Susan Banks with the Michael Tea Higgins and Catherine Connoll-tea cosies
Catherine Connolly Tea cosies business ‘gone wild’
As Catherine Connolly took her seat in the Áras on Tuesday, November 11, she’s also set to serve alongside Micheal D Higgins in keeping teapots around Ireland and the world warm.
Susan Banks, from Killinarden in Tallaght, has crocheted thousands of “Michael Tea Higgins” cosies since 2017.
She told The Echo that people started requesting “Catherine Connoll-Tea” cosies even before the election on October 24.
“The orders are still coming in for Michael Tea, we do love him, people will not forget him,” she said.
It takes about three and a half hours for Susan to create each tea cosy.
She has a wide variety of designs besides the two presidents, such as bumblebees, festive gnomes, and other famous faces such as Fozzy Bear.
“I use two strands of wool on all of them, it’s not just double knit it’s double double knit, so it’s a proper cosy,” she explained.
“During the summer I wasn’t that busy, so I did all the bases, so I have a supply and then I just have to sew them up.”
According to Susan’s daughter Rachel, who jointly runs their Not Just Hats business, there’s currently a waitlist with “approximately 100 people on it”, from all across the world.
“Would you believe we had someone on from Dubai, it’s gone wild,” Susan said with a laugh.
Enquiries and orders can be made through emailing notjusthats72@gmail.com.
