Ready or not, the school year is coming to an end!

I have been racking my brain for some great ideas to show our teachers how much we appreciate them for all the hard work they do every year, and I think I have come up with a few you will love!

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This first post for showing our teachers some love and appreciation will be this adorable cup cozy. I feel certain most teachers drink either coffee or tea at some point during their day, and this cozy will make a great unisex gift.

I use Bernat Home Maker yarn because I think it is the most ideal yarn for cup cozies out there. It is made out of a tubular cotton that has a light amount of stuffing in the center, perfect for absorption and insulation. This combo works great with both hot or cold drinks that sweat. If you do not have any Home Maker yarn, you could realistically double up some worsted weight cotton to get the same size cozy.

I also recently discovered that Lion Brand has come out with a comparable yarn called Lazy Days that you can find at Joann’s. However, this yarn is a thinner yarn, so you will need to double up your strands if you use it. I am still waiting on my order to arrive, so I can’t tell you how well it works, but I have watched reviews and it seems to be comparable (not to mention the colors are gorgeous!). Check it out here.

I have also designed this cup cozy to have a faux leather handle and I think it looks SO classy! It immediately makes the cozy look more expensive and is super comfortable to use.

I have purchased my faux leather on the roll and in the sheet at Hobby Lobby. They sell faux leather in 2 different sections of the store and the faux leather that comes on the roll can be found near the ribbon and trimming section. It goes on sale for 50% off every other week, making it extremely cost-effective. They have a huge selection of different prints; just be sure you are buying the thicker, sturdier faux leather and not a thinner faux suede.

The faux leather handle is completely optional, of course, but I think both the ladies and the gentleman teachers would appreciate a gift of this nature. I recommend buying those reusable coffee cups from the Dollar General that are 2 for $1 to give with this cozy. I also would recommend adding a gift card to a coffee shop to throw inside the cup as part of your thanks. I have included a free printable thank you card to put inside the cup itself or the gift bag, if you go that route. Pictured below is an example of the card. You can print it off here.

Let’s make this thing!

Supplies Needed

-60-70 yards of Bernat Home Maker Dec yarn, or any comparable size 5 bulky weight yarn

-Crochet hooks, size J 6.0, size G 4.0 mm, and size F 3.75 mm, or size needed to obtain gauge

-Small strip of faux leather cut to a 1" x 4" (2.5 x 10 cm) size (You can also use real leather here)

-Scissors, tapestry needle, tape measure

-Reusable coffee cup (Optional. I used one from the Dollar General that are priced 2 for $1. It helps to have it on hand to try your cozy on every few rounds to make sure it’s fitting correctly)

Terms Used and Abbreviations

Pattern is written in US terminology.

Back Loop Only - BLO

Begin(ning) - beg

Chain - ch

Fasten off - FO

Repeat - rep

Single Crochet - sc

Skip - sk

Slip Stitch - sl st

Space(s) - sp(s)

Stitch(es) - st(s)

Special Stitches:

Invisible sl st: Remove hook from working loop. Take working yarn tail to back of work. Insert hook from back to front in first st of round and hook working loop onto your hook. Draw working loop to back of work and continue as usual. To visualize this st, see my video.

Gauge

13 sc and 12 rows = 4" (10 cm) using the J 6.0 mm hook and suggested yarn.

Finished Measurements

4.5" x 3.75" (11.5 x 9.5 cm)

Pattern Notes

-The first st of every round is always the same st as joining.

-Pay close attention to joining instructions. Sometimes you will be using a regular sl st, an Invisible sl st, or you won’t be joining at all.

-The instructions are for a tapered cup. If you wish to make it one size, use the same hook size throughout.

Instructions

Cozy is worked in the round from the bottom up, then adding rounds again at the bottom to clean up the stitches and overall look.

Round 1: Using your largest hook ch 32. Being very careful to not twist your ch, sl st into the BLO of the first ch st to create a ring. Working through the BLO in each st around ch 1, sk 1st st, sc in next st, moving backwards sc in st you just skipped, * sk next open st, sc, moving backwards sc in st you just skipped; rep from * to end. Join with Invisible sl st. [32 sc BLO]

Round 2: Ch 1, sc BLO in each st around. Join with Invisible sl st in first sc. [32 sc BLO]

Round 3: Working through the BLO in each st around, ch 1, sk first st, sc, moving backwards sc in st you just skipped, * sk next open st, sc, moving backwards sc in st you just skipped; rep from * to end. Join with Invisible sl st in first sc. [32 sc BLO]

Rounds 4-8: Rep rounds 2-3, ending on a round 2 rep.

Round 9: Ch 1, loosely sl st in the BLO of each st around. Join with Invisible sl st. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing purposes later (if you are adding the faux leather handle).

Round 10: Using the same hook you used for the body, join in the remaining loop of the foundation ch at the level of the seam of your rounds. Loosely sl st in the remaining loop of each st around. Do not join. [32 sl sts]

Round 11: Switch to your G 4.0 mm hook. Sc in the BLO of each sl st around. Do not join. [32 sc BLO]

Round 12: Switch to your F 3.75 mm hook. Loosely sl st in both loops of each st around. Join with an Invisible sl st. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing purposes later (if you are addng the faux leather handle). Weave in the shorter tails.

Add faux leather handle

1) Using a rotary cutter (you can use scissors, but it will look more polished if you use a rotary cutter) cut a strip of your faux leather so that is measures 1" wide and 4" long (2.5 x 10 cm). I purchase my faux leather from Hobby Lobby on the roll when it is 50% off every other week. It’s 8" (20 cm) wide, so you get 2 handles per every inch of the roll.

2) Mark 4 small areas for holes on each end on the wrong side of the fabric. I just eyeball it; it does not have to be perfect. (Tip: I mark one end, then fold the ends together and punch the holes with a jewelry leather punch at the same time to make sure both ends are as identical as possible. See photo below.)

3) Using the long tails you left yourself where you FO, sew both ends in place to the cup cozy in an X fashion (see photo below). Knot off and weave in tails.

Pictured is a close-up of how I sew my faux leather handles on. You may also notice that I added a round of sc at the top; it was nearly too big for this cup, however; so I don’t necessarily recommend it (unless your cup is taller).

Pictured above is a screenshot of the exact punch pliers I use to make the holes in my handles.

Your Carina Cup Cozy is complete! I would love to see your finished work! If you want to tag me on IG, I’m @dayscrochetnc. You could also use the hashtag #carinacupcozy to follow what others are making. I can’t wait to see your projects! If you would like to see other versions that I will be making after this publication, be sure to check me out on IG!

Please note that you do not have my permission to sell, illegally share, copy, or duplicate this pattern or my photos in any way. Please do not use this pattern for a video, blog, or class tutorial. Thank you so much for following these simple rules! Please message me on Facebook or send me an email at dayscrochetnc@gmail.com with any questions.

Did you enjoy this project? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Hooking!

~Dana