Checkered Bottle Holder Pattern | Free Crochet Pattern

If you are loving the popularity of checkers right now, then you’re going to love this checkered bottle holder pattern! You can make as many as you want in as many colors as you want!

Water bottle carriers are great for anytime you want to be hands free, but really want to keep your water with you. Whether it’s on a walk downtown, a hike on a trail or if you’re just anywhere with kids and need as many hands as possible, these cute carriers will be a lifesaver!

So Many Checkered Crochet Patterns!

Choosing Yarn for Your Checkered Bottle Holder Pattern

For this pattern in particular, I really wanted to use a cotton yarn. Water bottle holders tend to get wet and messy from getting lugged around everywhere we go! You really want to be able to wash them and know that they will hold up.

When you’re looking for a yarn that will handle washing and be durable, cotton is the best option. Cotton is known for being absorbent, durable and tough enough to wash. You can even throw it in the dryer!

I decided to go with Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton yarn for this particular design. I like that it is 100% cotton, but also a little more sleek and soft than some cotton yarn. There is also a large selection of beautiful color options, so I could really have fun picking my color combos!

The Pattern

If  you would like to purchase an inexpensive, ad-free printable pdf version of this checkered bottle holder pattern, you can find it here at my Etsy shop.

Add this checkered bottle holder pattern using cotton yarn to your Ravelry favorites HERE.

Materials:

• 98 Yards Size 4 Yarn in main color (I used I Love This Cotton in Warm Blush)
• 42 Yards Size 4 Yarn in neutral color (I used I Love This Cotton in Ivory)
• US H/ 5.0 mm Crochet Hook
• Yarn Needle
• Scissors

Gauge:

After round 6 of the pattern, the base should be 3 3/8” across.

Sizing:

When completed at this gauge, the bottle carrier should fit a typical 16.9 fl oz. water bottle very loosely and a slightly larger bottle with a snug fit. To resize the pattern, simply add or remove a round from the base.

Stitches Used:

(ch) chain
(sl st) slip stitch
(sc) single crochet
(sc blo) single crochet back loop only
(dc) double crochet

Pattern Notes:

Beginning chain of each round does not count as a stitch.

I tend to crochet tightly. So be sure to check your gauge and if you are crocheting more loosely you can move to a smaller hook (or larger if you crochet even more tightly). Some people find they even need to go down two hook sizes to meet my gauge.

For this pattern you will be using the method of “carrying” your yarn. This enables you to switch colors frequently without having to finish off and weave in lots of ends. To carry the yarn, after switching colors, you will hold the strand of yarn that you are not using along the top of the last row as you stitch. Treat the strand as if it is part of the top of your last row and insert your new stitches around the strand, just as you would stitch around the chains of the previous row. See this video tutorial on carrying yarn if you need further help.

Here are 2 tips to help you to keep your “carried” color from showing through: 1) Every once in a while (usually after you’ve finished a few stitches of one color) give the “carried” yarn a gentle tug. Not so much as to warp your fabric, but just enough to make sure it is taught. This will keep it at the center of your work. 2) Make sure your weave is tight (or dense) enough. A more loose fabric will make it easier to see through it.

Every time you make a color change, you will do so at the end of the last stitch of the previous color. So, if you end your main color with a dc stitch, on your final yarn over and pull through of that stitch, you will drop the main color and yarn over and pull through with the new color. See this video for how to change yarn.

For resizing your carrier, see notes after Round 6.

Pattern:

Beginning with your main color:

Round 1: Ch 2. 8 sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Join with a sl st to the first sc in the round. (8)

Round 2: Ch 1. 2 sc in the same stitch and each stitch around. Join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (16)

Round 3: Ch 1. 1 sc in the same stitch. 2 sc in the next stitch. *1 sc in the next stitch. 2 sc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round and join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (24)

Round 4: Ch 1. 1 sc in the same stitch. 1 Sc in the next stitch. 2 sc in the next stitch. *Place 1 sc in each of the next 2 stitches. 2 sc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round and join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (32)

Round 5: Ch 1. 1 sc in the same stitch. 1 sc in each of the next 2 stitches. 2 sc in the next stitch. *1 sc in each of the next 3 stitches. 2 sc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round and join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (40)

Round 6: Ch 1. 1 sc in the same stitch. 1 sc in each of the next 3 stitches. 2 sc in the next stitch. *1 sc in each of the next 4 stitches. 2 sc in the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * to the end of the round and join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (48)

A note on gauge at this point: Round 6 will complete the base of the carrier and as you move on to Round 7, you will begin to work up the sides. With the gauge of this pattern the base after Round 6 should be about 3 3/8” in diameter. If your base is much larger or smaller, you may want to consider starting over with a smaller or larger hook.

This sizing will fit a 16.9 fl oz water bottle very loosely and a slightly larger bottle with a a more snug fit. To see if it will fit your particular water bottle with a snug fit, simply place the water bottle on top of the base you have completed. If the base of your carrier is the same size as the base of your bottle, or even a bit smaller, it will fit well (it will stretch a little to accommodate a bottle that is a little larger).

However, if you find your base is much smaller or bigger and you want to adjust it, you can do so here. To make your base of your carrier smaller, simply remove a round. If you want your base to be larger, add another round and follow the increase pattern of adding one additional stitch between the 2 single crochets in each additional round. Keep in mind that if you are adding or removing rounds, your stitch count in the following rounds will be different than the count in the instructions. Each round added or removed should add or remove 8 stitches from your count.

Round 7: Ch 1. Sc in back loop only of the same stitch and each stitch around. Join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (48)

Round 8: Ch 2. Dc in the same stitch and each of the next 3 stitches. On the last stitch, change colors to your neutral. While carrying your first color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change back to your main color. While carrying your neutral color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change to your neutral color. While carrying your main color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Continue to place a dc in each stitch, switching colors after every 4 stitches, until you reach the end of the round. Your last 4 stitches of the row will be the opposite color as the first 4 stitches. On the last yo and pull through of the final stitch, switch back to your main color. Join with a sl st to the first dc of the round. (48)

Note: For all the subsequent rows you will continue to carry the yarn that you are not currently stitching with. I will no longer note this in the pattern, but you should continue to do it for the remainder of the rows.

Round 9: Continuing with the main color, ch 2. Dc in the same stitch and each of the next 3 stitches. On the last stitch, change colors to your neutral. While carrying your first color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change back to your main color. While carrying your neutral color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change to your neutral color. While carrying your main color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Continue to place a dc in each stitch, switching colors after every 4 stitches, until you reach the end of the round. Your last 4 stitches of the row will be the opposite color as the first 4 stitches. On this round, do not change colors on the last stitch. Use your neutral to join with a sl st to the first dc of the round. (48)

Round 10: Continuing with your neutral color, ch 2. Dc in the same stitch and each of the next 3 stitches. On the last stitch, change colors to your neutral. While carrying your first color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change back to your main color. While carrying your neutral color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change to your neutral color. While carrying your main color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Continue to place a dc in each stitch, switching colors after every 4 stitches, until you reach the end of the round. Your last 4 stitches of the row will be the opposite color as the first 4 stitches. On the last yo and pull through of the final stitch, switch back to your neutral color. Join with a sl st to the first dc of the round. (48)

Round 11: Continuing with the neutral color, ch 2. Dc in the same stitch and each of the next 3 stitches. On the last stitch, change colors to your neutral. While carrying your first color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change back to your main color. While carrying your neutral color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Change to your neutral color. While carrying your main color, dc in the next 4 stitches. Continue to place a dc in each stitch, switching colors after every 4 stitches, until you reach the end of the round. Your last 4 stitches of the row will be the opposite color as the first 4 stitches. On this round, do not change colors on the last stitch. Use your main color to join with a sl st to the first dc of the round. (48)

Rounds 12 – 21: Repeat Rounds 8 – 11. You will end on a repeat of round 9. (For a taller water bottle, continue 2 more rounds to end on a repeat of round 11.) As you complete the last stitch of the round, change color to your main color.

Round 22: (with your main color) ch 1. Sc in the same stitch and in each stitch around. Join with a sl st to the first sc of the round. (48)

Begin strap:

Row 1: Ch 1. Sc in the same stitch and each of the next 3 stitches (4)

Rows 2+: Ch 1. Turn. Sc in same stitch and each stitch across. (4)

Repeat until strap is the length you prefer. I completed 151 rows for a final strap length of 34”. Keep in mind that the strap will stretch a little bit.

Finish off, leaving a long tail. Line up the last inch of your strap (make sure it’s not twisted) on the inside of the holder, directly across from where the strap started. It should line up with one of your colored squares so that the colored yarn will not show through. Using the long tail and a yarn needle, stitch the end of the strap to the inside of the bottle holder.

Secure with a knot and weave in ends.