Thistledown Cozies FAQ's

What does "HOB" mean?

The dictionary definition for "hob" is " a shelf in the back of a fireplace on which to place things to keep warm"; and "hob" is a British colloquialism for a stove top. Appropriate a word for a product that works so well to keep things hot.

We did want to name this product something other than a "cozy". "Cozy" is such a feminine word and this is a product for men. "HOB" is much more manly.

How do I use a HOB or a tea cozy?

(Our products are designed so that they MAY remain on the teapot during the steeping process. There is some controversy in the tea community about this so we urge that you trust your palette and put on/remove the cozy as suits you and your tea. There is no controversy about the fact that our products retain heat very well.)

HOB: First rinse the teapot with some of your hot water, add the tea leaves and pour on the hot water. While steeping, you may place the teapot into the HOB and clip the top closed. The HOB will keep the teapot very hot so make sure the water used is the correct temperature for the tea being brewed to avoid "cooking" the leaves At the correct steeping time, unclip, remove the leaves and re-close the HOB. Enjoy a hot first .... second .... and even third cup of tea.

Wrap-Around: These cozies remain on the teapot throughout the process of brewing and serving. Simply put the teapot into the cozy and tie up the ribbon. You will notice that the handle, spout and top are still easily accessible. Leaving the cozy on, rinse the teapot with hot water, add the leaves and pour on the hot water. Steep for the correct time, remove the leaves, and enjoy many hot cups of tea. Again, take care to use the correct temperature water as our cozies are very well insulated.

Our Classic and Pagoda cozies are used in the traditional way - by popping them on top of the teapot and removing just to pour. Teapot handles will be very hot - as will your tea.

What are the washing instructions for my cozy, HOB, and/or tea wallet?

Wrap cozies: tie the ribbon together; machine wash delicate cycle in cold water; dry in machine, remove promptly to avoid pressing.

HOB: machine wash and dry in the delicate cycle.

Tea Wallets: machine wash and dry, and press.

Classic and Pagoda: hand wash in cold water; drip dry

What is Thistledown?

How warm do we keep your tea?

What does "HOB" mean?

How do I use a HOB or a tea cozy

What are the washing instructions for my cozy, HOB, apron and/or tea wallet?

The history of tea cozies

Frequently Asked Questions

Bead work was popular during the late Victorian era. Some found its way onto the most gorgeous tea cozies. The cozy on the left is one of a few stunning finds at the online antique shop 'Antiques & Uncommon Treasures' These cozies are covered in beadwork of the most intricate designs. (Photo courtesy of 'Antiques & Uncommon Treasures')

The History of Tea Cozies

(with thanks to great-great-great-great-grand uncle Pitt)

To find the exact moment when the first tea cozy was used is impossible, but with some facts, and a lot of anecdotal history, we can make a good guess.

We should obviously begin the quest by following the trail of the teapot. Teapots are of Oriental origin, so it would seem logical to start looking for tea cozies there. Unfortunately there is no history of tea cozy use in the Orient that I know of. The reason for this perhaps stems from the way tea was brewed and served in the East. Tea was originally brewed right in the cup, or tea bowl. The Oriental teapot evolved from that bowl, gaining a spout and handle, but retained it's single serving size. A cozy was not needed as there was no left over tea to keep warm.

So we skip ahead to the time when teapots were introduced into Europe, and even then we do not see a cozy for quite some time. For many years European teapots remained tiny, mimicking their Oriental ancestors for style reasons; and no doubt their size also influenced by the costliness of the tea.

Our hunt begins in earnest after tea becomes affordable. Serendipitously, this was thanks to great (to the nth degree) grand-uncle Pitt* ( aka William Pitt the Younger) then prime minister of England who presided over the Commutation Act of 1784, which reduced the tax on tea. Thus tea became affordable - teapots became larger - larger teapots necessitated a means of keeping the second cup hot - voilà TEA COZIES!

There is some evidence to point to the Continent rather than England for the invention of the Cozy. I have seen antique tea cozies who's history claims French 1780's lineage. The fact that tea was being smuggled into England from the Continent during this time assumes that it was much less expensive on that side of the Channel. The common denominator for tea cozy use seems to be affordable tea in bigger teapots.

There is an anecdote of the farmer who mistakenly places his woolen hat on his teapot, returning to find the tea still warm - accidentally creating the first tea cosy. The anecdote is usually attributed to a British farmer of the early 1800's. This coincides nicely with the growth in tea popularity due to Grand-uncle Pitt's tax reduction, and perhaps may be the true invention of the knitted cozy.

Victoria was Queen during the mid to late 1800's - the age of tea - or more precisely, the age of afternoon tea. The Victorian lady's, again more precisely, the Duchess of Bedford's, invention of afternoon tea must have sparked the creation of countless accoutrement. Taking tea became a social and somewhat formal event; "trappings" seem obvious. Tea Cosy creation must have been in its heyday then. Many of the antique tea cozies we see on the market today are from the Victorian Era.

Tea cozies became another palette if you will for the phenomenal needlework skills of the Victorian woman. The Victorians had quite an arsenal of methods of handwork to use to create cozies.

My personal favorite of the Victorian's handwork was the Crazy Quilt. Crazy Quilt tea cozies were made with the same method as the Crazy Quilts. This method is similar to that of paper collage: oddly shaped pieces of fabric are sewn to a base cloth, overlapping randomly - to form a crazy design! What makes them beautiful is the choice of fabrics: silks, velvets, rich prints; and the embellishing embroidery along the borders of each piece.

Later in the Victorian era the fad of half-doll cozies began. Beautiful porcelain dolls were made with no bottom parts and with holes along their bottom edges. Cozies disguised as skirts were stitched to the bottom of the half-dolls resulting in what appeared to be a beautiful doll with a flowing skirt. The German doll company Goebel created a reproduction collector's set of them in the mid 1980's. Doll cozies completely made of fabric were made in Russia at the turn of the century.

My personal collection of tea cozies includes this vintage doll cozy, She has a celluloid head and a cloth body mounted on a wire frame. It is huge, and overstuffed.

Canvases of beautiful needlework were turned into a tea cozies. Every style of needlework imaginable was employed: needlepoint, crewel, embroidery, ribbon work, pulled thread, white work, red work, ...

All sorts of lace work and crochet has been used to create beautiful covers. There is some evidence to suggest that some lacy cozies were used on their own and not as the outside layer of an insulating liner. This seems frivolous to me - with no purpose but adornment, but perhaps it is true. (sniff)

Novelty tea cozies are another mid-century fad: cottage shaped cozies, cat shaped cozies, sheep and chicken, the list is endless. My favorite contemporary novelty cozies are knit by an ebay seller. Her speciality is faux-food - her

cupcake cozy is darling.

Which brings us to modern tea cozies. While most of the tea cozies up until the turn of the century where dome/popover/"toaster cover" styled cozies, about at that time new shapes were being invented.

Pattern books at the time show a cozy called a "Bachelor Cosy". This tea cozy was knitted, covered the pot from the top as a dome does, but had openings for the spout and handle. Variations of this style became the ubiquitous cosy of the mid-century British home. The "Loop" knitting stitch done in this style of cozy is one of my favorites.

The Hall China company, well known teapot manufacturers, created a teapot/cozy combo near mid-century. The teapot came with a tight fitting sheath of insulated metal - very sleek and attractive. A number of modern teapot companies have reinvented this style.

Another reinvention is the Carriage Cozy. I have heard that they are so named because they were made to carry your tea by carriage, presumably to a picnic. This information is a bit unclear, but there is no disputing the 'presence' of this cozy. It is shaped like a giant handbag, hugely padded with a hinged top opening. Modern ones are made in Holland and available from the online shop Hot teapots: www.hotteapots.com

My own contribution to the mix has been in two areas: the introduction of 'function' to the tea Cozy, and allowing men to taste truly hot tea. By Function, I mean designing a tea cozy to do the work it was intended to do - not just to 'sit there and look pretty'. I have experimented with batting and changed geometry to achieve tea cozies that do a superior job at heat retention. In 2006 I started my line of tea cozies for men, and in 2009 introduced the HOB, bringing further style and masculinity to the work of keeping tea warm.

Tidbits

I have heard that tea towels got their name from their use as wraps for tea pots, again to keep

them warm.

* I am not positive that I can claim William Pitt as a relative, but will continue to do so until it is proven otherwise

What is 'thistledown'?

We get asked this question often - The silk of the aging thistle flower is called thistledown. Thistledown is the softest thing, ironically, on the spiniest of plants. After the flower fades, it forms seeds at its base and downy thistledown is attached to those seeds. Obviously, the finch in the photograph knows what a soft, luscious bed thistledown can make..

begin steep

after 5 min

after 30 min

after 60 min

after 90 min

after 2 hours

HOB

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