Hot Tulips

You might be forgiven for thinking that June is a little late on in the year for tulips; generally they've been, been seen, and conquered long before we cast our clouts at the end of May.

It may also cross your mind that in the mild and temperate climate of a gulf-stream heated England, a hotty bottle is not a necessary accessory for June.

Unfortunately, you would be wrong:



For here is our proof - a tulip in a flower bed in June, and a hot water bottle; filled!

I had 120 ish grams of yarn left over from the Baby Tulips jacket kit and I still have a good amount left over so I would guess that this took less than 100g - I would go and weigh it but that would mean taking it off the hotty and it's keeping me nice and snuggly at the moment.

This is possibly the simplest hotty cover pattern:

- cast on 60sts using 4.5mm needles and join in the round.
- knit 2 x 2 rib for the length of the neck of your hotty bottle.
- increase to 70sts.
- change colour in moss stitch.
- *knit 9 rounds.
- change to the next colour in moss stitch.
- repeat from * until your cover is the length of the bottle, or the stripe pattern is complete.
- turn inside out and do a three needle bind off (it's a bit stronger than grafting for the bottom of the cover)

ta da - pop your hotty bottle in through the neck, run a bit of spare yarn around the bottom of the rib and tie off. You don't even have to weave in the ends if you don't want to!

(I accepted I might have slight OCD tendencies when I sat and carefully wove in all the ends that will never be seen).

Fill with warm water and snuggle:



Or, if you have a flair for the dramatic, provide temporary heating for worms and other creepy crawly grass inhabitants but putting your hot water bottle on the lawn in a rare rain break, decorating it with a beautiful sweet rose, and taking pictures - it takes all sorts!