Now this is a really easy and quick gift to make for your friends, it took me just over three hours to knit and another hour to Swiss darn and sew up. To add a little more interest we will also be using a twisted rib, which sounds so much more complicated than it really is and a moss/seed stitch frame to emphasise your Swiss darning. You can vary the darning to create a snowflake, initials or any other pattern that takes your fancy... I have used a heart cos I love my hot water bottle in the Winter!
You will need:
3 balls of Sirdar Big Softie or equivalent super chunky yarn
1 Pair of Size 10mm needles (yay, these are big chaps and will knit up your work really quickly!)
A length of contrasting yarn of the same weight
A bodkin needle with a large eye
A metre/yard of velvet ribbon
Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
Cast on 52 stitches (this will make a cover for an average adult hot water bottle)
1st row: (wrong side) P2, K2 until the end of the row.
2nd row: P2, twist the rib - Knit into the front of the second stitch on your left hand needle then knit into the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle, slip both stitches off the left hand needle. Repeat these four stitches until the end of the row.
Repeat these two rows 3 times (you will now have 8 rows)
Row 9: (wrong side) P52.
Row 10: K52
Row 11: P52
Row 12: K52
Row 13: P52
Row 14: K4 - P1, K1 9 times (18 stitches), K30 - (52 stitches)
Row 15: P30, K1, P1 9 times (18 stitches), P4
Row 16: K4 - P1, K1 9 times (18 stitches), K30 - (52 stitches)
Row 17: P30, K1, P1 9 times (18 stitches), P4
Row 18: K4, P1, K1 2 times, K10, P1, K1 2 times, K30
Row 19: P30, K1, P1 2 times, P10, K1, P1 2 times, P4
Repeat these two rows (row 16 and 17) 6 more times
Row 32: K4 - P1, K1 9 times (18 stitches), K30 - (52 stitches)
Row 33: P30, K1, P1 9 times (18 stitches), P4
Row 34: K4 - P1, K1 9 times (18 stitches), K30 - (52 stitches)
Row 35: P30, K1, P1 9 times (18 stitches), P4
Row 36: K52
Row 37: P52
Repeat these 2 rows 3 more times
Cast off 52 stitches.
Press your work through a damp cloth from the reverse side, this will bring up the texture of your moss/seed stitch frame.
Then take the yarn over to the right hand side of the stitch take it under two threads.
Bring the thread up on the left hand side and take it back into the middle of the stitch which will cover your original knitted stitch.
For the heart, darn one stitch in the centre at the bottom of the square, then for row 2 and 3, darn three stitches keeping your first stitch in the centre. Row 4, increase by a stitch on each side so that there are now five stitches, row 5 and 6, increase one stitch on each side so that there are now seven stitches on each row. On row 7, it is the final increase to nine stitches. On row 8, darn four stitches, miss one and darn four again. Row 9 is the final row, miss one stitch, darn two, miss three stitches, darn two and weave in your ends on the reverse side.
Fold the knitting in half widthwise with right sides facing and sew along the base of the cover, then sew up the side of the cover. Take your velvet ribbon and thread it through your crewel needle, run the thread under the twisted rib and across the purl stitches and under the twisted rib. Pull the ribbon taut and then tie the ribbon in a bow, and snuggle up with your hottie.
Now, go on over to Wendy's Handmade Monday... and don't forget to leave her your congrats as she has had over 100.000 hits... isn't that an amazing number?
31 comments:
Very pretty. I love chubby needles. And I understand about the men. I have a similar one, so I just keep piling up the sheepiness around me.
What an excellent idea. I have loads of bits and bobs of wool. I can feel a few Xmas prezzies coming on. Won't be as nice as that on though. lol.
What a gorgeous cute little hottie cover - love it. It's getting the time of year for them too.
I can totally sympathise with your best friend, living in a house of year round T-Shirt wearing males!! And I could certainly do with this lovely cover. I love the moss stitch frame you've incorporated into the knitting and was really interested to see how to swiss darn. Thanks Ros
A really gerat idea, especially now it's getting cold.
So pretty, thank you for sharing the pattern
Ah great tutorial, although I definitely think it would take me longer than 3 hours to knit it! :-) x
This is really sweet! I don't knit, but maybe my sister who can knit would knit me one! :)
That is sooo cosy. I want to toddle off to bed with it NOW!
How lovely to still have your best friend from school days, what memories you both must have. Great tutorial as always Ros, i havent knitted since my oldest son was born 17 years ago and even then he was born too big for the size i had made!!
Going to have a look through your blog now for everything i've missed the past couple of months!!
Lisa x
so lovely! thank you for sharing with us :) now, that i look at this thick cosy yarn, folky heart motif, texture of the cover, I sigh quietly, sit back in my chair and just wish I could knit! and this is actually what I have to learn just to complete one of my target projects. i think ill be joing your knitting team soon! :)
It's lovely Ros, I don't knit but I may be able to do something similar with crochet.
That looks lovely, I have been using my hot water bottle for the last month as I was determined to not put the heating on til November! I deperately need a new cover for it and might have to give this tutorial a go. I don't think I could do all the fancy bits like you've done but i may just give it a go. x
I love the hot water bottle cover :) thank you for the pattern, something else to put on my to do list :)
Lovely pattern - like the twisted rib Mich :)
Thank you for the tutorial. A very lovely gift idea and it makes the gift receiver to feel warm too
It looks lovely. Great gift idea :)
I can remember the days when a hot water bottle was an absolute must. This over looks really pretty - many thanks
I really need to learn how to knit - it's something I've wanted to do for a while!
The hot water bottle looks lovely - the little bow is a really nice touch :)
Lovely pattern - thank-you for sharing! Just been to the wool shop - so now I'll have to go back!
Jo x
this is a great tutorial The bottle cover looks really cute xxx
I love my hot water bottle too, I used to have an electric blanket in the D.B.H (Days Before Hubby) but like most men he gets 'too hot'.
This would be a great addition to my hottie. Thank you.
Jan x
Sounds like my Hubby is the odd one out - he's just lighting the fire in his study as he is cold! I could do with a new cover for my hottie and this looks oh so snuggly. Lovely
Thanks for the tutorial. What a lovely idea for present. I love it.
Thankyou so much for this lovely pattern. It is a real cutie. Love the heart that you have darned into it. Hugs Mrs A.
Ooohhhh I NEED one of those - to put my feet on in the workroom I've had the heating on today but that dries the air up in such a small room. I shall be back to make use of the tutorial. Thank you for sharing :)
Great tutorial. The cover is really sweet - much better than wrapping the hot water bottle in a pillow case!!
Really lovely design. You make it look so simple - am almost tempted to get the knitting needles out
I have always wondered how the heart (or other patterns) were worked in and now I know! Thank you!
Very pretty cover.
LH
x
very cute design, once i made it by myself and it was great, but unfortunately i lost it.
Thanks for sharing this pattern. I found it on pinterest. This is my 3rd knitting project. My first attempt to knit was making scarves for my nephew and niece last Christmas. After that, I made a cup cozy, and then this. It turned out quite nicely I must say. I'm now working on boot cuffs. If you want to see how my hot water bottle cover turned out, go to instagram and find me. K2KATSTER
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