Pierina's Snuggly Hot Water Bottle Cover - Christmas Tutorial no 12

My best friend is Pierina, I met her on my first day at secondary school, over 40 years ago and she has the misfortune to live in a household of hot blooded men!  So hot blooded are they that they constantly turn down/off the radiators, which means that layers and a hot water bottle are the only way for a girl to go!


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.

Swiss darn your design, you can do this by using squared paper or an excel spreadsheet to map out your design.  

The darning is really easy, weave your end into the wrong side, bring the needle up through the centre of the knitted stitch. 

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.

Finally take it under tow threads and bring it up in the centre of your next knitted stitch and start the process all over again.


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? 

The Snuggly Reversible Cable Scarf - Christmas Tutorial No 4

Right, who is already running screaming for the door at the thought that not only are you going to cable but your knitting is going to be the same on each side?  I promise you it will be really easy, think about it there are three stitches that look the same on both sides: garter, rib and moss or seed stitch and we will be using rib and moss stitch, and to help you further there is a YouTube demo of cabling pasted at the end of the pattern.


The scarf is made with Sirdar Big Softie and measures 6' 6" and the great thing is it will knit up really quickly... I made mine in two days on the train (45 min train journeys) and the great thing is with size 10 needles few are brave enough to sit next to you!  The good news is this scarf is butch enough for chaps and, soft and snuggly enough  for girls.

The Pattern


4.5 balls of SirdarBig Softie Yarn
1 pair of size 10 needles
1 cable needle (the chunky variety)


Abbreviations
K - Knit
P - Purl
C6 fwd - Cable 6 stitches forward (slip  stitches onto your cable needle and bring them to the front of your work, k1, P1 the next 6 stitches from the left hand needle, k1, p1 3 times from the cable needle


Cast on 24 stitches
Row 1 - K1 P1 to the end of the row
Row 2 - P1 K1 3times, K1 P1 6 times, P1 K1 3 times
Repeat the first two rows 3 times
Row 9 - K1 P1 3 times, C6 fwd, K1 P1 3 times
Row 10 - P1 K1 3times, K1 P1 6 times, P1 K1 3 times


These 10 rows are the pattern, repeat 19 times and cast off.


Knitting Tip - When you are coming to the end of the ball, start your new ball at the beginning of a row as this means you will be able to sew in your ends neatly and they will not show up like they might if you have do this in the middle of a row.


Now stand with your nose pressed to the window watching for the cold weather to come so you or your recipient can swank out in your impressive scarf.

And now it's time to go over to take a look at Wendy's Handmade Monday, she's been on her hols so you just know that she will have come back inspired.