1:12th scale Knitted Hot Water Bottle Cover (c. 1943) with a pocket for a nightdress or pyjamas
For Intermediate knitters
Abbreviations:
st – stitch; k – knit; p – purl; yrn – yarn round needle; k2tog – knit next 2 sts together to make one st; p2tog – purl next 2 sts together; rep – repeat; ( ) – repeat instructions between brackets as detailed in text; dec – decrease by working 2 sts together to make one st; inc.- increase by working twice into next stitch to make 2 sts; sst – stocking [stockinette] stitch, (1 row k, 1 row purl).
Materials required: Size 19 (1.00 mm/US size 00000) needles, 13 yards/12.5 metres 1-ply wool, 2 small buttons or beads.
Cast on 24 sts.
Row 1: k
Row 2: p
Row 3: p
Row 4: p
Rows 5-22: sst
Row 23: k
Row 24: k
Row 25: k 14, yrn, k2tog (buttonhole), k 4, k2tog, yrn (buttonhole), k 2.
Row 26: p
Cast off.
With wrong sides together sew up side seam (side edges of knitting). Turn hem edges down (marked by ridge on right side of work) and slip stitch into place, taking care not to sew up buttonholes. At lower edge join tube together leaving a central space for the ‘tail’ of the hot water bottle. Turn right side out.
Join wool to side seam and pick up and knit 14 sts along seam.
Row 1: p
Row 2: (inc. row) (k 2, inc in next st) 4 times, k 2. (18 sts)
Row 3: p
Row 4: (inc. row) (k 2, inc in next st) to end. (24 sts)
Row 5: p
Row 6-15: sst
Row 16: (dec row) k 2, (k2tog) to last 2 sts, k 2. (14 sts)
Row 17: p
Rows 18-20: (k 1, p 1) to end.
Cast off in rib.
Stitch side edges of piece just knitted to top and bottom edges of hot water bottle cover along knitted ridges, taking care not to sew up any openings. This forms a pocket for nightdress, pyjamas or feet. Sew buttons onto inside of top edge opposite buttonholes. Slip hot water bottle in case and do up. (if you do not want to use buttons hot water bottle can be held in place by putting a couple of small stitches through top of cover, but water bottle cannot the be removed).
© Copyright F H Powell 2011
All rights reserved. This pattern is for private use only and may not be reproduced in any form, or reproduced for commercial gain including selling any item knitted up from these patterns without written permission from Buttercup Miniatures. Reproducing or transmitting this pattern by any means for any purpose other than for personal use constitutes a violation of copyright law.
For scale information: the UK Penny coin used on the photos is just slightly larger than a US Cent coin. The actual diameter is ¾-inch or 2 cm. The UK penny coin sits just inside a European (Euro) 5c coin.