I designed these lovely textured cushions to go with my new sofas. I wanted to create a depth of texture and a mock checkered look to co-ordinate with the faint checks of the tweedy sofa fabric. The cushion is named after our cat, as she thinks we ordered the sofas for her special use!

Materials
3 x 100g balls Libby Summers Chunky (photographed in shade 100 Elderflower Cream and 011 Apple Blossom)
Pair 8mm needles
7 buttons (1.5cm width)
Darning needle for sewing up
30cm [12 in] x 40cm [16 in] cushion pad

Tension
12 sts and 13 rows to 10cm [4in] measured over stocking stitch

Finished measurements
The cushion pad measures 30cm [12 in] x 40cm [16 in] when sewn up and buttoned up.

Abbreviations
k = knit
p = purl
st = stitch
sts = stitches
yf = yarn forward
sl 2 = slip 2 sts from left hand to right hand needle without knitting them
yb = yarn back
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
RH = right hand
LH = left hand
st st = stocking stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows)

Notes
*When you slip 2, you are carrying yarn across the front of work on the RS and back of work on the WS. Make sure you don't pull this too tight. The tension of the carried yarn should be roughly equivalent to 2 knitted stitches. It will naturally pull in slightly, so don't worry about this, but just make sure you don't bunch up your stitches on your needle when working so that it doesn't pull in too much.

**cast off 1 st = knit 2 sts, pass first st over 2nd st

Front
Cast on 52 sts.

Work in waffle stitch pattern as follows:

Row 1: K.
Row 2: P.
Row 3: (K1, yf, sl 2*, yb) rep to last st, k1.
Row 4: (P1, yp, sl 2*, yf, p1) rep to last st, p1.

Repeat last 4 rows 16 times more and Rows 1 and 2 again. (70 rows altogether).

Cast off on RS knitwise.

Pick up and knit 37 sts evenly along LH edge. Knit 15 rows.

Next Row: K3, cast off 1 st**, (k until 4 sts on RH needle, cast off 1 st) rep to last 2 sts, k2. (makes 7 buttonholes)
Next Row: K3, cast on 1 st**, (k4, cast on 1 st) rep until last 3 sts, k3.

Knit two rows. Cast off knitwise.

Pick up and knit 36 sts evenly along RH edge. Knit 9 rows. Cast off knitwise.

Back
Cast on 38 sts. Work in st st until work measures exactly 30cm [12in] ending with a RS row. Cast off knitwise.

Making Up
I prefer to use mattress stitch for sewing up, but you can also use back stitch. Mattress stitch is carried out with RS of work facing you and back stitch is done with WSs of work facing you.

As the tension of the front and back are different and so the number of cast on stitches for the centre sections of the front and back are different, you will find that for this section you need to sew up 1.5 stitches from the front to every 1 stitch for the back when sewing up the top and bottom of the cushion.

Sew RH side of front to RH side of back, matching up garter stitch sections. Sew cast on edge of front to cast on edge of back, matching up garter stitch sections. Sew  cast off edge of front to cast off edge of back, again matching up garter stitch section. Leave RH side open. Sew buttons in position on the back of cushion to correspond with buttonholes on LH side of front. You might find it helpful to mark the position with a pin before sewing them on to ensure they are evenly spaced.

My newest design, the Milly Cardigan, has an unusual i-cord edging to the neckline. This is a really easy edging to work - much quicker than a standard rib neckline, and gives a neat, thin stylish edge. The sample used here is knitted in shade 890 Libby Summers Fine Aran. See my ravelry page for more details of this project.

Following on the theme from my last free pattern for a Beginner's Beanie, here is a beginner's Scarf, knitted in the lovely Libby Summers Fine Aran yarn. Although mainly garter stitch, the style is refined with a lovely selvedge and finished off with a rib top and bottom. Wide stripes create interest for the knitter and open up lots of options for different colourways. I hope you enjoy this pattern. If you have, please comment below and also visit my ravelry page to add your project. You can also buy 'no frills' kits for this scarf here on my website, comprising the yarn needed and a basic printout of the pattern below. This will save you 15% on the price of the yarn.

3 x 50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Yarn A (shown in 101)
1 x 50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Yarn B (shown in 760)
1 x 50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Yarn C (shown in 829)
1 x 50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Yarn D (shown in 110)
1 x 50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Yarn E (shown in 109)
Pair 35cm long 5mm [US8] needles

The Scarf measures approximately 185cm [69in] long and 18cm [8in] wide

18 sts and 30 rows to 10cm [4in] measured over garter stitch.

Abbreviations

k = knit
p = purl
yf = yarn forward (or bring yarn to front of work)
sl 3p = slip three stitches, purlwise. (insert right hand needle into stitch, to transfer it from left hand needle to right hand needle. Do this in the same way you would insert the needle before purling a stitch)

NOTE: When changing colour during the garter stitch pattern, knit the first three stitches of the row in the old colour. This maintains the tubular edge. If you knit the first three stitches using your new colour it will break the continuity of the edging.

Cast on 37 sts using Yarn B
Work in rib pattern as follow:s
Row 1 (RS): (K1, p1) repeat to last st, k1.
Row 2: (P1, k1) repeat to last st, p1.
Repeat last 2 rows four times more (10 rows of rib altogether)
Change to Yarn A and work in garter stitch pattern with selvedge as follows:
*Row 1: K to last 3 sts, yf, sl 3p.
Row 2: Leaving yarn at back 3 sts in from edge, K to last 3 sts, yf, sl 3p. 
Repeat these 2 rows 30 times more (32 rows in altogether in this colour).**
Change to Yarn C and repeat from * to **.
Working in stripes of 32 rows, repeat pattern as follows:
Yarn A
Yarn D
Yarn A
Yarn E
Yarn A
Yarn B
Yarn A
Yarn C
Yarn A
Yarn D
Yarn A
Yarn E
Yarn A
Yarn B
Yarn A
Change to Yarn C and work 10 rows in rib pattern as given for first 10 rows of scarf.
Cast off in rib. Sew in the ends carefully so they are not visible.

© Libby Summers Ltd. Please do not sell this pattern, knit up for sale or use for any profit making activities. Thank you. For more details about the copyright on knitting patterns please click here.

I am about to embark on my third term of teaching knitting at Copthill School. At the end of last term, the group requested that I design a beanie pattern especially for them. They were all very keen to knit their very first hat, it seemed. I promised to do so, but in my usual fashion of leaving things a tad late (not last minute exactly, but fairly close to the wire) I only sat down to start designing and knitting the hat earlier this week, with the first session being today. I completed the pattern in one sitting - which was immensely satisfying! There's nothing like a bit of pressure from a group of under 11s to keep you focussed! The children are all going to choose the colour of their hat from the shade card I am taking along with me today, so we won't be starting the project until next week, but I wanted them to see a sample knitted up, as I thought it would help them choose. 

Designing a hat for a beginner knitter is no mean task. Hats usually have quite a bit of shaping, which requires not only shaping techniques, but also precision in counting stitches. I could visualise a lot of queries, frogging, frustration and dropped stitches if I designed the crown in the way I would normally write it, with gradual decreases, spaced at even intervals along the row, with a precise number of straight rows in between each decrease and so on. So I decided that the hat would be knit straight right up until the last three rows, and the decreases would take place on the last two knit rows, so only one purl row to count in between. The decreases could therefore be quite sharp - the number of stitches is halved on each decrease row, which means that you repeat the SAME two stitch pattern across the entire row, apart from the first and last stitches. The first and last stitches are knitted, as these stitches will be incorporated into the seam, and it is hard to sew up a seam neatly if you are sewing into decreases. 

The second problem I pondered was the rib band. I wondered about not doing a rib band - we haven't done k1, p1 rib yet in the classes. But I decided to include it in the end, as it gives a much better finish to the hat, and I can teach it as part of the lessons this term. This means that the hats might be slow work to start with, but once they have got beyond the rib band, I think the rest will be a breeze. I have kept the rib band quite short, to minimise the frustration at the early stages, but you can make the rib band longer if you wish - just reduce the number of stocking stitch rows by the same amount. To make the rib band easier, I decided to include a knit row first. It is hard to rib into a cast on row as a beginner, particularly as the simple cast on method that I have taught them does have the downside of having a tricky first row. Again, just omit this, and do six rows of rib, if you are confident enough.

I also decided to write out a garter stitch version for those who haven't yet mastered the purl stitch.

The beanie had to be topped by a pom pom. They are all mad on making pom poms!

I hope you enjoy this pattern. If anyone uses it with their own kids or school knitting club, please let me know, and send me some photos! Many thanks.

Cast on 50 (54, 58) stitches. This will be the bottom of your beanie.
Knit one row (this is the right side of your work).
Work 5 rows in k1, p1 rib, as below:
Rib row: (K1, p1), repeat the stitch pattern in brackets until you get to the end of the row.
Work 20 (24, 28) rows in stocking stitch starting with a knit row. This is the right side of your work.

Shape the top of your hat (called the ‘crown’)
Row 1: K1, (skpo), repeat skpo until you get to the last stitch on your left hand needle, k1. Count your stitches - you should have 26 (28, 30) stitches left.
Row 2: Purl every stitch.
Row 3: Do the same as you did for row 1. This time you will have 14 (15, 16) stitches when you have finished the row.
Row 4: Purl every stitch.

Cut your yarn leaving a long thread. Thread the yarn onto a darning needle then run the yarn through all the stitches on your knitting needle. Pull the needle out, then pull the yarn tight to gather all the stitches together, and fasten tightly at one end with a knot. This is the top of your hat, and the place where you will sew your pompom onto later.

Making Up
Fold your work in half width ways. Sew up the seam down the side of the hat, preferably using mattress stitch. This stitch is done with the right sides facing you. If you prefer to sew the seam up using an overstitch, then turn the hat inside out to sew it up, then don’t forget to turn it the right way round to sew the pom pom on. 

Make a pom pom using your pom pom maker. Make sure it is really thick and fluffy and trim it to make it neat.

Garter Stitch version
If you can’t get the hang of the purl stitch or haven’t learnt it yet, you can knit the hat in garter stitch. Bear in mind that it will look very different!

Cast on 50 (54, 58) stitches. This will be the bottom of your beanie.
Knit until work measures 16 (18, 20) cm from the beginning. To measure your work, lay it out flat, and place the end of the tape measure under the needles.

Shape the top of your hat (called the ‘crown’)
Row 1: K1, (skpo), repeat skpo until you get to the last stitch on your left hand needle, k1. Count your stitches - you should have 30 stitches left.
Row 2: Knit every stitch.
Row 3: Do the same as you did for row 1. This time you will have 16 stitches when you have finished the row.
Row 4: Knit every stitch.

Cut your yarn leaving a long thread. Thread the yarn onto a darning needle then run the yarn through all the stitches on your knitting needle. Pull the needle out, then pull the yarn tight to gather all the stitches together, and fasten tightly at one end with a knot. This is the top of your hat, and the place where you will sew your pompom onto later.

Making Up
Make up as for the stocking stitch hat.

Arguably the best hour of my week is spent at my daughter's school, Copthill School, running a knitting club for Year 4 - Year 6 children. I approached the Headmaster two terms ago to start the club, and my timing was, for a change, impeccable, as he was just getting interested in alpacas, being about to add a trio of these beautiful animals to school's ever growing animal population. With ambitions of spinning and producing yarn from their very own animals, he was keen to get the children started on making things yarnie, and so the knitting club was created.

The club started off with twelve members, and it was a bit of a challenge getting them all started on my own as the first stages of knitting are frustrating, time intensive for the teacher and slow! However, I was impressed at how the children applied themselves and persevered with the craft. There are now ten devoted members of the club and many of them have their own knitting bags housing several WIPs! It has been fantastic to see how they have picked the skills up so quickly and eagerly, and made so many lovely things already. It is a real personal treat to see what they have made at home each week. Some weeks, I have been joined by a member of staff with her spinning wheel, and the children have had a go at spinning their own yarn from fleece, which they have thoroughly enjoyed.

Now we are getting ready for a group project; our very first knitting stall at the school Summer Fete in June, which is very exciting. This came about for two reasons. The output of the group has increased, and so we are in need of more knitting wool to keep our club going. The children are also enjoying making things for others, and are keen to share their skills and their creativity. So I mooted the idea of taking a stall at the Summer Fete. The children immediately jumped at the idea, and it has been great to see them working together as a team to plan for the event. They have decided on a number of projects and items to make and sell, set pricing, and targets for production, as well as deciding amongst themselves who will make what, to ensure they end up with an appropriate number of each item. They have also decided between them what they will do with the money they take; half will go towards buying new materials for the group and half will go to their chosen charity. They also have plans to offer mini knitting lessons for a fee on the day. They have done this all with very little input from me, which just goes to show what super kids they are and what a fantastic school they go to!

So, I have been tasked with designing some patterns for the Fete. This week I designed mug warmers and tea light covers, and I am sharing these patterns with you here, as they are so simple and easy to make but very effective. I hope that some of you might be be inspired to start a club at your local school, run a stall for charity or something else entirely! Watch this space for more free patterns at a later date too.

Materials
15g Aran weight yarn (I used 100% Shetland yarn)
Pair 4.5mm needles
A button

To Fit
The mug warmer can be adjusted to fit the circumference of your mug, but you will need a bit more yarn if it is bigger than the one used here. The one I used has a 23cm [9in] circumference and a height of 10cm [4in] .

Finished measurements
7cm high (this is the width of your work) and 23cm [9in] circumference (the length of your work).

Tension
18 sts and 32 rows to 10cm [4in] measured over garter stitch using 4.5mm needles. The stitch count is more important that the row count here, as the pattern requires you to measure your work rather than telling you how many rows to knit.

Instructions
Cast on 12 sts.
Work in garter stitch (ie. knit every row) until work measures 23cm [9in] or the measured circumference of your mug. Cast off.

Making Up
Sew the cast on and cast off edge together just at one corner. Sew the button in place on the other corner of one end. Using a spare piece of yarn, create a loop at the other end, fastening off carefully so it doesn't come undone.

Materials
5g 4 ply weight yarn (I used Manos Serena)
Pair 4.5mm needles
A button

To Fit
The tea light holder cover can be adjusted to fit the circumference of your tea light holder, but you will need a bit more yarn if it is bigger than the one used here. The one I used has a 23cm [9in] circumference and a height of 10cm [4in]. Mine is tapered, and I measured it in the middle, at the slightly narrower part, as the yarn will stretch and you don't want the cover to be too loose as it will just fall down.

Finished measurements
7cm high (this is the width of your work) and 23cm [9in] circumference (the length of your work).

Tension
18 sts and 32 rows to 10cm [4in] measured over pattern using 4.5mm needles. The stitch count is more important that the row count here, as the pattern requires you to measure your work rather than telling you how many rows to knit.

Instructions
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Knit, wrapping the yarn TWICE around the needle for every stitch.
Row 4: Knit, dropping the extra wrap as you do so (ie. don't knit into both wraps or knit every wrap).

Repeat 4 row pattern until work measures 23cm [9in] or the measured circumference of your tea light holder. Cast off.

Making Up
Sew the cast on and cast off edges together. If you like, you can stick the cover to the tea light holder using double sided tape.

My daughter loves a hot water bottle. During the winter months, it is a permanent feature of her days at home, as well as her nights. Her old original 'Emily' hot water bottle, one of my very first designs for my old LibbyTDesigns website back in 2007, was getting a little worn out with all this use, so I promised to design her a new one. In the end, she had quite a large part in the design process and I let her lose with my chart software. This is what we created together. I hope you enjoy knitting it and using it as much as we did.

From next week, I will be releasing kits for this pattern, so keep your eyes peeled. I'll be posting on facebook and twitter when they are ready to despatch.

Materials
1 x 50g Libby Summers Fine Aran, shade 862 (shown as Yarn G)
1 x 25g Libby Summers Fine Aran in each of six other colours. As shown, these are Yarn A (101), Yarn B (890), Yarn C (107), Yarn D (110), Yarn E (107), Yarn F (109)
Pair 5mm[US8] straight needles
One small button
Darning needle and pins for sewing up

To fit
(2 litre bottle) 20cm/8 in. wide, narrowing to 12cm/4¾ in. x 33cm/13 in. high.

Tension
It is important to check your tension before you start as this item needs to fit properly.  Using 5mm needles, cast on 20 sts and knit 12 cm/4¾in in stocking stitch.  Then place work on a flat surface and measure 10cm/4in across and 10cm/4in high.

The tension for this pattern is 18 sts and 24 rows to 10cm/4in square measured over stocking stitch using 5mm/US size 8 needles.

Abbreviations
st(s) stitches
k = knit
p = purl
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
Skpo = slip one stitch, knit one stitch, pass slipped stitch over. This creates a left leaning decrease. If you know another technique that creates a left leaning decrease, you can use this instead.
K2tog = knit two stitches together. This creates a right leaning decrease. If you know another technique that creates a right leaning decrease, you can use this instead.
Dec = decrease
Inc = increase
Kfb = knit into the front of the stitch, and then, without slipping the stitch off the needle, knit into the back of it. Then slip the stitch off the needle. This adds one stitch.

NOTE
This pattern creates squares of colour and texture as in a patchwork blanket, but the squares are knitted together all in one piece so there is no sewing up afterwards - just sewing in of ends! For the spotty squares, use the stranded method of carrying yarns across the back of work. For the hearts and flowers use the intarsia method. For help with these methods, see the colour sections of Anyone Can Knit or google ‘Intarsia’ and ‘Stranded Knitting”. Note that you must knit the first row of the moss stitch and basket stitch squares for a clean line between the colours on the right side of your work. The first and last stitch of every WS row is knitted, to create a good selvedge for sewing up.

Front
Cast on 41 sts using Libby Summers Fine Aran Yarn G and 5mm/US size 8 needles and long tail cast on method. 

Foundation Row: Purl.
Now work from chart from row 2 to row 57, joining in new colours as required, and weaving ends together at vertical colour joins using the intarsia method.*

Change to yarn G and knit 4 rows, casting off 2 sts at beg of each row. Your first row will be a RS row. When you have completed the 4 rows, you will have 37 sts

Work in panel rib pattern with side shaping as follows:

Row 1 (RS): Skpo, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. 33 sts
Row 2: P2, (k1, p3) rep to last 3 sts, k1, p2.
Row 3: As row 1. 31 sts
Row 4: P1, (k1, p3) rep to last 2 sts, k1, p1. 31 sts
Row 5: As row 1. 29 sts
Row 6: (K1, p3) rep to last st, k1. 29 sts

Repeat rows 5 and 6 until work measures 18 cm/7 in. from beginning of cable pattern, ending with a WS row.

Inc Row (RS): Kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. 31 sts
Next Row: As row 4 above.
Next Row: As Inc Row above. 33 sts
Next Row: As Row 2 above.
Next row: As Inc Row. 35 sts
Next row: P3, (k1, p3) rep to last 4 sts, k1, p3.

Knit 3 rows, casting on 2 sts at beginning of each row. When you have completed the 3 rows, you will have 39 sts.

Next row (buttonhole row): Cast on 2 sts, k16, k2tog, yf, k to end. 41 sts
Cast off knitwise on the RS.

Back
Work as for Front until * is reached.  
Change to Yarn G and knit 4 rows.  Cast off knitwise on RS.

Making Up
With right side facing you, fold panel rib section of front over so that right sides are together and four rows of garter stitch at the beginning of this section match up with four rows of garter stitch at the end.  With wrong side facing you, place back piece on top of front piece, making sure that cast off edge of back piece comes above the four rows of garter stitch on front piece.  Pin in place.  Sew pieces together using back stitch, leaving flap opening.  Turn right side out. Sew button in place at centre top of back.

© Libby Summers Ltd. Please do not sell this pattern, knit up for sale or use for any profit making activities. Thank you. For more details about the copyright on knitting patterns please click here.

A while ago, a long time customer (who has become a friend) asked me if I would design something for her and her friends to knit and sell at a forthcoming village event this spring based around a celebration of the honeybee. I expect that most people are now aware of the many threats to the long term survival humble honey bee, which has massive consequences for our food supply. It is estimated that a third of all food production is pollination dependent, but pollination is not just important for the food we eat, but also for other wildlife. You can read more about the importance and the role of bees here. Because I am passionate about the cause of the honeybee, I was excited to get involved with this bee-related event.

The request for a bee related knitted design coincided with my sister giving me a chunk of honeycomb from her very own bees. I was fascinated and inspired by the beautiful pattern that the bees had created, and so I decided to base my 'bee' design on this honeycomb pattern.

I will update my blog with further news about the forthcoming bee event, but in the meantime, if you would like to knit your own honeycomb hat, then here is the free pattern below. You can buy the chunky yarn for this pattern here on my website. Use the coupon SAVEOURBEES to get 20% off the yarn (Coupon expires 10/03/15). If you felt like making a donation to a bee related charity as a thank you for the free pattern then here are a couple of suggestions:

The British Bee Keepers Association 
Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Instructions
Cast on 50 (58, 62, 70) sts using 6.5mm [US10.5] needles.
Work in rib patt as folls:
Row 1 (RS): (K2, p2) rep to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2: (P2, k2) rep to last 2 sts, p2.
Rep 2 row patt until you have worked 13 (15, 17, 19) rows in rib altogether ending with a RS row.
Next row (WS): (P12 (14, 15, 17), M1) rep to last 2 sts, M1, p2. 54 (62, 66, 74) sts
Change to 7mm needles and work in honeycomb pattern as folls:
Row 1(RS): K1, (T2F, T2B) rep to last st, k1.
Row 2: K1, (p1, k2, p1) rep to last st, k1.
Row 3: (K2, p2) rep to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4: As row 2.
Row 5: K1, (T2B, T2F) rep to last st, k1.
Row 6: As row 3.
Row 7: As row 2.
Row 8: As row 3.

Work in pattern until honeycomb pattern measures 14 (16, 18, 20) cm ending with Row 3 of pattern.
Next row: (P2tog, k2tog) rept ot last 2 sts, p2tog. 33 sts
Next row: (K1, p2) rep tp last st, k1.
Next row: (Skpo) rep to last st, k1. 16 sts
Thread yarn through rem sts, draw up tightly and secure on WS of work. 

Making Up
With RS facing, and starting at the top, sew up side seam using mattress stitch, switching the sides around so that you sew on the WS for the last half of the rib section, so that when you fold the brim over, the seam is on the inside.  Make a pompom and sew onto top of hat.

© Libby Summers Ltd. Please do not sell this pattern, knit up for sale or use for any profit making activities. Thank you. For more details about the copyright on knitting patterns please click here.

Is your tree looking a bit bare? Could you do with a couple more decorations for it? Then look no further. These knitting patterns are dead simple and very quick, and will add a touch of homemade glamour to your tree in no time. I wrote these patterns for the children's knitting club that I run at my local school. The children loved making them. I hope you do too!

Materials
Oddments of DK green yarn
Oddments of DK brown yarn
10 coloured beads
4/4.5mm knitting needles
Two darning needles, one with a big eye and one with a small eye
Some thinner green thread

Tension
Tension is not important in this pattern. Follow the tension on your ball band for an even finish.

Finished Measurements
Approx 6.5cm wide x 5.5cm high

Tree Instructions
Cast on 14 sts using the green yarn.

Foundation Row: Knit
Row 1: Skpo, k to end. 13 sts
Repeat row 1 until 2 sts remain.

Cast off. Cut yarn leaving a long thread. Thread yarn onto a darning needle and create a loop for hanging on the tree:

1. Insert darning needle into tip of tree, pulling through so that the needle comes out the other side but most of the yarn is still in a loop.
2. Insert the darning needle through the loop you have created, back to the other side and through again, holding the loop with your finger as you do so, so that the yarn does not pull through. 

1. Keep the loop taut, pull the yarn tight to create a knot at the top of the tree.

Using a thinner piece of thread, or separate your yarn into two thinner threads, thread a smaller eyed needle and sew the beads in place at regular intervals up the sides of your tree.

Trunk Instructions
Cast on 5 sts using your brown yarn.
Knit 5 rows. Cast off.
Sew trunk in place at centre of bottom of tree.

Making up
Sew beads in place along diagonal edges of tree.

Materials
Oddments of DK green yarn
Oddments of DK red yarn
4/4.5mm knitting needles
darning needle

Tension
Tension is not important in this pattern. Follow the tension on your ball band for an even finish.

Finished Measurements
Approx 3.5cm wide x 5.5cm high

Stocking instructions
Cast on 14 sts using your red yarn.
Knit 4 rows.
Change to your green yarn and knit 4 rows.
Repeat the last 8 rows once more (one stripe of red and one stripe of green).
Change to your red yarn and knit 4 rows.
Cast off.

Making Up
Fold your work in half edge to edge. Sew up the bottom and the side seam using back stitch or running stitch and your red yarn. Thread your green yarn on the darning needle and oversew the seam until you get to the bottom green stripe. Insert the needle into the next green stripe and work a stitch. Pull yarn tightly which will cause the work to fold and create an ‘L’ shape in the knitting. Secure with an extra stitch and fasten off. Turn your work around to the right side and create a hanging loop as for the Christmas Tree Decoration. See pictures below for help if you are getting stuck.

© Libby Summers Ltd. Please do not sell this pattern, knit up for sale or use for any profit making activities. Thank you. For more details about the copyright on knitting patterns please click here.

Welcome to Week 3 of Knit Camp!  

This week, we are releasing my hot water bottle pattern, and teaching increasing, seams and sewing up and blocking.   This hot water bottle cover will be sure to keep you warm during the rest of camp!

My aim in designing the hot water bottle was to create a striking design which would also maximise a new knitter's opportunities for practising all the skills that Knit Camp is teaching.  The pattern includes different stitch patterns, and needs both increasing and decreasing skills, practise at measuring your knitting, and a lot of seaming (you may not thank me for that - but its excellent practice).

To use this tutorial, you will also need the pattern, included in the Knit Camp Kit, and printed below. The pattern is divided up into three stitch patterns, which are listed separately to make it clear when you move from one to the next, but just keep the knitting continuous between them.

Patterned Hot Water Bottle

Finished Size 
To fit 1 litre size hot water bottle meas 16cm wide and 28cm high.

Materials 
50g ball Libby Summers Fine Aran in Lima (Shade 101)
5mm knitting needles

Abbreviations
RS right side 
rem remain(ing)
ndl(s) needle(s)
k knit 
p purl
skpo slip one st, knit one st, pass slipped st over
M1 make one st by picking up loop in row below and knitting into the back of  it
st(s) stitch(es)
sl 1p slip one st purlwise
k2tog knit 2 sts tog
kfb knit into front and back of st (thus making one extra stitch)
kfbf knit into front, back and front again (thus making two extra stitches)
LH left hand
RH right hand

Tension
18 sts and 24 rows in stocking stitch to 10cm/4in using 5mm needles (or size needed to achieve tension)

Front (make 1)
Cast on 24 sts.
Pattern 1:
Row 1: Kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1.  26 sts
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: As row 1.  28 sts
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Knit.
Purl 5 rows.
Knit 5 rows.
Purl 5 rows.
Pattern 2:
Row 21 (RS): *P4, k4; rep from * to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 22: *K4, p4; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
Rows 23-24: As Rows 21- 22.
Row 25: *K4, p4; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
Row 26: *P4, k4; rep from * to last 4 sts, p4.
Rows 27-28: As Rows 25-26.
Rows 29-44: As Rows 21-28.
Knit 5 rows. 
Pattern 3:
Row 50 (WS): P1, *k1, p4; rep from * to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Row 51: K.
Row 52: As Row 1.
Row 53: K2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2togtbl. 26 sts
Row 54: *K1, p4; to last st, k1. 
Row 55: As Row 53. 24 sts
Row 56: *P4, k1; rep from * to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 57: As Row 53. 22 sts
Row 58: P3, *k1, p4; rep from * to last 4 sts, k1, p3.
Row 59: As Row 53. 20 sts
Row 60: P2, *k1, p4; rep from * to last 3 sts, k1, p2.
Row 61: Knit.
Rep last 2 rows until work measures 18cm from beginning of Pattern 3, ending with a WS row (as row 60).

Increase section:
Row 1 (RS): K1, M1, k to last st, M1, k1. 22 sts
Row 2: P3, *k1, p4; rep from * to last 4 sts, k1, p3.
Row 3: As Row 1. 24 sts
Row 4: *P4, k1; rep from * to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 5: As Row 1. 26 sts
Row 6: *K1, p4; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 7: As Row 1. 28 sts
Row 8: P1, *k1, p4; rep from * to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Knit 5 rows.
Cast off.

Back
Work as for Front until end of Pattern 2.  Knit one extra row, then cast off.

Making Up
With right side facing you, fold top section (pattern 3) of front over so that right sides are together and five rows of garter stitch just before the beginning of top section match up with six rows of garter stitch at the end of front.  
With wrong side facing you, place back piece on top of front piece, making sure that cast off edge of back piece comes above the six rows of garter stitch at end of front piece.  Pin in place.  Sew pieces together using back stitch, leaving flap opening.  Turn right side out.

Practising Stitch Patterns

I.  Garter Stitch
Garter stitch can be created with either the knit or the purl stitch, and this pattern combines both in sequence to give plenty of practice for both stitches.  
2. Basket Stitch
A common stitch, which has many uses in design, and is a great way to practise alternating between knit and purl on one row.  Beginners sometimes struggle with remembering to take the yarn back before knitting and forward before purling, and it can take practise to do this without wrapping the yarn around the needle as you do so.  
3.  Seed Rib or Broken Stocking Stitch
This stitch has different names.  Usually it is done by knitting on the RS, and purling on the wrong side, with knit stitches evenly space along the purl row, which will appear as 'purl' stitches on the RS to break up the st st appearance.  Good practice, without being as tiring as the traditional rib stitch.  Using this stitch in the top section of the hot water bottle pulls the tension in a little, but not as much as a rib stitch would, so it is ideal for a section where a narrower tension is needed.

Practising Shaping

A hot water bottle pattern usually requires some shaping (not always!) and this pattern uses two techniques for increasing and two techniques for decreasing, which will equip you with most of the skills you need to tackle most patterns involving shaping.  Don't worry if this sounds daunting, as the tutorial below takes you through each one step by step.

Often, increases and decreases will be written one or two stitches in from the edge of work.  This makes sewing up easier, and draws attention to the increase or decrease, which can add to the design.  However, in this pattern, where there is a lot of pattern and texture, the decrease is best hidden in the selvedge, so that is why I have written the decreases and increases in the first and second stitches of the row.  

The tutorial
When I designed the hot water bottle, I took photos as I went along, as I thought it might be helpful for new knitters trying out the pattern to see exactly what the knitting should look like at each stage.  So, here is a step by step guide through the pattern.  I hope its helpful.  I have not gone through blocking and sewing up in lots of detail as Joanne and Kat will be exploring that later in the week, but I hope that what I have given you here will be enough to complete the design, for those of you who want to get cracking as soon as possible!

E:  Row 21
About to start Row 21 with RS facing
This is the beginning of Pattern 2

H: Row 50  
RS view when you are about to start Pattern 3 (Row 50)


The knitting needle is facing the wrong way.  You will need to turn knitting round to knit row 50.

Making Up (1)
With RS facing you, fold top section (pattern 3) of front cover over so that right sides are together and five rows of garter stitch just before the beginning of top section match up with six rows of garter stitch at the end of front

With WS facing you, place back piece on top of front piece, making sure that cast off edge of back piece comes above the six rows of garter stitch at end of front piece.  

Pin in place.

Making Up (2)
Sew pieces together using back stitch, leaving flap opening.  When you have sewn all the way round, remove pins and turn work right side out.