“I freakin’ LOVE this key cozy pattern.” -Tata
I invented this tiny key cozy pattern one day when I was showing my mom about Magic Loop.
She asked, “What is Magic Loop good for?”
I said, “Its is especially good for knitting little tiny objects in the round, like glove fingers, armwarmers, and the tops of hats.”
Then, as inspiration struck, I asked, “do you have a key? I’ll make it a little sweater to demonstrate!” and the sock yarn key cozy pattern was born.
Here I post it so you can have the same epiphany! Video tutorials below the pattern.
Key Cozy Pattern for Fingering-Weight Yarn, by Liat Gat
Materials:
Yarn: 10 yards of fingering-weight yarn.
Needles: US Size 1 DPNs*
*If you prefer to work in the round using the Magic Loop method, use a US size 1 40-inch-long circular lace needle.
Special stitches:
M1R: Insert left-hand needle-tip from back to front under stretch of yarn between stitches. Knit through the front of this loop.
M1L: Insert left-hand needle-tip from front to back under stretch of yarn between stitches. Knit through the back of the loop.
Pattern instructions
CO 10 sts. Join for working in the round.
Rounds 1–4: Knit. 10 sts total.
Round 5: *K1, M1R, K4, rep from * to end. 12 sts total.
Round 6: *K5, M1L, K1 rep from * to end. 14 sts total.
Round 7: *K1, M1R, K5, M1L, K1, rep from * to end. 18 sts total.
Round 8: *K1, SKP, K3, K2TOG, K1, rep from * to end. 14 sts total.
Round 9: *K3, YO, K2TOG, K2, rep from * to end. 14 sts total.
Round 10: * K1, SKP, K1, K2TOG, K1, rep from * to end. 10 sts total.
Round 11: Insert key into cozy, long end first. With key in cozy, work as follows: *SKP, K1, K2TOG, rep from * to end. 6 sts total.
Finishing:
Break yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail. Weave tail through rem. sts. Pull tight and tie a knot. Weave in yarn ends. Be fAAbulous!
Watch Video Tutorials of How To Knit This Key Cozy Pattern
Key Cozy Video Tutorial — Part 1
Key Cozy Video Tutorial — Part 2
Are you going to try this pattern? Post in the comments and let me know!
Learn the 12 tricks of Magic Loop: Magic Loop Video E-Book
80 thoughts on “Free Key Cozy Pattern For Leftover Sock Yarn”
Hello Liat: I have just ordered my magic loop and can’t wait to receive and start knitting baby booties!! Do you know where I might find a video for knitted baby booties using the magic loop? I am a visual person and would really like to see how this is done with booties. Thank you so very much for your help.
Dianne Douglas
Hello Dianne,
Here is a free pattern for you. Don’t forget to send pictures!
https://www.knitfreedom.com//free-patterns/toe-up-baby-sock-pattern
Happy Knitting,
Hello again Dianne,
I searched and searched but didn’t find a baby bootie video knitted in the round. The closest I came was the above toe-up sock pattern.
Happy Knittting,
I made one this morning for a going away gift for my daughter. She can think of me whenever she uses her keys! I have many ‘mini skeins’ I have accumulated from knitting retreats. I could probably make two out of each. These are adorable! Thank you, Liat.
Hi Suzanne,
Great idea, I think I will make a few for those friends who don’t get in touch with me often enough! Also a great way to use up that leftover yarn.
Happy Knitting
Liat
Thank you for this pattern. My apartmemt key & my mailbox key are gold. I have a key to both of my sisters house both keys are silver. I tried a few times writing the street number on one key. The sharpie mark kept rubbing off. Then I remembered this key cozy pattern. I’m making a key cozy for my sister’s house I use the most.
Hi Crystal,
I love love love my key cozies! I’m glad you thought of Knit Freedom to help solve your problem.
Happy Knitting
Liat
What a great pattern. I have three keys that look identical; this little jacket, knitted in different color yarns will keep me from having to try them. (Of course, the key that fits is the last one I try, no matter which door it is.)
Thankyou so much for this fab idea
As i work early mornings and its dark when i leave house, even tho we have light outside i can find my key for outside door a lot easier
thankyou very much ?
what a cute creative idea. I must make some for my keys!!!!!!
I came across your site yesterday, while looking for Fan and Feather stitches, and I read up on the Chinese Waitress Cast-On. While cruising through your Accessories Patterns, I tried the Key Cozy last night. It’s really cute! Thank you so much for your inspiration! I made a mini sweater for my house key! Cheers!
Fab project! I used dpns and love that my keys are now properly dressed :)
Awesome tutorial! This was my first time to use learn magic loop. I have always used DPNS because I thought magic loop was intimidating. So easy! And this is a great (and fun) use of leftover sock yarn. Thanks so much.
Cute idea! I haven’t tried the key cozy yet, but I noticed that a key is inserted before knitting the final round. What if I want to give these as gifts? Obviously, I wouldn’t have other peoples’s keys to finish the cozies! Any suggestions?
One question, I would like to make these for gifts, so how would I make them not having the persons key? Please answer asap. My daughter just bought a new house and I want to make some for her.
Hey all,
Amazing idea! I’m a begging knitter. I wanted to work this patter with double pointed needdles. Do anyone know if there is a video available?
Thanks, Baptiste! There is no video for this pattern on double-pointed needles, but I’ll bet you will like Magic Loop if you try it…
I love this pattern! It will be so useful! I can color code keys for different purposes. I knit socks mostly and have quite a few balls of left over sock yarn. I am so very excited to knit up a handful of these. We are going to the family farm for Easter. I can grab keys and knit them up for family members as well. Thanks this site was unexpected. I found you through a project page on Ravelry.com and I jumped to the link for the Fair Isle Purse. So glad I am here. Lucky me!
Have a great day! Your site and videos are lovely!
I’m so glad that you made it here, too. Lucky us!
Thank you so much for the sweet compliments. I hope you had a lovely Easter – full of adorable key cozies.
I have to make at least one so I can find my house key in the dark!!! Great idea!
I HAVE to make at least one of these so I can find my house key in the dark!!!! Great idea!!!!
That’s a great idea! I hope you love it. :)
This makes it so easy to figure out which key is what.
Doesn’t it? I just love the key cozies – they’re super cute and functional. :)
this is what i need i get home late from work at night that i’m trying to figure out the keys to which lock this makes it so easy. thanks
my plastic loop broke on my car key, what a great way to customize a repair! I will have to see how it goes. Will also try it on my camera with the broken plastic bit. awesome challenge.
That is an awesome idea! You’ll have to let us know how it turns out.
I finished the car key cosy, I posted pictures on my ravelry page,
inklenaomi
thanks for the great pattern! I will try the camera cosy next.
That’s awesome. I can’t wait to get over to Ravelry and check it out. :)
This is a great pattern for my dogs tags! No more jingling! Thanks! Pinky
Thank you so much for showing the magic loop. I love the key cozies.
I bought a lot of sock yarn to make socks but have not started yet, maybe I’ll make the key cozies first. I’m sure there will still enough yarn left for socks.
I can’t wait to try this! Thank you Liat for all you do. Keeping up with site, fb page, etc. not only inspired me to finally learn to knit, but helped me thru my home being repossed, family drama, and the most stressful time in my life. It was good to hear personal things about you, too, just so I could see and be reassured that there are all kinds of “normal” and to be so very happy to have you as a virtual friend!
Janet, thank you so much! I do work hard to keep up with this site, through many ups and downs of my own. I can’t believe I helped you handle so many stresses in your life – you are the one inspiring me right now!
I have just gotten some news that was tough for me, and your comment reminds me that life comes with its ups and downs, but that I can always choose to stay calm and react to things with grace. Thank you!
OMG these are soooooo cuite and sooo adorable I’m defiantly going to make one
Thanks soooo much
Too cute! The plastic top part of my car key is cracked and I’m always afraid the key is going to fall off my keychain. I’ve also had trouble finding a rubber cozy to fit it. This should solve the problem (because the yarn will stretch to the shape of my topper) and it will secure the key to my ring! Brilliant!!! Making it today!
Hi Christine, did you get a chance to make the key cozy? Did it solve your problem with the cracked car key? :)
Thanks!
You are welcome!
What is SKP? (in rounds 11 and 12)
Hi Rosie, here is a video for SKP (Slip, Knit, Pass). I also added the video link into the pattern itself, since you asked about it.
Thank you! Love the video, it helped so much & is very clear. Now, I have to get the needles.
I don’t understand your instructions to SIGN ON
I’m totally going to try this :-D
I am soo happy to find this, well not so much find but have it magically appear in my inbox!!!! How is it hat this has eluded me for so long. I want everything covered in knit, crochet, yarn, thread, furry fabrics etc. Much more appealing than buying a fancy key for $3 to $7 when I already bought the yarn! though I won’t be covering up my Dallas Cowboys key, I’ll make a tiny blue & white companion!! THANK YOU smooches!
Hey! Thank you for a wonderful idea! I have already maked me one. I live in Norway, an we have had a very wet and cold sumer, so i think it just right that my keys get a warm hat ;-)
I got a bit problem with round 7:
*K1, M1R, K6, M1L, K1, rep from * to end. 18 sts total.
I knitted 5 in the middle instead of 6, and for me that worked
( i have not watch the video yet, i am at my sumer cottage, and the internet is very very slow her)
I love it, it give ma a good reason to practice my knitting . I have ton of scrap yarn in stash . can’t wait to make them :) thank you very much for the new idea and the tips, I have lear and gain so much from you Liat please keep up the good work….
Hi Ivy, I’m so excited that this post helped you find a use for your spare scraps of yarn. You’ll have to let us know how they turn out. :)
Love this! I think this one will finally get me to sit down and learn magic loop. Thanks so much for sharing it! I linked to this page from my blog this morning too: http://www.mooglyblog.com/2012/07/18/10-yards-or-less-knit-it/ if you want to check it out.
I’m going to adapt this to make cozies fir the metal tags on my dog’s collar so the dob’t jingle every time he moves. Thanks!
Karen –
That is such a cute idea! I love it. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out. :)
This pattern is awesome!! We have like 20 keys that all go to something in the house. SO if we color code them we could tell which is which much more easily. :)
Thank you! If you make 20 key cozies you are going to be better at Magic Loop than I am! That is a lot of practice :D
This is so cool! I had trouble viewing your Key Cozy part 2. It stops about 1 min in.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for liking my video! I checked the part 2 video and it plays fine at my end. Maybe you could empty your browser cache and then try again? Let me know if that works.
Love the key cozy pattern. Adorable and useful.
Thank you Lori for appreciating the video! Yes, you can color code the keys now. That is a great idea!
I love the tiny key cozys. A great way to identify your keys and reduce the clinky sound!
I want to practice using magic loop and this looks like a perfect chance but my smallest 47″circular needle is a 4. Can you explain how I would modify this pattern using a size 4?
Hi Lynn,
This is a great, and slightly challenging project for practicing Magic Loop. Using a size 4 needle probably will not work for this project, because there are too few stitches to modify it to compensate for the bigger needle size. However, you CAN knit the key cozy using size 4 needles for practice – it will just come out too large for a key. You can use a sport-weight yarn, which is the next thicker yarn from fingering-weight.
I hope this helps!
I just purchased your Magic Loop e-book, and I have a hunch the answer to my question in my comment above will be included in there! :-)
Hi Renna! This is a great question. And you are right! The answer is totally in your Magic Loop e-book. But to answer it for all my readers: you should definitely get a 47-inch needle if you are going to use it for socks. A 47-inch needle is also great for two-at-a-time.
Happy knitting!
can Actually do 2 @ a time on 40″ cables. The author of the two at a time books uses 40s.
Yep! Absolutely.
Liat, I'd settle for a local yarn shop, period! In my small town, the nearest thing we have to a yarn shop is Hobby Lobby.
I've decided to order the Addis Turbo lace needle for this project, as it's a genuinely useful item for our household. We go through 3 or 4 keys before we land on the right one to open our front door.
As I'm on a tight budget, I want this needle to serve a dual purpose of being able to use it for lacy socks as you mentioned in the video. Is a 40" (size you recommended for the key cozy) long enough to knit socks Magic Loop, or should I order a 47"?
I appreciate so very much the things you share. It really is the next best thing to having an experienced knitter at hand!
I knit all my socks using magic loop. My largest is a 40″. The smallest I use for magic loop is 24″.
Renna, I find that a 40″ works find for me knitting 2 socks at a time. Mine are size small so if you are knitting larger sizes, you might need the 47″ for 2 socks at a time.
Thank you so much for the videos. Watching a complete pattern knit, from beginning to end, I finally 'get' Magic Loop. Now, if only I had the right needle, I'd make this tonight!
Hi Renna! So happy to see you here! Now all we need is a 24-hour yarn shop… :)
Hey,
so cute !
Now that is really cute!! I love it!
Thank you!
For anyone having issues with "not enough" increases and decreases, please remember that you'll need to repeate the items marked with asterick as noted in the pattern.
Even when repeating through the asterisks, the numbers do not add up- on row 7, you end before you finish the pattern 2 stitches early
Round 7 should be knit 5 in between the make ones then the finished row would have 18 stitches.
You’re right! Thank you so much for pointing that out. I will make that change ASAP.
Liat
Ok, I'm having trouble with a few parts. First off I do not get the special stitches. Second, how do I get from 14 stitches to 18 stitches (round 6-7)when you only increase twice giving you 16? Third, how do you go from 14 stitches to 10 (round 10-11) when you only decrease twice??
Thank you all so much for you enthusiasm and thanks! You're welcome! I never thought this would be such a popular pattern! I hope you all enjoy it!
-Liat
Just after my key covers disintegrated! I must make a dozen, it's fate!
Maybe if I dress all my keys it will cut down on the jingly noise!
This NEVER would have occurred to me, and I have a super ugly key to my mother-in-law's that I carry around…I will pretty it up now! Thanks for this pattern!