I've put aside all my WIPs this week and used my crochet time (mainly in the evenings) to make two hot water bottle covers. This one is for my mum whose birthday it is on Sunday, the family is getting together to see her and have a meal out tomorrow.
The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK in acrylic and the colours are the vintage ones that Stylecraft launched earlier in the year which I bought on Yarn Shop Day; Sage, Storm Blue and Parma Violet. They look really nice together and for contrast, I've teamed them with Petrol.
I used a 3.5mm hook instead of the 4mm recommended for this yarn, I wanted a firmer fabric for the covers. The squares are standard grannies with one chain in the corner. They're joined together using double crochet* and the top is stripes of trebles*.
The other is for my dad, more masculine colours for him; parchment, walnut, gold and mocha. He already had one of the books that I bought him as a present recently and so this is a nice replacement for that.
I liked some I saw online which were made from standard granny squares crocheted together. Most of the ones I found with patterns relies on you rolling the hot water bottle up and inserting it in through the top or had button fastenings. I couldn't imagine having buttons on a hot water bottle when trying to warm my feet, I think I'd find them annoying and rolling up a hot water bottle is quite difficult to do for me, let alone my elderly parents. Mum has arthritis in her hands and my dad isn't that good at fiddly stuff any more.
I decided a flap opening would be better and simpler for them Buttons aren't necessary as the fit is snug and the snugness will hold the flap in place. As none of the patterns were exactly what I wanted, I made it up as I went and I'm hoping the recipients will like them!
I'm doing one for me now ... have a happy (and warm) Halloween weekend!
EDITED: A pattern for my Crochet pattern for hot water bottle cover is now available to purchase (just click the underlined link).
*Using UK crochet terminology
They're great and I love the flap opening, very sensible. I still have a granny square hot water bottle cover made for me by my mum when I was a kid but it fastens with a drawstring & you get burnt by the bit where the stopper goes on a regular basis!
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