Plain and Simple Hot Water Bottle Cover
Now available on Ravelry as a free PDF download. You must be a Ravelry member to access the site.
Also available as a free PDF here (132 Kb in size).
Tension/Gauge
12 sts over 10 cm (4″) on 8 mm (~US 11) needles over stocking stitch (row tension not important).
Materials
Yarn: 1 ball of King Cole Magnum Chunky Multi in beige (colour no. 206) 110 m/120 yds per 100g
Needles: 6 mm (~US 10) straights and 8 mm (~US 11) straights (or size to obtain tension)
Blunt needle for sewing up and weaving in ends
3 buttons (size determined by buttonholes)
Long pins for holding knit pieces together when sewing up.
A hot water bottle (!) measuring 21 cm/8″ wide and 22 cm/8.5″ from base to “shoulder”
Side one (button side):
With 6 mm needles, cast on 28 sts and work 4 rows garter stitch (knit every row).
Change to 8 mm needles and, beginning with a knit row, work in stocking (stockinette) stitch for 23 cm/9″ from cast on edge. End after a purl row.
“Shoulder” shaping:
Knit to within 3 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Purl to within 3 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Knit to within 6 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Purl to within 6 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Knit to within 9 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Purl to within 9 stitches of the end of the row. TURN.
Knit across row.
Purl across whole row. (there will be holes where the short rows were turned. There are ways to eliminate or reduce these, but I liked the look of them!)
Cast off 9 stitches, K to end of row.
Cast off 9 stitches, P to end of row [20 sts]
“Collar”
Change to 6 mm needles and, beginning with K2, work in K2, P2 rib for 16 rows.
Cast off in rib.
Side two (buttonhole side):
With 6 mm needles, cast on 28 stitches and work two rows in garter stitch.
Buttonhole row: K4, yo, K2tog, K8, yo, K2tog, K8, yo, K2tog, K2.
K 1 row
P 2 rows (second row is turning row)
Change to 8 mm needles and, beginning with a P row work in stocking (stockinette) stitch until piece from turning row measures 23 cm/9″. End after a purl row
Work “shoulder” shaping and “collar” as side one, but beginning the collar ribbing with P2.
Making up:
Fold buttonhole flap at purl turn row to the RIGHT SIDE of Side Two. Pin in place.
With knit sides together, pin and sew the two sides together along side seams, shoulders and collar (sides and top). Leave the bottom edge unsewn.
Turn cover to right side and pull the buttonhole flap around as shown
Sew buttons on using buttonholes as a guide to placement. Use one ply (or strand) of the yarn used or matching cotton thread.
Insert water bottle.
If you have any questions (or, shock horror, spot any errors) feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email. If you do use this pattern, please consider donating either a knit item (this one?) or some money to the charity of your choice. My personal favourites are Medecin San Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders and the ME Association.
EDITED: Anne had some Aran-weight yarn in her stash. I have a calculator. The numbers below are for 18 sts = 10cm/4″. Just substitute in the relevant places!
Cast on 42 sts.
Work 8 rows g st
St. st.
Short row every 4 sts for shoulder shaping
Cast off 12 sts each side for shoulders
Rib over 30 sts for collar (increase no. of rows of rib as well)
Buttonhole flap – cast on 42 sts, g. st. 4 rows.
Buttonhole row: k6, yo, k2tog, k13, yo, k2tog, k13, yo, k2tog, k4
4 rows of g.st. or st. st.
Purl turning row.
St. st. and then as before.
Yay! too bad I don’t have any wool of the right weight. If only I’d known when I put in my yarn order yesterday. Oh well, reason to shop, right?
Thanks muchly! My money will be going to the American Brain Tumor Association. 🙂
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I was just looking at a knit water bottle cover in the store, thinking someone must have a great pattern for one of these… Thanks!
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Thank you so much for sharing this great pattern! I have already printed it out and will definitely try my hands at it!
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Congratulations! You’re on get stitchy!
Thanks so much for submitting your blog.
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thank you for your hot water
bottle cover pattern my frist
time seeing one thank you again.
my god bless you
ANNETTE CIGANKO
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Thanks for the pattern . I was just thinking that i needed something for my water bottle , i was getting really sick of using a towel it just never seemed to stay in place . this looks like it will work great.
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thanks so much – terrific pattern -I usually use a towel – this will be fab… added to my favorites on Rav. Jan H (MA)
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Thanks for the inspiration! Have been amking up my own patterns but this is different.
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Thanks for this free Pattern.
Entering for a competition in the Women’s Institute and covers go to the local Rest Home for the elderly.
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Thanks for the Hot Water Bottle Cover. It will save me going into the loft and hunting for my old patterns. I will have to sort them out. I know I have one somewhere up there. Thanks again.
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[…] daunted, I then started to branch out and knitted a hot-water bottle cover which was based on this but with several off-piste additions of my own: Like a tiny jumper, for someone with no […]
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if you start with 28 stiches and cast off 2 lots of 9 how do you end up with 20 atitches – I cast of 6 and carried on with 16 stitches and it is ok but I would like to get it right
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Hello Rosemary,
Thank you for the comment. I’m sure you’re correct that you should end up with 16 sts. I wrote the pattern a long time ago when I was new to designing and I’m afraid I didn’t have anyone check it over. In addition, I don’t even have the original hot water bottle cover any more! I made it for a swap and sent it off to pastures new just after I’d made it!
Thank you for bringing this error to my attention and I hope I didn’t cause you too many hair-pulling moments.
If there’s anything else I can help you with, just email me.
Amy.
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Is this for the tiny hot water bottles or full size?
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Thanks for the question; it is for a full sized water bottle.
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Thanks! I guess I’m just not using bulky wool so it looks a bit small, but it will stretch. I’m a fairly new knitter and just finishing up the first side of this.
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You may struggle if you aren’t using a thick enough yarn. It’s a snug fit as it is (especially over the neck of the bottle) so you may need a smaller water bottle! 😀
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Amy, I want to use your pattern, but the glorious wool I’ve found is double knitting wool. If I use 4.5mm needles with this wool, how many extra stitches should I have? Would you say double the amount? And then adapt the neck to fit?
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