Lately I have been on a bit of a quest to find a new tea cup to use in the garden. A search brought on by something that happened a few weeks back when I was sitting at the end of the garden and noticed occassional ripples in my tea. When I looked closely I found that there were little pellets of caterpillar pooh plopping down from the grapevine overhead! For all I know this may be a delicacy in some corner of the world but I prefer my cuppa sans pooh thank you.
During my search I came across this little mug with it’s handy lid and it’s the perfect solution to a cup of tea full of caterpillar pooh, wind-blown leaves or other garden bits and pieces. I love it!
In fact I love it so much that I was prompted to make it a special coaster of it’s own. And since I am having some friends over for some chat and afternoon tea later in the month, I then thought it might be nice to make a set of coasters to pop our cups on and afterwards for them to take home with them.
I used the first 7 rounds of Attic 24’s crochet bag pattern, topped off with 1 row of single crochet (with no increases) worked in Rowan fine milk cotton (sadly just discontinued) with a 2.75mm hook.
I hope my friends like them, but if not there will be plenty of cake to enjoy. It’s a shame you can’t join us x
little cotton rabbits 
Oh good gracious, those are adorable. I just discovered Rowan Fine Milk Cotton – it’s a lovely yarn! How sad that it’s discontinued!
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I’m sure they’ll like them and if not, you have a lovely new set of coasters!
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Thank-you. I shall be ordering one too. It’s always tiny spiders that end up drowning in my coffee, which is not nice for them! Enjoy your time with friends.
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Love the cup, love the coaster and especially love that you are going to give them to your friends. Oh, dont like the idea of caterpillar poo tea so much. P.S. may I come to tea?
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It really is a shame, I would love to join you!! It would be lovely to meet you, share some cake and then….. get to keep my coaster too!!! 🙂 They are lovely Julie, very cheerful as is your new little cup!
I don’t think I would like caterpillar poo in my tea either, I’m sure it’s off the menu for vegetarians. 😉
Vivienne x
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What a great idea. The coasters are so much fun. I’d love to have a tea party in your garden.
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Very pretty. Hope the Very Hungry Caterpillar doesn’t come round and eat your cake.
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How lovely, its like a crockpot, and it will keep your cuppa hot. Love the coasters.
louise x
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How could they not like them… they are gorgeous. I love the cup too.
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What a great idea! Now it just needs a cute little mug hug. 🙂
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What a lovely cup! Of course, the little mats are adorable. Don’t forget to share the cake with us (via a photo). Here’s hoping you still have some wonderful berries in your garden.
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Love the coasters Julie, and what a great idea for a mug – that one’s definitely gone on the list of good ideas for birthday/christmas presents.
Enjoy your cup of tea in the garden.
Fleur xx
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What a great and practical idea. We often sit down to a cuppa in the garden and find the odd insect floating on top. Yuck. Like the coasters.
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What a great mug, would keep drink warmer for longer too and possibly cooler for longer if iced drink. Love the coasters and they do make great gifts, I have left/sent many in my travels to friends.
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I want that cup Julie!! x
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the cup is perfect, just the ticket for the tea I take down to the hammock where it gets liberally sprinkled in bits off the trees. Hang on! Those bits could be from caterpillars now you come to mention it! Yuk!
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What a gorgeous little mug and such a pretty colour! I think I’ll have to have one of those:) However do you find these lovely websites? I love your coasters too. I find that when I sample colours in granny squares they make perfect coasters and they are so quick and easy to do. Hope the weather is good for you this weekend so you can sit out and enjoy your new mug.
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The cup with the lid is really nice, and the coasters just makes it perfect.
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What a great idea for a tea in the garden mug. And I love your coasters, they look so pretty in your signature colours
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These are charming! I am not bothered by swimming insects all that often, but I do always cover my cup to keep it hot. Not with a sweet lid, as yours, unfortunately!
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Tried to comment once but is disappeared 😦 I just got a flashback of Baldrick making a cup of coffee in the bunkers in Blackadder when reading about your caterpillar incident 🙂 Love the coasters, i made one as an end of year pressie for a teacher last year for a new cup I bought her – she loved it and so did I so I made myself one too 🙂
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The coasters are wonderful, and how sweet of you to make them for friends to take home :-). Hihi, I’m sorry for giggling about the caterpillar poo, I wonder whether there actually is a part of the world where that would be considered a delicacy.
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Thankyou for solving the mystery of the wee ‘pellets’ in my birdbath. Ever since I moved it under the tree to be in the shade they have appeared. I don’t think my birds appreciate them in their drink either. Cute coasters and lucky friends that will receive them.
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What a sweet little mug, the lid makes it so cute. Love your coasters too!
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Love the coasters and your new mug. We have many colourful little flies in our garden…they seem to love to swim in my tea! Perhaps I NEED a mug like this!!!!!! Enjoy your tea party…
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Hi Julie, Beautiful coasters and lovely cup. I hope you will be able to tell me if you got the small or large cup? I just may order one, I hope they ship to the good ‘ol USA! You are so special to give your friends the coaster. I think everyone of your followers would love to come to tea that day! Thanks for the day brightener.
Joan
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Hmmmm. Our problem is not caterpillars and their droppings so much as wasps in our cans of soda. Mugs are more romantic than cans, thought both bugs are equally obnoxious (unless you count the sting on the lip, where wasps definitely have the edge). Your mug is pleasingly rounded and almost like an illustration of a cup. It’s set off so nicely by the cunning and charming cozies. And darn it, I DO wish to be there with you, using all of these things, perhaps sitting in the garden, getting bits of caterpillar droppings in my hair –
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Hi Joan, I got the small cup which is plenty big enough really. It’s made by Riess enamelware which is an Austrian company – maybe there will be a stockist in the USA?
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Hello,
I’m writing to fellow knitters to share a song and stopmotion video about knitting.
It’s called “The Knitter’s Curse” and you can watch it on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiUcx3ZHpUs&feature=plcp
If you enjoy it, do share it.
Yours in wool :o)
Hilary
The Savoy Ballroom
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Hi Julie what a lovely mug,also what a lovely thoughtful friend you are,making coasters for them to take home! I am going on a course in september to learn to crochet looking forward to it love and hugs xx enjoy your tea party
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Zazdroszczę kubka 🙂
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My lovely brother gave me a cup with a lid that doubles up as a coaster when I got my allotment, such a good idea and as it says on my cup “Bugs out, heat in”. I love it but have to confess that the useful lid is not as pretty a coaster as your crocheted ones. Such a simple but lovely gift
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