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I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use a couple extra hands most days. I’m pretty sure that was the case before I had kids too but it’s exponentially worse after. Not only do I carry all of the things that I would normally, I end up carrying the things my kids should have been carrying. I only have so many fingers I can hook things on. 

We were prepping to go on a walk one day (which takes a good half of a day of preparations) and I was trying to figure out how to carry all the stuff. I didn’t want to have to carry a backpack since it wasn’t going to be too long. But I also knew it was hot enough that we would need water even if we weren’t out for long. The boys will only hold on to their own bottles for a short while, and drop them about a dozen times before they give up completely. 

Crochet to the rescue! I whipped up one of these water bottle holders and it definitely helped. Although, I did learn a couple of things. Yarn stretches. Which was a duh moment. I did know that. But I didn’t really think about it when making my strap and when I put my full water bottle in it stretched down close to my knees which isn’t really the best place for a water bottle. So that one ended up with a knot at the top. It’s still functional but not as it was intended. I only made the one for that first day but the boys both asked for their own and I had to attempt to make a shorter strap. So here’s what I’ve come up with. 

The boys love to carry theirs around. They use them when we go on walks, bike rides, or even just around the house (sometimes they are for toys and not water bottles). I like that I only have to carry my bottle and not everyone’s! 

Water Bottle Holder

Supplies Needed:

Red Heart Super Saver, Medium Worsted Weight 4 (100% Acrylic, 364 yds, 7 oz) any color, 1 skein

J/10 6.0mm Hook

Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends

Stitches/Terms Used:

Ch- Chain

DC- Double Crochet

Sl st- Slip Stitch

SC- Single Crochet

BLO- Back Loop Only

Note:

This project is worked in joined rounds. Each round will begin with a Ch 2, and end with a sl st to the top of the first stitch of the round.

1) Using the Magic Ring technique (OR Ch 3 and sl st to first chain to form ring) DC 12. (12)

2) 2DC in each around. (24)

3) *DC, 2DC in next* Repeat from * to * around. (36)

4) In BLO, DC in each around. (36)

5) In both loops, DC in each around. (36)

6-12) *DC, Ch 2, Skip 2* Repeat from * to * around. (12 DC, 12 chain spaces of 2 Chains) (We seem to have a lot of taller water bottles. If you tend to use shorter ones, you can cut down on these rows and only do through round 10. Even when we’ve put smaller bottles in this size it hasn’t been an issue the top is just down in the holder a bit.)

13) *SC in DC, SC in Ch 2 space* Repeat from * to * around. (24 SC)

STRAP

14) DC in next 5, Ch 2, turn. (leave rest of the stitches unworked) (5)

Repeat Row 14 until you reach the length needed.

Approximately 40 rows for Kid’s size and about 60 rows for Adult size. 

You can try it on as you go if you want to get a better idea of how long you should make the strap. Just keep in mind that when you put a full water bottle in the holder it will stretch down.  I learned this the hard way when I made the first of these. That one has ended up with a knot at the top of the strap so that it doesn’t hang too low, which I guess makes it adjustable so it’s not a total loss.

When you reach the right length on your strap, you’ll skip 7 SC around the top of the holder then slip stitch through the end of the strap and the top of the holder. You can also use a needle and sew the strap on. Sewing would let you make the join a little less noticeable but the slip stitching is a little faster in my opinion. Do whichever works for you. Finish off and then weave in the ends! All Done!