Inspiration
How to Make Your Very Own Water Bottle Holder
What’s all this fuss about hydration? Apparently, we’re supposed to drink sixty gallons of water a day, which leaves me thinking my entire childhood was a study in dehydration. Back when I was a kid, we’d drink a quart of Coke, good to go. No wonder I felt so crappy during the Carter Administration!
In the interest of keeping the water flowing, I recently bought a water bottle. Merch! It has the Shakerag Workshops logo on it. I love it.
It is metal and heavy and looks like a missile, and it does not have an easy means for toting it. So the other day I set about looking for a holder that would allow me to go hands free with my tall, metal, beloved new water bottle.
It had to be knitted, of course. But I wasn’t really entranced by any patterns I saw. I decided to go for it and freestyle my water bottle holder.
The Plan
I took a look at my bottle and ascertained that it is more or less the circumference of my ankle.
BONANZA! A sock for my bottle!
I went with Rowan Summerlite 4ply, a sturdy, lustrous cotton that knits up at sock gauge. Color: Cobalt!
I got out my dogeared copy of my favorite sock book of all time, Field Guide No. 11: Wanderlust, which I’m now renaming Waterlust, and arrived at a 64-stitch cast-on.
This is a cuff-down water bottle holder.
I invented a stitch pattern, alternating 11 rounds of 2×2 ribbing with 4 rounds of stockinette, then shifting the ribbing to begin with 2 purls rather than 2 knits. It makes a graphic sort of texture, which I liked.
When my tube was the right height, I began decreasing.
I did a round of decreases at every 8th stitch, then a round of decreases at every 7th stitch, and so on until I had only a few stitches left and tied them off.
I have to say, this was easily the most fun sock I’ve made in a very long while.
No heel! No toe! No second sock syndrome!
What About the Strap?
I know, I know. It’s the crux of this whole project. I decided NOT to knit a strap. I wanted a sturdy strap, an adjustable strap, a strap that would never stretch and get all thin and sad and do what has happened to other knitted straps I have made in the past. I wanted webbing.
WELL.
There is a huge strap fad on the internet these days, so I spent a truly embarrassing amount of time considering my options. You can spend a hundred bucks on a strap these days, but I unearthed a Madewell strap on sale that made me go wow.
Zing! I’ll hook the fasteners to my water bottle sock and off I go. Dove hunters, you’ll see me now! And I’ll never lose this water bottle in the weeds on my ascent to the top of Cadillac Mountain.
Which is another whole topic.
How’s Your Summer Going?
Who’s going anywhere? I’d love to hear your plans for travels near and far, back yard or back of beyond.
And finally! Before you head out, please get vaccinated!
Love,
Ann
PS Alternate Yarn Idea: This bottle holder would be superb with our Euroflax Mini Skeins.
Linen is the perfect fiber for a water bottle holder, and if I’d thought of it first, I’d have gone with Euroflax. This may not be my only water bottle holder, fair warning.
Okay, you guys are freaking me out. The day before Kay posted about Google-mapping her childhood home, I had done so for my grandmother’s house. Now, the day before you posted about buying a water bottle . . . I bought a water bottle.
Please post how you attach the handle. I have so many water bottles that may all need their own cover/handles in the future
“I’ll never lose this water bottle in the weeds on my ascent to the top of Cadillac Mountain.”
Wait, how did I miss this – did you climb Cadillac? Or is that your plan to do that later this summer? (Did you know that you now need a reservation to drive to the top?!)
I noticed that too. I like to be on top of Cadillac but I’ve never climbed it. 🙂
Will attaching the hooks to “knitting” leave a hole? My travels this year was moving from Toronto, ON to New Brunswick. It’s been a saga, had to have the house renovated so flew back to Toronto for one month, then back to NB and stayed somewhere “else” for two months. Now back home and finding homes for my possessions. Going to rain for the next three days, so I’m re-knitting the bottoms of socks that are too thin to mend. Happy Knitting everyone 🙂
Hi Eleanora! So glad you made it home. Bad weather = great knitting! As for the holes from the hooks, yes, I’m just sticking them through the knitting, down a bit, will see what comes of that!
I’m anxious to know how this works out. The holder will help insulate the bottle further which is great, but won’t the straps stretch the cotton fabric? The bottle is heavy when full.
Hi Lori! Yes, the fabric will stretch for sure–the bottle is definitely heavy when filled. I left “stretchin’ space” at the top, but who knows how much it’s actually going to stretch. I’m guessing quite a bit. It’s all a wacky speriment.
Ann and Lori, I crocheted a water bottle holder a couple years ago with some dishcloth cotton in a camo color – made it just to the top of the ‘shoulder’ of a plastic water bottle, and crocheted a strap. After a couple of uses, the crocheted cover stretched enough to completely cover the top of the bottle… a plus when I needed a sip on my deer stand 🙂
And Ann, I think the 4 ply cotton will insulate the bottle better than the euroflax linen, although I LOVE your euroflax mini skeins.
Looking forward to a follow up post. If all else fails, skip the handle, and stick some flowers in the bottle! Beautiful.
Ann! This is a really clever project, and I love your quiet PSA’s. xo
Love it! But I, too, would like to see how you attach the strap.
I shall post a photo soon! Just got a strap today. I ordered two straps. I’m pathetic that way. Need options.s
Really clever original stitch design which works brilliantly here. Great colors, practical use, wonderfully funny post as always from you, Ann. What a great morning zing to start the day.
Our summer plans include a trip to the Delaware Museum of Art which has the largest collection, outside of England, of Pre-Raphaelite art. All those swooning women and lush colors — oh, the colors! — will be a repeat treat.
Love the Delaware Museum of Art, and luckily I live only 15 minutes away from it. Enjoy!
Brilliant!
Did you know that drinking “sixty gallons a day” is a marketing pitch by the water companies (like Nestlé) who steal water from the great lakes? You only need what you feel you need with the possible exception of seniors whose thirst alarm is less sensitive. Your water bottle cover is great!
All water bottles need holders – either for climbing mountains or returning to in person fiber festivals (they’re coming back, I hear!). But my question is – does your metal water bottle make your water taste metallic? I want to leave plastic behind but I hate metallic water.
My stainless steel bottle makes my drinking water taste fresh. No canned vegetable taste, if that’s what you were thinking. I prefer it over glass and it’s much safer.
I’ve found for myself that ice and a lemon or lime wedge helps a lot with that metallic taste. I also have a glass bottle (heavy-ish) that would work with that strap…..
I think this is the beginning of an entire wardrobe for your water bottle! Love that Euroflax linen.
Are you reinforcing your attachment points somehow? Inquirin’ minds wanna know!
Howdy! A careful knitter would definitely reinforce the attachment points. Me? I’m just hooking the strap hooks into the knitting, maybe 4 or 5 rows from the top. It’s stretchy as all get out, but I’m hoping cotton yarn is sturdy enough. STAY TUNED!!!! WORK IN PROGRESS!!!
This reminds me of the old metal canteen I used as a teenager for hikes. It came with a canvas cover with a webbing strap attached. It was army green, and now makes me wonder if it had been my dad’s from WWII. Back to the Future!
I remember those so well. Everyone had them back post-WW2. The only alternative: thermos bottles with a glass lining that shattered into your drink when you dropped them. Serious design flaw.
As a newbie sewer, I might take this idea and run with it in the fabric direction, using grommets to anchor the band. LOVE the band. I’ve found that water helps so much on hikes–it seems it keeps me from screaming at my partner when I’m feeling overwhelmed by shame at not being able to climb. that. hill. all at once. 🙂
I’m the most pathetic climber ever. Many stops required:
Must Study This Fascinating Moss.
O Look The View Is Amazing Right Here.
My Shoelaces Aren’t Right.
OMG This just made me laugh out loud. I can so relate. My sister used to call me The Reluctant Hiker”. It wasn’t that, it’s just that it’s Colorado and there is No Oxygen! “My Shoelaces Aren’t Right” = Classic!!!
capgemlib, love you fabric idea. It looks like a way to use up some of those scraps that I never have the nerve to throw away.
This is a perfect project to share with my beginner knitting friend. Thanks!
Please give us more details about Cadillac Mountain (are you coming this way, were you recently here?). I live right down the road. Also, like others I would love to see how the strap attaches to the knitting. Thanks!
PS: that much water is bad for you, but I think you know that.
Hi Brenda! Heading up to Maine in July with my family! So excited! Staying near Northeast Harbor, haven’t been to Acadia before so this is very exciting.
Brilliant!
I’ve climbed on top of a Cadillac before but no water was involved. I don’t think this is what you’re talking about. ♀️
HA!!!!!!
I just assumed she was going to hook the strap to the metal loop that seems to be attached to the bottle directly. Did I miss something or jump to conclusions?
That could be a great idea!
Hi Lynn! I’m just poking the strap’s hooks into the yarn, probably 4 or 5 stitches down from the top so that there’s enough yarn to hold the weight. I just got my strap today so I’ll post a photo of how it’s working out. L
Great solution to a problem that most of us have. Thank you so much. Now to buy the yarn, of which I have box fulls already.
I love this – and solved my quest for how to knit a wine carrier, as well.
Cool water bottle cozy! I actually have Summer travel plans;) My daughter is flying out (to NC) in August for her birthday, we’re driving west to Great Smoky Mountains national park, staying in Bryson City 2 nights where we’ll take a steam engine thru Nantahala Gorge. Will drive Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville west to Bryson City!
This is such a good idea, Ann! I’ve got one metal water bottle which I love (it’s from the Snow Leopard Trust) but rarely carry anywhere because it takes a free hand – or at least a free index finger to hook through the hole in the stopper. Maybe I’ll knit one of these. It would certainly entertain the goats, a couple of whom enjoy grabbing any water bottle that has the lid connected to a loop around the neck of the bottle; this one would have a bottle connected by a big loop to the goatherd! I wonder if running a strand or two of the same yarn through a row or two of the knitting – like a lifeline – and connecting the clips to that instead of to knitted stitches would help distribute the stress of the weighted bottle, and keep the shape a little less elongated? I know you aren’t looking for this – I’m just pondering 🙂
I find macrame to the the craft of choice for water bottle cozies. Having made now a grand total of two, out of Tshirt yarn, while trying to teach it to scouts. And using only the concept of the most basic macrame: overhand knots and prayers.
That sock for your water bottle is very clever!
Before hopping on A plane ( everyone was quiet and well behaved) and seeing my beloved daughter and precious grandchildren, I got fully vaccinated!
Texas was hot but I was so overjoyed to see everyone!!!!!!
First link, to the app, appears not to be working ♀️
Love it!! I knit and felted a coffee cuff for a hot coffee cover. And we discovered it also fit a sweaty fast food soft drink container. Score! I love to sit each Saturday morning and read about all that you have to offer us. Your knitting and crocheting followers. Thanks for all you do♥️
Okay, I’m joining in those wondering about stretching and holes in the knitting. I know from experience (not one experience, but two or three experiences) that if you don’t do something, the water bottle holder will slip off, but I’ve never actually *carried* a water bottle with a knitted holder with a strap. I’m wondering if it will be necessary to sew a ribbon or something inside the cuff of the water through which you would hook the strap to keep the knitting from becoming misshapen? Can’t wait to see how this little speriment pans out!
Thank you for instructing your posse to get vaccinated! Well done!!