Free hottie cover pattern

I have an old knitting book that shows a lovely woollen hot water bottle cover knitted in very fine wool so this week I took that idea and using an Australian wool that I discovered at our local Kmart store I sat down and created this hottie cover. 

The pattern was in this little book that was given to me when I was 10 years old at primary school.  My very first knitting book all of my own and it has inspired a life time love of working with wool.  Good Australian wool is my favourite yarn to work with and I love supporting Australian sheep farmers with my knitting and crochet adventures.

This next book was my second knitting book, purchased from Book Club at primary school in 1977, this also has a simple hot water bottle cover pattern. I was hooked!  I couldn't get enough of knitting.  I knit my first jumper when I was 11, admittedly it was 4 rectangles in garter stitch with a boat neck, and a pair of gloves when I was 12.

A hottie warming up the fluffy flannelette sheets in my single bed at my grandparents farm when I was a little girl is a very fond memory from my childhood. There is nothing better on a cold winters night, but remember to replace your old hottie regularly as they perish and be very careful filling it with boiling water.

You will need 3 balls of Cleckheaton Country Wide (50g, 50m, 14ply), a 6mm circular needle and a large crochet hook.

Cast of 60 stitches.

Knit one row and then join into circular knitting without twisting your cast on edge (imperative!).

Continue knitting in the round until it measures 25cm from cast on edge.

Next row K2, P2 across row.

Repeat this ribbed pattern until work measures 29cm and you are at the narrowest point of the bottle neck.

Eyelet row, *K2, P2 together, yarn forward *, repeat between *'s across row

Return to K2, P2 ribbed pattern until bottle cover is approximately 38cm and the top of the bottle neck is covered.

Cast off in rib.

Finishing

Using crochet hook work finishing tail in and trim.

Fold bottle cover flat with cast on tail on one side.

Using double crochet (single in US) join the base of the bottle cover on the outside, matching up cast on stitches to get a neat edge, crochet in all tails.

Cord

Using two strands of wool crochet a chain about 1m long, enough for nice bow, trim ends.

Thread through eyelets so bow is centered on the front of the hottie cover.

Insert filled hottie and enjoy some winter warmth.

Update May 13th 2014
Until yesterday I had always thought this pattern was my very own work but I have since had it pointed out very clearly that it was actually published in the now unavailable Notebook magazine in July 2009 of which I don't have a copy and cannot honestly recall having seen.  

The pattern is the work of knitting designer Janine Flew from Sydney.  I have always endeavoured to give credit to designers and share links to things I mention on my blog so I will do this for Janine Flew also.  Here is a link to her Ravelry Hot Water Bottle Cover  pattern.  This free pattern can also be found on the Homelife website and you can print the three page pattern from there too. 

Janine Flew is also the author of a lovely knitting book I have in my extensive knitting book collection.  Knit was published in 2006 and includes many small projects perfect for gift making.  There is also a more shaped hot water bottle cover in this book which looks just beautiful.

To all concerned in this terrible blunder I have made I apologise and am truly sorry.