Crochet Hot Water Bottle Covers

I had been meaning to try a crochet hot water bottle cover for ages and before Christmas I decided they would make excellent Christmas presents for my two daughters - mostly because they use mini hot water bottles and they would be fairly quick to make up!

I found some guidance online from various other blogs with how to shape the pattern and I started with a simple half treble stitch for the first one. I used the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran wool in a pretty pale powder blue.

It took a few attempts to get the shaping right but I was pleased with the finished result

I added a pretty scalloped trim in a white wool at the top and crocheted a heart motif which I sewed onto the front as a little added detail as the cover was fairly plain in itself.

I was working with a new Brittany birch crochet hook that I have started stocking in the shop recently and I have to say they are the loveliest hooks I have ever worked with - mostly because they area bit longer and don't rub the palm of your hand as you work.

Then it was onto the next cover and I decided to try a new stitch that I hadn't worked up before but have wanted to try for ages. It is called Linen stitch and is a simple dc followed by a ch all the was along the row, on the alternate rows you work a dc in each ch space.

Linen Stitch Crochet Hot Water Bottle Cover

Because I was working quickly on these two covers, I gave up writing a pattern as I went as Christmas was fast approaching so I have since made a third cover working more slowly in order to write it up as I went.

I used a rich red still in the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran as I knew this would then work for the February article for the Sherborne Times magazine - The Valentines issue!