Hot Water Bottle Cover                  

Materials                                                                                                                                 3 balls pound shop chenille type yarn (this is quite fine and multi-coloured) or equivalent.     8mm knitting needles.

 For an average sized hot water bottle:                                                                          Cast on 19 stitches, using 3 strands (ie all 3 balls) of yarn together. Alternatively use one strand of the chenille yarn and one strand of double knitting wool together.

Knit until you reach the neck of the hot water bottle plus 10cms. The extra 10cms is for a turn over at the end to close the opening.                                                                                   Next row: Knit 7 cast off 5 knit 7.                                                                                       Next row: knit 7 cast on 5 knit 7. This makes the neck opening.

Continue to knit until it is long enough on what is now the second side from the neck opening back to the bottom of the hot water bottle. Cast off.

You should now have a piece of knitting with a hole in the middle that goes over the neck of the hot water bottle. One side will be longer than the other. 

Fit it over the hot water bottle and fold the excess 10cms back on itself inside the hot water bottle cover. Sew up the side seams, catching this folded back bit in as you go. Turn it the other way out so that the seams are on the inside and the folded back bit is on the OUTSIDE.

Put if over the hot water bottle. Turn the folded back 'pocket' over the hot water bottle to fasten. 

Cast on 16 stitches. Knit until it is the same height as the neck bit of the hot water bottle. Cast off 8 stitches and continue to knit with the other 8 until it is almost as long again. Cast off. 

Stitch the long edge of this onto the neck part of the hot water bottle so it goes all the way round it. Fold the narrower bit back on itself to make a pocket similar to the one you have already made on the bottom of the cover. Stitch up the side seam, catching in the folded back bit as you go. This makes a pocket that can be folded over the stopper. 

How to get your edgings to work out right when picking up stitches.                               When you knit the garment, slip the first stitch of every row.  this is because when you pick up for the edge, you want to pick up a stitch from every other row. 

If you have slipped the first stitch this means you simply pick up each stitch along the edge without having to think.  the stitches are also bigger so pick up more easily. 

Aim to pick up the central 'bar' of each stitch, but if you find that is too fiddly just pick up the inside of the 2 'v' parts of the stitch. 

make sure you don't meander and end up picking up stitches other than the edge one.