Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover in A Smaller Size

Beautiful cashmere yarn turns a simple comfort into something incredibly special in our Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover. And now this beloved pattern is available in a smaller size… A toasty little treasure to knit for everyone you love!

This darling mini cover is designed to perfectly fit our 1-liter Hot Water Bottle, small enough to slip into a coat pocket, tuck into a child’s bed, or hold in your hands. We also offer a 2-liter Hot Water Bottle and a large Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover pattern for bigger beds and bodies. Both sizes are quick as a blink to knit and take less than one skein of Nigh DK… You can even knit three of the small size with just two skeins!

You knit the cover from the top down, starting with a rolled edge and a section of ribbing that stays snug around the water bottle’s opening. Once the “neck” is complete, you’ll work four graceful spokes of increases to shape the “shoulders,” then knit the body in smooth stockinette before finishing with four spokes of decreases and neatly closing the bottom with Kitchener Stitch. When you’re done, simply roll up your bottle and slide it inside, then let it 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 cashmere, making for an impossibly soft and wonderfully insulating hot water bottle cover. This precious natural fiber comes from the downy undercoat of Mongolian goats, and it’s every bit as amazing as you imagine! The yarn gets extra rounds of washing at the mill so that every stitch feels incredible on your needles, and it knits up into an even, lush fabric that glows with a delicate halo.

Pick from Nigh DK’s palette of over two dozen gorgeous colors and knit up a Warm Wishes Hot Water Bottle Cover or three… Pair each cover with a Hot Water Bottle and give those closest to your heart the little handmade comfort they didn’t know they needed!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 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 105 total yards required.
• US 6 (4 mm) 32-inch circular knitting needles for Magic Loop (see Notes)
• Stitch markers, including one unique
• A 1-liter hot water bottle for your new cover

NOTE: Two skeins are enough to make three covers!

GAUGE

20 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZE

• Finished Circumference: 12 inches
• Finished Height: 11½ inches tall from cast-on edge, unrolled

SAMPLES: The Pink Pearl, Toasted Chestnut, and Beech Wood covers are the Mini size, and the Pearl Gray cover is the Large size for a 2-liter bottle. We have a free pattern for that version, as well!  

NOTES

MAGIC LOOP

Because this cover starts with a small circumference and increases to a larger circumference, we found it simplest to use 32-inch circular knitting needles and the Magic Loop technique to avoid changing needles. However, you can easily use double pointed needles and 12-inch circular knitting needles, if you’d like.

For help with Magic Loop, visit our Magic Loop Tutorial!

LARGE SIZE

To make a larger 2-liter cover, follow along with that free pattern!

PATTERN

NECK

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.

Knit 7 rounds even.

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.

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]

Continuing in stockinette stitch, knitting every round, repeat Increase Round every other round 2 more times. [64 stitches]

BODY

Continue in stockinette stitch, slipping markers as you come to them, until piece measures 10½ 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 Decrease Round. [48 stitches remain]

Knit 2 rounds even, removing markers as you come to them.

Cut yarn, leaving a 2-foot long tail.

FINISHING

GRAFT BOTTOM

NOTE: For help with Kitchener Stitch, please visit our Kitchener Stitch Tutorial.

Arrange remaining stitches on two needles, with first half of stitches on one needle and second half of stitches on second needle.

Hold needles parallel to each other and use long tail and Kitchener Stitch to graft bottom closed.

WEAVE IN ENDS + BLOCK

Weave in ends, and gently wet block.

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!

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 55 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 1,000s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!