Bottle Cozy

Make a snug crochet sleeve for a baby bottle. The body is a flat strip in tight single crochet that you seam up the back and onto a round base, so it stands on its own. A band of small cream diamonds on sage wraps all the way round, with clay trim; keep it, or clear it and put your own design in the 3-inch front window. Choose Small, Medium or Large by measuring around the widest part of your bottle. Each size comes as an editable chart and a printable PDF with a written row for every row.

You'll need:

• Worsted-weight cotton in three colors: sage, cream and clay (a small amount of each)
• A crochet hook, about 4.0 mm (change it to match your gauge), a yarn needle and scissors

Sizes (measure around the widest part of the bottle with a tape, then pick the size that takes at least that much):

• Small: takes a bottle up to 7.0 in (18 cm) around; 30 stitches around.
• Medium: takes a bottle up to 8.5 in (22 cm) around; 36 stitches around.
• Large: takes a bottle up to 10.0 in (25 cm) around; 42 stitches around.

All three are 5 in (13 cm) tall and open at the top. Worked in single crochet (US; UK double crochet) and sewn together. Make a gauge swatch first. Take the cozy off before you wash or sterilize the bottle. Yarn amounts: weigh your swatch to estimate; amounts vary with tension.

Difficulty: Intermediate (you carry a second color inside the stitches). Craft: Crochet. Tags: baby, bottle, bottle cozy, feeding, shower gift, tapestry crochet, small project. Colors are approximate.

Important Safety Notes#

Bottle cozy: This cozy makes no claim to keep a bottle warm or cold and is not made for use with heat. Never use it with a bottle warmer.

Storage: This is for storage and is not a toy. Keep it out of the crib, and never put a baby in it.

Bottle cozy: Hold your baby close and hold the bottle at every feed; never prop a bottle or leave it in a baby's mouth. Take the cozy off before you wash or sterilize the bottle.

Yarn and care: Use soft, smooth, washable yarn that does not shed or fuzz, and wash a swatch first. Weave in every end and check inside the finished item for loose strands, which can wrap around a baby's fingers or toes. Wash inside out.

If you sell what you make: Children's products sold in the US must meet CPSC rules, including testing, a Children's Product Certificate and a tracking label. Start at cpsc.gov.