Isn't it a crying shame that through the etheric medium of the interwebs you cannot distinguish exactly quite how incredibly pleased and satisfied with myself I am ? Which, on a scale of 1 to 10, today is about eleventy-twelve.I took a notion that I wanted to knit a hot water bottle cover/cozy for my MIL for Xmas from the lovely yarn I picked up from Twist recently .... however, do you think I could find a pattern for what I wanted ?
Well, as it goes, I could - in some Patons booklet that I could not work out how to buy/download since it didn't like that I am not American. I believe most of the world, indeed, is not American. Google informs me that only 7% of the world's population lives in America. I do love some individual Americans, but as a nation, sometimes they frustrate me beyond belief with their egocentricity, and apparent insistence way past rational, that nothing 'real' exists beyond their borders.
Still, let's abandon that somewhat grumpy digression and return to the fun stuff: a new pattern by Me, an example of necessity being the mother of invention.
It's for Aran weight yarn, knitted on 5.5mm (US size 9) needles; I think I used approximately 210 yards/ 192 meters. Gauge is not awfully important, as long as your pieces when sewed together, fit over the hot water bottle - and remember that blocking can be your friend here.
I made mine stripey, because I could: each wide stripe is 16 rows, each narrow stripe ie. at the bottom and top, is 8 rows. I used 2 and a teeny bit skeins of Rooster Almerino Aran in shade 303 (rose pink - Strawberry Cream) and shade 301 (cream - Cornish). This Peruvian yarn is 50% baby alpaca and 50% merino wool, which equals 100% soft and squooshy; I paid £4.35 per skein, which I thought was reasonable value. The yardage is 103 yds/ 94m per 50grm skein.
The other side has alternating stripes to the first side - again, simply because I felt like it.
There is one other, minor, difference, that I improved for the second side (1st photo).
So without further ado:
Abbreviations:
C6F : place 3 st on cable needle to front, knit 3 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
C6B : place 3 st on cable needle to back, knit 3 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
T5F : place 3 st on cable needle to front, purl 2 st, knit 3 st from cable needle
T5B : place 2 st on cable needle to back, knit 3st, purl 2 st from cable needle
WS : wrong side
RS : right side
Materials: approx 210 yds/ 192 m aran/worsted weight yarn
1 pair 5.5 mm (US size 9) knitting needles
and do not forget, the hot water bottle itself
Cast on 55 stitches.
Foundation Row 1: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2 [ K3, P4, K6, P4, K6, P2] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Foundation Row 2: K4, P6, K3, P1, K3[ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Row 1: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2, [ K3, P4, C6F, P4, C6F, P2] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Row 2: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2, [ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 3: P4, C6B, P2, K1, P2 [ T5F, T5B, T5F, T5B, T5F] P2, K1, P2, C6F, P4
Row 4: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2 [ P3, K4, P6, K4, P6, K2] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 5: P4, K6, P2, K1, P2 [ P2, C6B, P4, C6B, P4, K3] P2, K1, P2, K6, P4
Row 6: K4, P6, K2, P1, P2 [ P3, K4, P6, K4, P6, K2] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 7: P4, C6B, P2, K1, P2 [ T5B, T5F, T5B, T5F, T5B] P2, K1, P2, C6F, P4
Row 8: K4, P6, K2, P1, K2, [ K2, P6, K4, P6, K4, P3] K2, P1, K2, P6, K4
Rows 1 - 8 set pattern.
Repeat rows 1- 8 a further 7 times (8 repeats altogether) or until length required. End on WS.
RS facing. Cast off 15 stitches.
Commence 2 x 2 rib: [P2, K2] for 24 stitches.
K or P as required in pattern until end.
WS facing, cast off 14 stitches. 2 x 2 rib as set on previous row for remaining 24 stitches. Continue until long enough to cover hot water bottle neck, approx. 12 - 14 rows or 6cm/ 2.5ins
Cast off in rib.
Repeat instructions to make 2nd side.
Weave in ends.
Wash gently and block gently to size.
When dry, sew bottoms and sides together; fit over hot water bottle, oversew shoulders and neck sides.
I feel that, in my ignorance, I may not have used some standard knitting patterns terms/conventions etc - do please feel free to comment below and educate me ...
