase
rows 59-65 - decrease in orange
rows 66 - continue decrease in black
rows 67-69 - continue decrease in white
row 70 - continue decrease in black
rows 71-83 - continue decrease in orange
row 84 - cast off and leave long enough end to join

When body is finished, join the top together using mattress stitch and cast off end. Take care to line black and white stripes up.

Dorsal Fin: (make one)
Cast on 6 stitches
row 1 - KFB, P1, K1, P1, KFB, P1
row 2 - [KFB, P] repeat 4 times
row 3 - [P1, K1] repeat 6 times
row 4 - [K1, P1] repeat 6 times
row 5 - [P1, K2TOG] repeat 4 times
row 6 - K2TOG and cast off

Along top edge, tie black to the cast off orange thread, slip stitch (1), then double crochet 4 times around edge (into orange cast off stitches - 2 & 3), slip stitch (4) and finish.

Weave in cast off black end, and use cast on orange end to sew onto body. TIP: run cast off orange thread and black cast on thread along the fin edge and contain within the crochet stitches as you go, to save weaving in.

Pectoral Fins: (either make one and the "Lucky fin" or make two)
Cast on 9
row 1 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 2 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 3 - KFB, [P1, K1] 3 times, P1, KFB (11 stitches)
row 4 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 5 - [P1, KFB] 2 times, P1, K1, [P1, KFB] 2 times, P1 (15 stitches)
row 6 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 7 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 8 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 9 - [P1, KFB] 3 times, P1, K1, [P1, KFB] 3 times, P1 (21 stitches)
row 10 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 11 - SSK, [P1, K1] repeat 8 times, P1, K2TOG (19 stitches)
row 12 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 13 - SSK, P1, SSK, [P1, K1] 4 times, P1, K2TOG, P1, K2TOG
row 14 - knit and cast off
In black wool crochet as with the dorsal fin (with 15 double crochet instead) into the orange cast off stitches.

"Lucky" Fin: (make one, unless having two normal side fins)
Cast on 4
row 1 – [K1, P1] 2 times
row 2 – [KFB, P1] 2 times
row 3 – P1, KFB, P1, K1, P1, KFB
row 4 – [K1, P1] 4 times
row 5 – SSK, SSK, K2TOG, K2TOG
row 6 – Knit and cast off
In black wool crochet as with the dorsal fin into the orange cast off stitches.

Tail: (make one)
WHITE
Cast on 9
row 1 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 2 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 3 - KFB, [P1, K1] 3 times, P1, KFB (11 stitches)
row 4 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
Change to BLACK
row 5 - [P1, KFB] 2 times, P1, K1, [P1, KFB] 2 times, P1 (15 stitches)
Change to ORANGE
row 6 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 7 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 8 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 9 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 10 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 11 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 12 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 13 - [P1, KFB] 3 times, P1, K1, [P1, KFB] 3 times, P1 (21 stitches)
row 14 - [K1, P1] repeat to end
row 15 - SSK, [P1, K1] repeat 8 times, P1, K2TOG (19 stitches)
row 16 - [P1, K1] repeat to end
row 17 - SSK, P1, SSK, [P1, K1] 4 times, P1, K2TOG, P1, K2TOG
row 18 - knit and cast off
In black wool crochet as with the dorsal fin (with 15 double crochet instead) into the orange cast off stitches.

Make up
Mattress stitch the sides of the body together (wrong side facing in), starting above spout with cast off end at the front (narrower shorter stripe) going to the join at handle (the cast off/cast on hole). Sew on the dorsal fin at top, pectoral fins (or pectoral fin and "lucky" fin) at side of body in the orange patch and then the tail on the edge of the handle 'hole'. If you are right handed then put the tail on the left side of the handle, if left handed put it on the right side. This means when your hand goes to pick it up your hand should push the fin out of the way of the handle instead of getting tangled. Now for the eyes you have a choice - buttons, or crochet a circle in black and edge in white (similar to rounds 1 and 2 on attic 24's page). Or even googly eyes. Or felt eyes. Just find some eyes that you like and stick/sew 'em on. I used black buttons on top of white buttons because I like that cottage crafty hand-made look.

Patterns I love that helped give me some inspiration to put this pattern together include:

• Trampled by Geese Elephants on the Tea Cosy
• Jessica Woofter Clown Fish Crochet Pattern