Rainbows and Adult Beverages

Summer: it's all about rainbows and beer, amiright? Here in sticky, swampy New Orleans, I admit I haven't been keeping up with my backlog of projects as well I do in the cool(er) months, but summer is the perfect time for those quick, stash-busting projects that can keep your fingers busy without heating you up. No afghans, please.

This project is fun for a lot of reasons. It has rainbows, it has googly eyes, it begs you to crack open a cold one, and best of all you can use it right away no matter what the weather is outside because you won't be wearing it—your beverage will!

Behold the rare and elusive Rainbeer

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I made this for a good friend's birthday and it looks like the celebration it is. A birthday celebration and a celebration of marriage equality, not to mention a celebration of the brief cool respite that follows summer rainstorms.

You may notice this koozie is more expressive than most.  The eyes are by no means necessary. I mean, a traditional rainbow is still pretty fun. But I have to say I was surprised by how much they add to the piece. Even without any other facial feature, this koozie has some serious personality. 

Rainbeer

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn in the colors of the Rainbow, plus black and white for eyes if desired. Shown in Red Heart Super Saver in Ranch Red, Carrot, Gold, Hunter Green, Royal, Dark Orchid, Black, and White.
• US H (5 mm) hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Tapestry or Large eye blunt
• Sewing pins

 Notes

• Turning chains do not count as the first stitch of rows.
• Repeat directions following * to end of round.

Abbreviations

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

hdc: half-double crochet

sl: slipstitch

inc: increase (crochet two stitches in one space)

BLO: back loop only

Gauge

14 sts and 11 rows = 4 inches in hdc

Instructions

With Dark Orchid, make a magic ring.

1:  Ch 1, hdc 8. Sl to join this and all succeeding rounds. Do not turn.  (8)

2:  Ch 1, *hdc inc.  (16)

3:  Ch 1, *hdc, hdc inc.  (24)

4:  Ch 1, *hdc 5, hdc inc.  (28)

5-6:  Ch 1, *hdc.

7:  With Royal, join round in back loop only (BLO). Ch 1, *hdc in BLO.

8:  Ch 1, *hdc.

9:  With Hunter Green, join round in BLO. Ch 1, *hdc in BLO.

10:  Ch 1, *hdc.

11:  With Gold, join round in BLO. Ch 1, *hdc in BLO.

12:  Ch 1, *hdc.

13:  With Carrot, join round in BLO. Ch 1, *hdc in BLO.

14:  Ch 1, *hdc.

15:  With Ranch Red, join round in BLO. Ch 1, *hdc in BLO.

16:  Ch 1, *hdc.

17:  Join in BLO. *Sl loosely in BLO. Join round. Tie off. Weave in all ends. 

Your koozie should now look like this:

 Stop here, or give your koozie some personality and add the googly eyes!

Eyes (optional)

Make 2

Pupil

With black, make a magic ring.

Ch 1, sc 4. Sl to join. Tie off leaving long tail to sew edge down to eye white.

White

With white, make a magic ring.

Ch 1, hdc 8. Sl to join. Tie off, leaving long tail to sew eye to koozie.

  

Finishing

Position pupil on white however looks best to you and pin in place. This is totally personal preference. You can have the pupils centered at the bottom of the white if you like the way mine looks, but you can also have your Rainbeer looking up, looking to the side, cross-eyed, or with both eyes in different directions. Give it some personality! Using a large eye blunt needle, stitch around edge of pupil. Weave in ends.

Next, position the finished eyes on the koozie and pin in place. I thought mine looked best with the bottom of the eyes lined up with the bottom of the gold band, but again, totally up to you! Have fun with it. Using a large eye blunt needle, stitch around edge of white. Weave in ends.

You’re done!  Give your Rainbeer a drink!

 My Rainbeer has a Sierra Nevado Torpedo. I think he likes it.

This design is available as a pdf download from my Ravelry shop: Strung Out Fiber Arts Designs