Quick Knits: Bottle Cozy Patterns

December 12, 2013 by Sarah White

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about quick knitting projects that you can add to a purchased gift for the holidays. And one of the easiest of those is buying a great bottle of wine (or, heck, olive oil) and presenting it in a knit gift bag/bottle cozy.

Did you know, specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next. Or how about our VIP Knitting Group with Free knitting pattern access including vintage and Etsy designer patterns for less than $1 a month.

There are a ton of fun patterns for these sorts of projects (for starters check out my simple wine bottle cozy in self-striping yarn and the Chic cozy in a yarn with pompoms as part of the fiber). You can probably find a suitable project for yarn you already have in your stash, so there’s no excuse not to whip one of these up for a Christmas present or a hostess gift.

Here are a few more patterns for you to check out:

Red Heart has the Wrap Your Bottle Cozy, worked mostly in stockinette stitch in the round for a super-quick project; and the Striped Bottle Cozy, which is the same pattern but worked in stripes for stash busting.

Tara’s Knits has a fun Swirled Wine Bottle Cozy, which uses a shifting rib pattern for interesting texture. I particularly like this one because I have some of that exact yarn, even the same colorway, and it only takes a skein.

Samantha Rogers has a basic Felted Wine Cozy as a free Ravelry download. Hers is worked with two colors, but you could always stripe or do a solid one depending on the wool you have available. The Harry Wine Bottle Tote is another Raverly download and another felted project, this time with handles to make carrying even easier.

The Knit Wine Bottle Sweater from JustBCrafty is super cute because it looks like a little sweater, complete with cables and sewn on buttons (which are nonfunctional and you could skip if you’re in a hurry).

The Scroll Wine Cozy by Joanna Roye shows that an easy stitch pattern makes a cozy look that much fancier.

Speaking of fancy, the cozy patterns from DROPS are like little Scandinavian sweaters and truly are a gift themselves.

And since it’s Christmas, who can resist Hilary Carr’s Santa Bottle Cozy, complete with a wee hat?

Have you read?

Free Knitted Crown Pattern for Kids and Adults: A Sweet Handmade Dress-Up Idea

There’s something wonderfully charming about a knitted crown. It’s playful, useful for the dress-up basket, and just the sort of small project that gives a leftover ball of yarn a proper purpose. Much better than letting it roll around the cupboard for another three years.

This free knitted crown pattern for kids and adults combines a simple garter-stitch band with shaped triangular points. The mustard-gold colour gives it that storybook crown look, although pink, purple or woodland green would be equally lovely.

A Manageable Next Step for Beginner Knitters

The construction is the appealing part of this design. Everything is knitted flat, so you won’t need double-pointed needles or experience joining stitches in the round.

You knit the band first, then work each crown point separately over a group of 12 stitches. Paired decreases gradually narrow each triangle, giving you a small, repeatable section to concentrate on.

I’d describe this as a confident beginner knitting project. You’ll need to know how to knit, work two types of decreases, hold unused stitches and sew a simple seam. There are several yarn tails to weave in, so a little patience with finishing will help.

Three Sizes With Room to Personalise

The pattern includes three sizes, with seven, eight or nine crown points. Choose by the wearer’s head measurement rather than age, and check your gauge carefully. Yarn stretch will make a noticeable difference to the fit.

For birthdays, an embroidered initial would be a sweet finishing touch. Contrasting yarn diamonds could suggest little jewels without adding hard embellishments.

What to Know Before Casting On

This is a soft knitted crown, so expect gentle points rather than a rigid costume accessory. A springy wool or wool-blend yarn should give the shaping more support than a very drapey yarn.

The stitch calculations have been checked, but the design has not yet been sample-knitted. The accompanying image is an illustrative mockup, so the finished texture and proportions may vary with your yarn and tension.

For a small handmade birthday accessory or a cheerful addition to the dress-up box, this is an appealing idea. And if an adult needs a matching crown for supervising the royal household, the larger size has that covered too.