Well, I’m not sure about the rest of the planet but on our little patch of Yorkshire in the United Kingdom it’s been pretty chilly. So, with snow on the ground outside and a need to stay warm and snuggly I felt a compulsion to knit a hot water bottle cover. Having made patterns for camper van lovers I figured I would make a change and go for a pattern based on the VW Beetle / Bug this time.

Of course, if you don’t really need a hot water bottle cover there is no reason at all why you can’t just use the chart to add a Beetle/Bug to your favourite knitting pattern :)

You need knowledge of knitting with more than one colour per row but the stitches are basic - stocking stitch and rib with some simple shaping. I’ve used intarsia but if the thought of that terrifies you, you can always knit the main blocks of colour and add the details using Swiss Darning. (There are plenty of You Tube videos and online help features about intarsia and swiss darning)

You can purchase the pattern from our website at: www.slightly-sheepish.com

What you’ll need:

The hot water bottle I used was a standard size, 29cm/11.5 inches long and 21cm/8inches wide with a neck of 6cm/2.5 inches.
The cover is made in Double Knitting yarn (UK) which is Worsted Weight (US) or 8 Ply (AUS). It takes approximately 50g of the main colour, 25g of the body colour and oddments for the details and windows.

UK no. 8 needles (US size 6, metric 4mm).

Any questions please just send me a convo.

The pattern is my own design so please just keep it for yourself.

Thank you and have fun and stay Snug in a Bug!