Cuddling up with our knitted hot water bottle cover pattern is something no one ever grows out of – actually, you'd do better cuddling the bottle you knitted using it! It makes the cold seem more bearable, and it’s essential if you’re feeling poorly. Emma King’s hot water bottle cover from Simply Knitting issue 99 makes a perfect gift for everyone – just change the colours to suit the recipient.
Thick, aran-weight pure wool makes this knitted hot water bottle cover pattern extra snuggly, and the ribbing on the neck gives it a trendy look, so it’s a pure delight to cuddle on cold nights.
This is a great small project for getting the hang of intarsia - the technique of decorating a surface with inlaid patterns. Read more about what intarsia is with our handy intarsia guide, or for a step-by-step tutorial, check out our simple guide to neat intarsia. If sewing is more your thing, why not try this easy hot water bottle cover? Or, if you have an afternoon to spare, how about making this gorgeous quilted hot water bottle cover?
If you've knitted this project, don't forget to share it on Facebook or post them on Instagram, we love to see what you make!
To make a knitted hot water bottle cover you will need:
- Rowan Pure Wool Aran (100% wool, 100g/170m) Yarn A: 2 balls Burlesque (689) Yarn B: 1 ball Vert (686) If you can't find this yarn, try substituting Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted in shades Magenta (119) and Olive (125)
- A pair of 41⁄2mm needles
- Two stitch holders
- Five buttons
Knitted hot water bottle cover pattern
Tension
Yarn used knits as aran to this tension: 19 sts and 25 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over st st
Abbreviations
cont continue
dec decrease
inc increase
K knit
k2tog knit 2 sts together
P purl
rem remaining
rep repeat
RS right side
sl slip 1 stitch
sp space
st(s) stitch(es)
tog together
WS wrong side
For a full list, see our article on knitting abbreviations
Front
Cast on 31 sts using 4½mm needles and yarn A.
Working in stocking stitch, changing colours as indicated and using the intarsia technique, work rows 1-66 from the chart.
Keeping stocking stitch correct, continue as follows:
Next row Decrease 1 st at each end of next 5 rows. [33 sts]
Next row Purl.
Cast off 6 sts at beginning of next 2 rows. [21 sts]
Leave 21 sts on a holder.
BACK
LOWER SECTION
Cast on 31 sts using 4½mm needles and yarn B.
Row 1 Knit.
Row 2 Purl.
Row 3 Inc in 1st st, knit to last st, inc 1. [33 sts]
Row 4 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 5 Inc in 1st st, knit to last st, inc 1. [35 sts]
Row 6 Inc in 1st st, purl to last st, inc 1. [37 sts]
Rep last 2 rows once more. [41 sts]
Change to yarn B.
Row 9 Inc in 1st st, knit to last st, inc 1. [43 sts]
Row 10 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 11 Knit.
Row 12 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 13 Knit.
Row 14 Purl.
Row 15 Knit.
Row 16 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 17 Knit.
Row 18 Purl.
Row 19 Knit.
Row 20 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 21 Knit.
Row 22 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 23 Knit.
Row 24 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 25 Knit.
Row 26 Purl.
Row 27 Knit.
Row 28 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 29 Knit.
Row 30 Purl.
Row 31 Knit.
Row 32 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 33 Knit.
Row 34 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 35 Knit.
Row 36 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 37 Knit, increasing 1 st in centre of this row. [44 sts]
Row 38 P4, (K4, P4) to end.
Row 39 K4, (P4, K4) to end.
Repeat last 2 rows once more.
Row 42 P4, (K4, P4) to end.
Cast off in rib pattern.
UPPER SECTION
Cast on 44 sts using 4½mm needles and yarn B.
Row 1 K4 (P4, K4) to end.
Row 2 P4 (K4, P4) to end.
Row 3 K4 (P1, cast off 2 sts, P1, K4) to end.
Row 4 P4 (K1, turn, cast on 2 sts, turn, K1, P4) to end.
Row 5 K4 (P4, K4) to end.
Row 6 P4 (K4, P4) to end.
Change to yarn A.
Row 7 Knit, decreasing 1 stitch in the centre of this row. [43 sts]
Row 8 Purl.
Row 9 Knit.
Row 10 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 11 Knit.
Row 12 Purl.
Row 13 Knit.
Row 14 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 15 Knit.
Row 16 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 17 Knit.
Row 18 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 19 Knit.
Row 20 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 21 Knit.
Row 22 Purl.
Row 23 Knit.
Row 24 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 25 Knit.
Row 26 Purl.
Row 27 Knit.
Row 28 Purl.
Change to yarn B.
Row 29 Knit.
Row 30 Purl.
Change to yarn A.
Row 31 K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. [41 sts]
Row 32 P2tog, purl to last 2 sts, p2tog. [39 sts]
Change to yarn B.
Row 33 K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. [37 sts]
Row 34 P2tog, purl to last 2 sts, p2tog. [35 sts]
Row 35 K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. [33 sts]
Row 36 Purl.
Cast off 6 sts at beginning of next 2 rows. [21 sts]
Leave 21 sts on a holder.
To make up the knitted hot water bottle cover
Join the front to the upper section of the back by sewing together the left-hand sets of cast off stitches.
Work neck of cover as follows:
With RS facing and using yarn A, knit the 21 sts from the front holder and then the 21 sts from the back holder. [42 sts]
Row 1 (WS) K2 (P2, K2) to end.
Row 2 (RS) P2 (K2, P2) to end.
Repeat last 2 rows until neck measures 5in (13cm).
Cast off loosely in rib pattern.
Line up the lower section of the back with the upper section of the back, ensuring that the ribs overlap, and sew around all edges. Position the 5 buttons along the rib of the lower section of the back (so that they line up with the buttonholes) and sew into place.
Download the knitted hot water bottle cover pattern and chart
Get a PDF version of this chart for this pattern here: Hot water bottle cover chart
If you want to download a PDF of the knitted hot water bottle cover pattern, as on this web article, but in a printer-friendly or saveable format, click to download the knitted hot water bottle cover pattern.
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