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Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover
Our Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover turns an old-fashioned cure into a modern-day comfort… For aches and pains, cold beds, and chilly feet. Knit with just one skein of Nigh DK, our exquisitely soft 100% cashmere yarn, this toasty companion is so quick and easy, you can send warm wishes to everyone you love!
You knit this piece from the top down, beginning with a rolled edge, then a section of ribbing that stays snug around the water bottle’s opening. We recommend using the Magic Loop method to knit in the round from start to finish. If you’re new to the technique, this is an easy place to learn (less fiddly than socks!), and we have a great video tutorial to walk you through… You may never go back to double pointed needles!
Once the “neck” is complete, you’ll work four spokes of increases to shape the “shoulders” before knitting the body all in smooth stockinette down to the bottom. You finish with four spokes of decreases and close the bottom with Kitchener Stitch for a neat, seamless finish.
This pattern is designed for a 2-quart bottle, so pick up our high-quality Hot Water Bottle and be confident your cover will fit just right. To fit it into your finished cover, simply roll up your bottle and slide it inside, then allow it to unroll and lie flat. Fill it with hot (not boiling) water, screw the cap on tightly, and enjoy a soft, warm hug!
Our Nigh DK yarn is spun from the finest 100% cashmere, sourced from the downy undercoat of Mongolian goats, and it’s every bit as amazing as you imagine! A 4-ply DK-weight yarn, it’s finished with extra rounds of washing at the mill so that every stitch feels unbelievably soft as you knit and looks totally beautiful when you’re done, with a delicate halo that glows from the fabric’s surface.
Pick from a palette of nearly two dozen gorgeous colors, a mix of rich solids and gently heathered shades, like gentle Lilac Bloom, below, and brand-new Pearl Gray, above!
Knit a beautiful Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover in sumptuous Nigh DK cashmere and pair it with a Hot Water Bottle… A toasty treasure to keep for yourself or a heartfelt gift to bring warmth and comfort to your loved ones!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’s work on her Instagram!
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Nigh DK, 100% cashmere yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 199 yards/ 55 grams; approximately 160 total yards required. We used the colors Golden Ochre, Lilac Bloom, Morning Sky, Pearl Gray, Pink Pearl, Quince Blossom, and Sugar Maple.
- US 6 (4 mm), 32-inch circular knitting needles for Magic Loop (see Notes)
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- A 2-quart hot water bottle for your new cover!
GAUGE
20 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZE
- Finished Circumference: 16 inches
- Finished Height: 13½ inches tall from cast-on edge, unrolled
NOTES
MAGIC LOOP
Because this cover starts with a small circumference and increases to a larger circumference, we found it easiest to use 32-inch circular knitting needles and the Magic Loop technique to avoid changing needles. However, feel free to use double pointed needles and 16-inch circular knitting needles, if you prefer!
To learn how to use a Magic Loop, visit our Magic Loop Tutorial… A simple way to knit small circumferences!
PATTERN
WORK RIBBING
Cast on 40 stitches, arranging the stitches on two needles for Magic Loop (see Notes). We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Work 7 rounds in stockinette stitch, knitting every round.
Next Round: K1, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p2, k1.
Repeat last round until piece measures 4 inches from cast-on edge.
SHAPE NECK
Set-Up Round: K4, place marker (pm), k12, pm, k8, pm, k12, pm, knit to end of round. [4 markers placed; 5 total markers]
*Increase Round: [Knit to 1 stitch before next marker, make 1 right, k1, slip marker (sm), k1, make 1 left] 4 times, knit to end of round. [8 stitches increased]
Next Round: Knit to end of round.
Repeat from * 4 more times. [80 stitches]
BODY
Continue in stockinette stitch, slipping markers as you come to them, until piece measures 12½ inches from cast-on edge.
SHAPE BOTTOM
*Decrease Round: [Knit to 3 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1, sm, slip slip knit (ssk), knit to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, sm, k1, ssk] 2 times, knit to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Knit 2 rounds even.
Repeat from * 2 more times, removing markers on last round. [56 stitches remain]
Cut yarn, leaving a 15-inch tail.
FINISHING
GRAFT BOTTOM
NOTE: For help with Kitchener Stitch, please visit our Kitchener Stitch Tutorial.
If necessary, arrange first half of stitches on one end of needles and second half of stitches on other end.
Hold needles parallel to each other and use 15-inch tail and Kitchener Stitch to graft bottom closed.
WEAVE IN ENDS + BLOCK
Weave in ends, and gently wet block. Allow your cover to air dry.
Roll your empty hot water bottle into a tube, insert it through the neck of your cover, and let it open up, adjusting the fit as necessary.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Nigh DK + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Cast on for one of our free knitting patterns in Nigh DK, made with the most exquisite, amazingly soft 100% Mongolian cashmere you can imagine! This DK-weight yarn has four even plies and knits into a beautiful, even fabric with a soft halo that floats above the fabric’s surface, a distinctive characteristic of fine cashmere yarns. Cast on with nearly two dozen colors for incredibly special accessories, baby gifts, and even socks! For more inspiration, explore all of our knitting patterns and all of our beautiful yarn!
More Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Nigh DK knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/ DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns (What does DK-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to DK yarn will answer your questions and demystify.)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cashmere yarn (What makes cashmere so special? Learn all about this amazing fiber in our guide to cashmere yarn!)
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of free knitting patterns) and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I cannot afford the cashmere yarn – can I make this using a DK light worsted wool yarn instead? Will it change anything?
Hi Eileen,
Thanks so much for writing in with a great question! We understand that everyone has a different comfort level with spending, and we are proud to offer beautiful yarns at a variety of price points. Our Good Wool would make a great water bottle cover as well! Good Wool doesn’t have the same soft halo as cashmere, but it is very soft and knits up perfectly in the gauge needed for this pattern. For more information about substituting yarns, check out our Yarn Substitutions Made Easy Guide. I hope this helps, and please let us know if we can help with anything else!
Kindly,
Andrea
Does this pattern come in a crochet pattern as well?
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for writing in! I’m afraid this project is only offered as a knitting pattern at the moment but I will be sure to share your interest with our design team! In the meantime please let me know if you have any questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful free pattern for the water bottle cover. I haven’t found any other pattern that’s as simple yet elegant as this one. Sending warm greetings from Korea. Hope you have a wonderful day! 💕
I have launched the water bottle cover in the nigh dk. But wow, the neck on the knitted neck so far doesn’t look like it will EVER fit, even if the bottle is rolled up! I can see how the ribbing will stretch but the initial stockinette makes a circumference that’s not even close. I’m using dpns. I hate to keep going if it already looks wrong — any clues?
Hi Kate,
It’s great to hear you’ve embarked on this pattern… It’s such a good one! It’s true that the opening will appear fairly narrow. This is, in part, because of what you mention, that ribbing pulls in (but also stretches!). It’s also because cashmere tends to relax when you block it, so the fabric does change a bit from what you see on your needles to what you’ll see when you’re done. However, we can end all speculation by checking your gauge. If your blocked swatch measure 5 stitches to the inch, then you’re good to go! Please let us know if you need help with this step, and/or you can visit our All About Gauge Tutorial for some tips. We’d love to know how it goes!
Best,
Whitney
Thanks Whitney! I am very happy to say that my HWB cover is DONE! I had some drama getting started — like 5 starts. I do magic loop very reluctantly, too fiddly. And not crazy about dpns at a size 6, too heavy and clacky. Yet she persisted. I cast on (the 5th time) with a single #8 dpn (bc I was still worried about the neck being too tight) and then slid the stitches onto a li’l 9″ circular needle, #6. Joined in the round and knit the whole dang thing top to bottom on that 9″ needle and virtually NO fussing around with sliding stitches etc. A little tight to begin but a few rounds in and it’s time to turn on a podcast and sit back. Cheers! A fun project after all.
Hi Kate,
Thank you so much for following up! Sounds like a journey, but I’m so glad you persisted. It seems like you found a way to make it work for you and that, in the end, it was worth the trial and error. Let us know what’s next… I’m guessing it won’t involve Magic Loop!
Best,
Whitney