A couple years ago, I went on a camping trip up on Guanella Pass.  It was Labor Day weekend, and at over 10,000 feet, it was pretty chilly in the evenings.  I was crocheting next to the campfire, and my friend Mike asked me to make him a mitten.

”Just one?” I asked.
”Yeah. My beer keeps freezing to my hand.”

So of course, I did my best to make him a mitten.  But I was just learning to crochet and had never worked without a pattern before.  After a few failed attempts, it dawned on me.

”Hey, Mike?”
”Yeah?”
”Can I just make the beer a mitten instead?”

And so, the crochet beer cozy:

After years of making these things, I’ve perfected the pattern.  It stretches to fit both a can and a bottle.  It protects your frosty goodness from the hot sun, and prevents frostbite on cold mountain evenings.  And best of all, it’s easy to make!

I think this is a great beginner project, and you only have to know a handful of stitches: chain (ch), slip stitch (sl st), double crochet (dc), and half double crochet (hdc). So let’s do this.

First, you’ll need to collect supplies.  I like to use worsted-weight acrylic yarn because it won’t shrink and it’s machine-washable.  This pattern is designed for a J10/6.00 mm hook.

An aside: do you say “cozy?”  Or “koozie?”  Or “koozy?” Or “mitten?”  I always thought they were called “cozies,” but Mike insists on “koozy.”  I’m going with “coozy,” in an attempt to please everyone.  Or no one. Hard to say.

Anyway, start by making a magic ring:

Double chain (dc) directly into the ring 10 times (10 dc + ch = 11 st).  Be sure to overlap the tail as you work.

Grab the tail and pull gently to close the magic ring.

Join with a slip stitch (sl st) to finish the round.

Chain (ch) 3 to start the second round, then 2 dc into the next stitch.

2 dc in each stitch around, and one additional dc in the base of the chain for a total of 22 dc.

Join the second round with a slip stitch and ch 2 to begin the next round. 2 half double chains (hdc) in each stitch around for a total of 22 stitches (21 hdc + ch = 22).

At the end of each round, join with a sl st and ch 2 to begin the next round.

At this point, you’ll be able to see the structure of the coozy take shape.  Keep going for 11 rounds up from the base.  If you forget how many rows you’ve done, just count!  In the center photo below, I’ve done 9 rows – 2 more to go! As you can see on the right, there’s only a small seam visible up one side.

When you finish the 11th round, join with a slip stich, cut the yarn, and pull through. Tug gently to tighten, but not too hard…you don’t want to cinch the top of the coozy too much!

Thread with a large needle and weave in the ends. Carefully off clip the ends closely.  And you’re done!

And that’s how you make a…

These things are super easy to make and you can customize them however you like. And of course, if you don’t feel like making your own, check out my Etsy store! In fact, you can even buy this neon green one!