Garter Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover - Free Pattern!

 

Design: Garter Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover

Designer: Me - free design below

Yarn: Stylecraft Life Chunky

Colour: Rose (2301)

Fibre: 75% acrylic, 25% wool

Needles: 4.50mm

My sister asked for a gift card for her favourite clothes store for Christmas, and I was more than happy to get that for her. But you can't have nothing to open on Christmas Day, and so I rustled up this little hotwater bottle cover, as my sister is one of the chilliest people I know - she has been known to wear flannel pyjamas in August! 

My niece, The Tot, is coveting this gift - she keeps asking my sister if she can have it! So it's certainly a hit with one member of the family!

 

Garter Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover

You will need:

100g of chunky yarn - I used Stylecraft Life Chunky, which is 162yds/148m

double pointed needles or short circulars - I used 4.50mm, but I knit slightly loosely, you may want tomove up to 5.00mm or 5.50mm

crochet hook - 4.50mm approx to make cord - or a length of ribbon

blunt ended needle for sewing up.

stitch marker

large hotwater bottle

Instructions:

Body:

Cast on 56 stitches, and join in a circle, being careful not to twist. Use stitch marker to indicate beginning of row.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Rows 1-2 form pattern repeat.

Repeat pattern until you've reached the shoulder of the hotwater bottle - mine needed 64 rows. If you haven't finished on a knit row, then knit one row. This sets up the eyelet row and frill.

Eyelets and frill:

Row 1: *Knit 2, Yarn Over, Purl 2, Yarn Over, repeat from * to end of round

Row 2: *Knit 2, Knit 2 together, Knit 2 together, repeat from * to end of round

Row 3: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 6: Knit

Row 7: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 8: Knit

Cast off - this can be done knitwise or in rib.

Darn in end at top. Sew bottom seam using a mattress stitch.

Make tie cord by crocheting a chain about 50cm (20 inches) in length. Weave through the eyelet holes. Insert hotwater bottle and tie cord to secure.

Cortina Socks

Design: Plain Stocking Stitch Socks

Designer: Based on Regia leaflet socks, with heel from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks

Yarn: Cortina (from Lidl Supermarket)

Fibre: 75% wool, 25% nylon

Needles: 2.5mm DPN

Last year, my second ever pair of socks was a Christmas gift for my dearest friend. This year from OCtober onwards she started dropping hints she'd like another pair ...

My friend requested 'dark, plainish socks - black, brown or grey' - and this yarn, snaffled at a bargain price from a discount supermarket chain seemed to fit the bill - it was plain enough for her, but not so plain I was going to be bored to death with it. There was no way I was going to knit plain black socks! The yarn is a little rougher than Regia et al, but it worked up quite nicely and I think it will get softer with washing.

I don't think they are going to be worn for a while yet - on Christmas Day my friend flew out to India for six weeks, but I know she's taken them with her for her arrival back in the UK, as February is always freezing!

Mini Cable Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover - Free Pattern!

Designer: Mini Cable Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover

Designer: me! - pattern below

Yarn: Stylecraft Life Chunky

Colour: Raspberry Marl (2347)

Fibre: 75% acrylic, 25% wool

Needles: UK7 (4.5mm)

I'm posting this out of order of making, as this was actually the third hotwater bottle cover I knitted for Christmas gifts. This was one I made for my mum, as a bit of a stocking filler. The yarn is nice and squooshy and very good value. The 25% wool makes it nice and soft and will insulate the hottle nicely, and the acrylic will make it durable and washable.

My mum used to knit hotwater bottle covers for us when we were children, it's nice to turn the tables!

Mini Cable Rib Hotwater Bottle Cover

You will need:

100g of chunky yarn - I used Stylecraft Life Chunky, which is 162yds/148m

double pointed needles or short circulars - I used 4.50mm, but I knit slightly loosely, you may want tomove up to 5.00mm or 5.50mm

crochet hook - 4.50mm approx to make cord - or a length of ribbon

blunt ended needle for sewing up.

stitch marker

large hotwater bottle

Instructions:

Body:

Cast on 56 stitches, and join in a circle, being careful not to twist. Use stitch marker to indicate beginning of row.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: *Knit 2 together, don't slip the stitches from the needle but insert needle between the stitches and knit 1, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Rows 1-4 form pattern repeat.

Repeat pattern until you've reached the shoulder of the hotwater bottle - mine needed 64 rows. If you haven't finished on a knit row, then knit one row. This sets up the eyelet row and frill.

Eyelets and frill:

Row 1: *Knit 2, Yarn Over, Purl 2, Yarn Over, repeat from * to end of round

Row 2: *Knit 2, Knit 2 together, Knit 2 together, repeat from * to end of round

Row 3: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: *Knit 2 together, don't slip the stitches from the needle but insert needle between the stitches and knit 1, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 6: Knit

Row 7: *Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat from * to end of round

Row 8: Knit

Cast off - this can be done knitwise or in rib.

Darn in end at top. Sew bottom seam using a mattress stitch.

Make tie cord by crocheting a chain about 50cm (20 inches) in length. Weave through the eyelet holes. Insert hotwater bottle and tie cord to secure.

Cable Scarf for The Hermit

Design: Chunky Cable Scarf
Designer: FWIW, me - see the pattern on an earlier blog post
Yarn: James Brett Marble Chunky, one 200g ball
Needles: 6.5mm

This is (part) of the scarf I knitted for my partner The Hermit for Christmas. I say 'part' because the whole thing is over 9 feet long. I felt that a trifle excessive, but Hermit is 6 foot, and likes a double wrap around his neck - he's used to Canadian winters, you see. I don't think he truly realises that winters never get much colder than they are currently (28 deg F, -2 deg C) despite him being over here for nearly six years!

This was a nice stitch with my favourite cheap chunky yarn, and is very soft. I was going to knit it in a 'good' natural yarn, but The Hermit has sensitive skin and preferred this, plus he really liked the colours. Blue is his favourite colour, and I don't make much in it at all, as it really isn't one mine!

It was very economical to make, the whole thing took one 200g ball, so cost me the grand total of £3.49 - can't do much better than that!

Cable Scarf - Free Pattern Here :o)

Design: Cable Scarf
Designer: Various sources gave inspiration for the pattern, below
Yarn: Stylecraft Life Chunky, Cream 2305. 75% Acrylic, 25% Wool
Needles: 5.5mm

This was knitted to go with the mitts below for my sister for Christmas. Fortunately, the length was a nice length as I just used the yarn left over from the mitts with another 100g ball. The yarn is pretty nice for a cheapo - the 25% wool gives it a good texture and loft.

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this pattern would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Chunky Cable Scarf

(edited 25/12/09 to correct typo and to expand instructions a little)

You will need:

• about 150g of chunky yarn, depending how long you want the scarf - I've used the James Brett Marble Chunky and Stylecraft Chunky with good results. One full 200g ball of Marble Chunky made an over 9ft long scarf...
• a pair of knitting needles. Tension isn't important - I've used 5.5mm and 6.5mm needles for these scarfs, but bear in mind I knit loosely.
• a cable needle

Abbreviations:

K = knit
P = purl
C8F = cable 8 forward (slip 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold in front of work, K4 then K4 from cable needle)


Cast on 24 stitches

K 8 rows

Start pattern:
Row 1: K4, P4, K8, P4, K4
Row 2: K8, P8, K8
Row 3: K4, P4, K8, P4, K4
Row 4: K8, P8, K8
Row 5: K4, P4, K8, P4, K4
Row 6: K8, P8, K8
Row 7: K4, P4, K8, P4, K4
Row 8: K8, P8, K8
Row 9: K4, P4, K8, P4, K4
Row 10: K8, P8, K8
Row 11: K4, P4, C8F, P4, K4
Row 12: K8, P8, K8

Repeat these 12 rows until scarf is at required length, or you're running out of yarn. If you are a bit of a perfectionist, you might want to end on a Row 10 so that the scarf is symmetrical ...

K8 rows

Cast off

Darn in ends. Block as the garter stitch border has a tendency to fold in.

This pattern is offered for personal, non-commercial use only. Items made from this pattern may be sold on a small scale basis such as on Etsy or at craft sales. Sales for charity are positively encouraged! This pattern and the text and photos contained within, may not be copied or reproduced for any purpose other than personal use. Please direct people to this blog rather than forwarding the pattern, thank you! Copyright 2009 N M Wray

Shawly Not?

Okay, when the local department store is selling mohair mix yarn for £0.69 (less an a dollar/euro) per ball, and when friends at your SnB group have made gorgeous shawls out of a similar yarn, well, you've just got to get some yarn and try, haven't you? Especially when it's a dear friend's big 4-0 birthday coming up too and you think a lacey shawl would make a suitable gift for her.

But do you know how many pages of shawl patterns there are on Ravelry? 45, just in the 'free' listing alone! I think I've looked at every single one this morning, downloaded several, and I've finally narrowed it down to a choice between four five three. I haven't really knit lace before, so some of the patterns scared me. And despite being a stitcher, I'm not sure about the whole chart thing, British patterns tend to be spelled out more.

I think I'll try this one first, and if I don't get on, the other one on the site looks simpler, and so does this one. Wish me luck :o)

Wish Upon a Star - Wildflower Stitchery and More

Design: Wish Upon A Star Designer: Wildflower Stitchery and More (from the 2008 JCS ornament issue) Fabric: some pale blue opalescent evenweave found in my stash Threads: DMC

This was the ornament my sister chose from the JCS issue - I wasn't that taken with it initially, but it grew on me as I stitched it. Because of the opalescent fabric, I didn't bother with the Kreinik braid stars in the background - that made my life so much easier and the stitching was really quick! I was lucky enough to find matching beads in my LNS's closing down sale for the garland, and as an experiment, I beaded the seams too - very effective, although time consuming!

Advent Calendar

I made this advent calendar six years ago for The Hermit, before I realised the extent of his allergy to Christmas. I already have an advent calendar (with huge pockets!) so this has been languishing in a drawer for some time.

This year, I decided that it deserved a good home, so I stuffed the pockets with chocolate and gave it to my dad :o)

Design details: An Avon kit, probably 8-10 years old

Birth Sampler - Helen Philipps

Design: Birth Sampler from The New Cross Stitch Sampler Book
Designer: Helen Philipps
Threads: DMC and DMC Color Variations
Fabric: 28 count evenweave, blush

I made this sweet little sampler for my sister for her birthday, as I didn't stitch her one when my niece was born - I stitched an afghan instead, and Ma stitched a sampler. However, the sampler has jungle animals, so was more for my niece than my sister, and she'd admired this when looking through my books, so I made this as a surprise!

It was easy enough to stitch, although I had to re-size the name and date blocks. I also modified the back stitch on the border - I wasn't going to do any over-one when I didn't feel it added to the design!

The book I've taken this from is probably the most used in my stash - I love so many of the designs, I'd highly recommend it!

Goldfinch Card

Design: Goldfinch

Designer: Not known, from a British Cross Stitch magazine of the 90s

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave

This card is a companion piece to the card I gave my dad for his birthday, but this time it was Father's Day.

Goldfinches are another bird that flock to my parents' garden - drawn by the seeds they put out, and the sheltered spot they have, with plenty of trees and shrubs. I love finches, they are so perky and cheerful!

I have two more birds stitched up, so that is next year sorted... (Lord willin' an' the creek don't rise...LOL)

Wren - Birthday Card

Design: Wren

Designer: unknown, from an old edition of Cross Stitcher (UK) - I think

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, cream

To go with the gift, I also stitched my dad a birthday card. This had been lurking in my finishing pile for ages, and was going to be part of a patchwork cushion as there are three other birds in the series. However, my mum isn't keen on birds in art, so I thought it might be better to have the little jenny wren only on temporary display!

I chose the wren for the birthday card as there is nearly always a nesting pair of wrens in one of the hedges that form the boundary to my parent's garden. They are such sweet and perky birds, and I think that the designer has captured that very cleverly - before the backstitch went in, the bird was just a beige blob, but the outlines really brought it to life.

Celtic B - Mike Vickery

Now that this is safely installed in it's new home, I'm free to share some pictures!

Design: B - from the book Celtic Cross Stitch

Designer: Mike Vickery

Fabric: 25 count linen, antique white

Threads: DMC - three strands for cross stitch, one for back stitch

This was finished last month and given to my dad as a birthday present. I made it into a pillow as he likes his comfort :o) The pillow was a pre-made one, and I appliqued the design onto the front after turning a small hem. I used threads drawn from the excess fabric so the stitching couldn't be seen.




The design is one I started years ago and left unfinished at this point:




As you can see, there wasn't actually all that much to do, but I think I'd got fed up of the half stitches and the back stitching! I completed this mainly on my commute - the journey is short enough so that I didn't get bored, but the twice a day stint meant that the stitching grew quite quickly.

I love how the colours interact, but I'm not sure I would stitch something like this again.

Dad loved it, and it made a change for him from his usual "bloke gifts"!

Can I just say "thank you" to everyone who comments, and I see there are some newcomers and/or delurkers - it is much appreciated and I'm reading most of your blogs when I can - I'm sorry I'm not returning the compliment at the moment.

Hazel - in answer to your question, I'm not far away - I live on the southern edge of Sheffield and I work in Chesterfield. I was in the Peak when we went out with my dad for his birthday :o)

My niece and her afghan

My niece M is a very curious child - here she is investigating a squirrel, who appears to be glued to the tree...

This post is just an excuse to share this picture with you, because it makes me smile every time I see it. Even though you can't see her face, her posture is just ... her! She's not very tall, but very sturdy, and very confident :o)

As I'm posting about M, I'm going to take this opportunity to post a picture of the afghan I made for her when she was born. When I gave it to her parents, my BiL insisted it be stored away safely, as it was too good to give her- I can see his point, but I hope that she gets to use it sometime :o)

Exchange from Virpi

The other package I received came from Virpi in Finland, and contained my first biscornu! I've been intrigued by these since I first saw them on people's blogs, and now I have one of my very own, and stitched in one of my favourite colours too! It is beautifully done, and very delicate looking. One the reverse, Virpi has stitched her initials, my name and the date. The gathering is done through the tiniest buttons I've ever seen, smaller even than the ones I've been using recently.


The rest of the package was great too - two tiny flexi hoops, which are just the right size for holding my fabric when I'm stitching scissor fobs, and four funky buttons which came in their own cute little bag.

Thank you for a great gift, Virpi!