A Quick, Free Cup Cozy Pattern Perfect For Anyone!

I will admit it! My family LOVES a good cup cozy pattern.

And it isn’t hard to see why. Practically a good cup cozy will protect your hands from the heat coming through your Starbuck or Costa takeaway cup, especially when made with cotton yarn.

But did you know that when you pop one of those plastic lids on your paper takeaway cup the heat can actually reduce the integrity of your cup?

I learned this one the hard way a year or so ago. My friends and I had taken the children to the cinema for a treat. Of course the kids had their iced drinks but I was feeling the cold that day and grabbed a hot tea from Costa. The barista popped a lid on it and I walked the 10-15 meters to where the kids were picking their sweets. The cup literally just crumpled in my hand and I had to be treated for minor burns.

Fun fact: they replaced the tea and it was still warm by the end of the movie!!

The next time I went I took a crochet cup cozy with me and it really helped to keep the cup sturdy! (I asked them to put it on the cup before filling it.)

A Crochet Cup Cozy is not just for hot drinks

Not only do they work to protect your hand from heat, but they also help with cold drinks too. Jorja (my daughter) is obsessed with those crushed iced drinks. But she can not hold the plastic cups for more than a few minutes because the cold goes straight to her hands.

One day, at a birthday party, she asked to use the cup cozy that I had literally just finished working on while she was running around.

Why had I not thought of that before?

Strangely it also slowed the ice melt down because it stopped the sun from going straight through the cup and also prevented some of the cold escaping from the cup generally.

So now we don’t go anywhere without checking I have my purse, keys and a cup cozy or two!

Inspiration behind the design

The Buffalo Check cup cozy crochet pattern was actually designed quite a while ago. The only place you could get it – until today – was in the upsell for the Just for Him Bundle.

This cup cozy pattern was designed specifically for the men.

But of course, you can gift it to anyone!

And I think Jorja proved that there really isn’t an age range for this one so long as the children are old enough to be able to hold their own cups.

 

Construction of the design

As with most of my cup cozy patterns, this one is worked in the round from the bottom up.

It is an intermediate pattern because it uses the camel stitch (hdc in the third loop) and because of the colour changing.

But an adventurous beginner can absolutely give this one a go! Both the pdf and the pattern below link to video tutorials on the special stitches.

The Yarn

For any crochet cup cozy pattern I would absolutely recommend that you use 100% cotton for several reasons:

• It protects from the extreme temperatures of the cup much more than acrylic does
• It will hold it shape even after multiple washes
• Cotton does not pill so it will look great for years to come
• Generally you can wash cotton at higher temperatures so those coffee, tea and hot chocolate stains are much easier to get rid of!

 

Get the Buffalo Check cup cozy PDF pattern!

You can find the ad-free PDF Pattern for this one in all of my shops

 

Get the supplies I recommend!

You can get them by clicking the images below! (Note: each link is an affiliate link, with which I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

There are several types of #4 weight (aran) cotton that I have personally used to make cup cozy patterns and would recommend. You can get them by clicking the images below! (Note: each link is an affiliate link, with which I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Pattern Specifics for the Buffalo Check Cup Cozy

Materials you need to make your cup cozy:

#4 Worsted/Aran/Medium weight 100% cotton yarn in Red, Gray, and Black—about 75 yards of each. Tapestry Needle Scissors Stitch Markers (optional) 5mm H hook and 5.5mm I9 hook

Gauge:

Sizing:

Finished project will fit 20oz to-go cups, pint ice cream tubs, and ice cream “cups” from ice cream shop, as well as soda cans and some beer cans/bottles.

Abbreviations used:

St(s)—Stitch(es) Ch(s)—Chain(s) FO—Fasten off Rnd—round Sc—single crochet Rep—Repeat Ss—Slip Stitch Hdc—half-double crochet Sk—Skip Blo—Back Loop Only

Other notes for your cup cozy:

– Written in US terms.  • Ch1 does not count as a stitch • Pay attention to stitch placement and read the instructions fully Buffalo Check Coffee Beanie Cozy © Copyright Sunflower Cottage Crochet 2021 – When working the Buffalo Check pattern, carry the other color of yarn under the stitches you are currently working, this will create a lot less ends to weave in. – Do not fasten off any of the colors unless stated in the pattern below, you can bring up a dropped color from several rows below inside the work. Less ends to weave in!!

Special Stitches:

Crab Stitch: 

The Crab stitch is done by completing a “reverse” single crochet. Normally, you work to the left as a right-handed crocheter, in this case, you’re going to work to the right, instead. Insert your hook into the next stitch to your right and pull up a loop, YO, pull thru both loops.

Camel Stitch:

To work this stitch you work a HDC into the third loop. I have a video tutorial on how to do this:

The Buffalo Check Cup Cozy Crochet Pattern:

WITH 5MM H8 HOOK:
Row 1: With Black–Ch6, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across (5)

Rows 2-28: Ch1, turn, sc blo in each st across (5)

Join short sides together: Here we are joining the two ends of our ribbing. Line up the edges and slip stitch to “sew” the ends together by going into the back loop of the last row you worked, and the front loop of the first row you worked (this creates a similar ribbing look to keep it uniform). Do this all the way down the edges. We are now working in the round.

WITH 5.5MM I9 HOOK:
Rnd 1: With black–Ch1, Hdc 30 sts evenly around—you should only need to add 2 sts to make this.

Rnd 2: Work each stitch into the third loop of the previous round’s hdc sts—these will be on the inside of your work, thus creating the “camel stitch”: Ch1, with BLACK, sc in first st and next 4 sts, changing to GRAY, sc in next 5 sts, *changing to BLACK, sc in next 5 sts, changing to GRAY, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around, join to first sc with BLACK.

Rnds 3-4: Ch1, with BLACK, sc in first st and next 4 sts, changing to GRAY, sc in next 5 sts, *changing to BLACK, sc in next 5 sts, changing to GRAY, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around, join with GRAY to first st.

Rnd 5: Ch1, with GRAY, sc in first st and next 4 sts, changing to RED, sc in next 5 sts, *changing to GRAY, sc in next 5 sts, changing to RED, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around, join to first st with GRAY.

Rnds 6-7: Repeat rnd 5;

At the end of round 7, FO GRAY and RED, join with BLACK.

WITH 5MM H8 HOOK:
Rnd 8: With BLACK–Ch1, hdc in first st and each st around, join to first st.

Rnd 9: Ch1, Crab Stitch around (see special stitches), join to inside of work where you can and FO.

Weave in ends.