The Creative Corner · Vintage Needlework

1950s Crocheted Glass Covers

sketch of pitcher and four drinking glasses. Each drinking glass is covered by a jacket or cozy. An inset illustration shows the crochet pattern.
Glass jackets or covers keep condensation off the table.

Spice up your next Fifties party with these crocheted drinking glass covers, also called glass jackets. Very popular in the late 1940s and 50s, these crocheted covers absorbed condensation from cold drinks so that coasters weren’t needed. More than a cup cozy, the solid bottom helps to keep liquid off the table.

Usually crocheters made these in one color. Most of them were white. However, you can make them in colors to coordinate with your party. If each one sports a different color, locating identical lemonade glasses becomes much easier.

Shades of white, gray, and blue would look wonderful at a winter holiday party. How about bright colors for a summer Tiki gathering? An autumn or Halloween party would sparkle with glass jackets in shades of brown, green, and orange.

What you will need

To make these you will need size 20 thread and a size 11 crochet hook. These will fit a glass with a diameter of 2.25 inches and it comes 2.5 inches up the side of the glass. To illustrate the pattern, I used size 10 thread and a size 7 crochet hook. Mine fits a pint glass nicely. Two balls of Aunt Lydia’s Crochet thread in size 10 (350 yards per ball) should be plenty to make four large glass jackets. Three balls of Handy Hands Lizbeth size 20 thread, at 210 yards per spool, will make four covers in the smaller size.

Abbreviations

This pattern uses a lot of abbreviations in order to keep the instructions as short as possible. Here they are:

Ch (chain)
sl st (slip stitch)
rnd (round)
st (stitch)
sk (skip)
sp (space)
lp (loop)s
sc (single crochet)
dc (double crochet)
pc st (popcorn stitch): work 5 dc in the same stitch, remove the hook from the loop, insert the hook into the first double crochet [or 3rd chain of a chain-3 start]. Reach around the back of the stitches, grab the loop, and pull it through. Make a chain to tighten the stitch and hold it.
scd (short double crochet) this is the same as a half double crochet, or hdc. Thread over hook once, insert in stitch and pull through, thread over again and pull through all the loops at once.
* * repeat whatever lies between the stars, as many times as the instructions say.

Making a 1950s crochet glass cover pattern. Green crocheted circle and hook on a table. The circle is unfinished.
Eight rounds in with size 10 thread.

Instructions

Begin at center of base with ch 3, work 8 sdc in first st of ch, jon with sl st into first sdc.

Rnd 2: 2 sdc in each st. Do not join this or following rnds, but always place a marker at the beginning of a rnd.

Rnd 3: 1 sdc in first st, * 2 sdc in next st, 1 sdc in next sts, repeat from * all around, ending rnd with 2 sdc in last st.

Rnd 4: Increase in every third st by working 2 sts in one.

Rnd 5: Increase in every 4th st.

Rnd 6: increase in every 5th st.

Rnd 7: increase in every 6th st.

Rnd 8: Increase in every 7th st.

Rnd 9: Repeat Rnd 5.

Rnd 10: Increaase 10 sts evenly spaced (90 sts).

Metal tumbler (drinking glass) sits on crocheted circle for the 1950s crochet glass cover pattern.
Checking to make sure the circle fits the glass. Because I changed thread sizes I will be skipping rounds and going straight to Rnd 11 so it fits the glass.

Rnd 11, 12, 13: Work these rnds even, putting 1 sdc into each sdc. At the end of rnd 13, join to the first stitch with a sl st. Ch 1, and turn.

Rnd 14: Work one sc over each sdc, join, turn. (You are working the sc on the back of the work. Turning again at the end of the row, you are again facing the front side of your work.)

Metal glass sits on crochet base for the 1950s crochet glass cover pattern. Rows of crochet climb the side of the glass about 1/2 inch up from the table. A crochet hook sits in the foreground.
Rows 11 through 13 bring the crochet up the side of the glass.

Rnd 15: Ch 3 (this counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same sp, and with these make a pc, ending with the holding ch as in the instructions above. Ch 2, * sk 2 sts, pc st in next st, ch 1, repeat from * all around, join.

Piece of crochet showing how to make a popcorn stitch for the 1950s crochet glass cover pattern.
Step 1, popcorn stitch. Make 5 double crochet stitches in one stitch.

Rnd 16, 17, 18: Sl st to lp, pc st in same sp, *ch 1, pc st in next lp, repeat from * all around, join.

Step 2 of showing how to make a crochet popcorn stitch for the 1950s crochet glass cover pattern.
Step 2, popcorn stitch. Remove hook and insert at top of first stitch in the group.

Rnd 19: (Ch 5, sc in next pc st) 3 times, * ch 3, pc st in next pc st, ch 3, sc in next pc st, (ch 5, sc in next pc st) 4 times, repeat from * around, end with ch 2, dc in next pc st (this brings thread in position for next round.)

Step three of showing how to make a popcorn stitch in crochet for the 1950s crochet glass cover pattern.
Popcorn stitch, step 3. Grab that loop with the hook and pull it through. Then chain 1 to hold it. You’re done!

Rnd 20: * (Ch 5, sc in next lp) 3 times, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, repeat from * all around in same manner ending rnd with dc in dc, omitting last ch 3 at end of rnd.

Rnd 21: Pc st over dc, ch 3, sc in next lp, * (ch 5, sc in next lp) twice, (ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp) twice, repeat from * around ending with ch 3, join.

Rnd 22: Sl st to lp, pc st in same sp, *ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 5, sc in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * 8 times, ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 5, sc in next lp, ch 3, join.

Rnd 23: Sl st to lp, pc st in same sp, *ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) twice, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around, ending with ch 3, join.

Rnd 24: Sl st to lp, pc st in same sp, * ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) 3 times, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around, ending with ch 3, join.

Rnd 25: Sl st to lp, pc st in same sp, *ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) 4 times, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around, end with dc in pc st.

Rnd 26: Pc st over dc, *ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) 3 times, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around, end with dc in pc st.

Rnd 27: Pc st over dc, *ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) twice, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around, end with dc in pc st.

Rnd 28: Pc st over dc, * ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 5, sc in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * 8 times, ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 5, sc in next lp, dc in pc st.

Rnd 29: Pc st over dc, * ch 3, sc in next lp, (ch 5, sc in next lp) twice, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, ch 3, pc st in next lp, repeat from * around ending with ch 3, sl st in pc st.

Rnd 30: Sl st to lp, sc in same sp, * (ch 5, sc in next lp) 3 times, (ch 3, pc st in next lp) twice, ch 3, sc in next lp, repeat from * all around in the same manner, ending with ch 1, sc in sc.

Finished crochet lacy pattern glass cover, in green, over a clear drinking glass.
This is what the pattern looks like in size 10 thread. This is over a pint glass.

Rnd 31: (Ch 5, sc in next lp) 4 times, ch 3, pc st in next lp, ch 3, sc in next lp, repeat from beginning all around in same manner ending rnd with sl st in sc.

Next 4 rnds (32, 33, 34, 35): sl st to lp and work a pc st in each lp with ch 1 between pc sts.

Rnd 36: Work 2 sc in each lp and 1 sc in each pc st all around, join, and cut thread.

Top view of clear pint glass with lacy crocheted cover in green. The cover comes halfway up the glass.
And you’re done! You now qualify as an ace popcorn stitch maker.

Weave ends in.