What have I been doing this summer besides adventuring? Crafting. When moving out of my apartment last fall, I unearthed a sizable yarn stash and an even bigger fabric stash. In an effort to downsize my stuff, I’ve been trying to make these resources into semi-useful stuff to give away to friends. Everyone and their mother is having a baby right now, so I embarked on a project to make my yarn stash into baby beanies, but last night I was working on a ball of yarn that turned out to be too small for even a newborn beanie, so I made it into a beer cozy instead.

Coming soon to an etsy store near you!

Fun fact 1: Koozie is a brand name and trademarked term that became genericized, like Thermos. 

Pattern adapted from this super useful master beanie pattern below:

Pattern notes:

Following the principles of the master beanie pattern, the best way to do this is grab a can of beer (preferable full, and then drink about half of it before beginning so it doesn’t spill when you try to fit the cozy to the beer), and make increasing rounds until you make a circle the size of the bottom of the can, and then work up to the desired height of your beer can.

Like so

For me, working with worsted weight yarn and a US H size, 5MM hook, the bottom circle was one round of double crochet and two rounds of half double crochet and the height 11 rounds half double crochet,  plus one round crab stitch edging.

Since you work in a fairly small round, you can use up all the tiny balls of leftover yarn in your stash to make striped cozies. This seems to me more fun and useful than making a bunch of granny squares.

Fun fact 2: Aussies call these things “stubby holders.”

Pattern:

• Row 1: Magic circle, 10 dc in circle. Join to top of first dc with sl st. (10)
• Row 2: Ch-2, 2hdc in each st around. Join to top of first hdc with sl st. (20)
• Row 3: Ch-2 *hdc in next st, 2hdc in next* repeat around. Join to top of first hdc with sl st. (30)
• Row 4: Ch-2, working in backloops only, hdc in each hdc around. Join to top of first hdc with sl st. (30)
  

  Working Row 4 in backloops only is what makes the “corner” on the bottom of the cozy

• Row 5-14: Ch-2, hdc in each hdc around. Join to top of first hdc with sl st. (30) Change colors as desired.
• Final row: Ch-1, crab stitch around. Join and weave in ends. (30)

(Easiest way to learn to magic circle or crab stitch is to look for a video on Youtube.)

Color variation: