In this pattern
- My yarn basket on a cozy morning
- How this little cow holder works
- The bottom — a simple circle
- The tube — where your bottle sits
- Black spots — three little patches
- The face — nose, ears, horns, and eyes
- The long crossbody strap
- Putting it all together
- Finished — my cow carrying your bottle
My yarn basket on a cozy morning
When I start a new animal holder, I always dump my yarn on the linen table first and see what feels soft together. For this cow I used warm white as the main color — 100 grams — plus about 30 grams of soft black for the spots, 10 grams of baby pink for the nose, and just 5 grams of beige for the tiny horns. My 4.0mm hook is my favorite for bottle holders because it makes the stitches tight enough that the bottle doesn't poke through, but still soft.
My yarn basket this morning — white, black, and pink balls with a little black-and-white granny square I started while I was deciding on spots — on my white linen table.
How this little cow holder works
This holder is really just three things: a little bottom circle that the bottle sits on, a tube that goes up around it, and a few tiny cow pieces sewn on — ears, horns, a pink nose, and some spots. The bottom circle is about 3" across on the inside where the bottle actually sits, and about 3.5" across if you measure from the very outer points of the stitches — that extra half inch is just the thickness of the stitches themselves. The tube is the same — about 3.5" wide when it lays flat on the table, and about 3" wide when it's stretched around your 2.75" bottle with a little room to slide in and out.
I try my own bottle in as I go — at round 12 I slip my 16 oz bottle inside to see if it hugs nicely. That way you know it's right for your bottle, not just mine.
The bottom — a simple circle
R1: magic ring, 6 sc in ring — 6
R2: inc in each stitch — 12
R3: [sc, inc] 6 times — 18
R4: [sc 2, inc] 6 times — 24
R5: [sc 3, inc] 6 times — 30
R6: [sc 4, inc] 6 times — 36
R7: [sc 5, inc] 6 times — 42 — bottom is about 3" across on the inside where your bottle will sit, and about 3.5" across from the outermost points — that little difference is just the stitch thickness — your 2.75" bottle will have a tiny bit of room on each side
I love this part because it's just a calm circle — you start with 6 and add 6 each round. By round 7 you have 42 stitches, and that circle is the perfect little platform for a bottle. If you lay it flat it looks a little wider (3.5" from tip to tip), but once a bottle sits inside it stretches just a bit and the inside where the bottle actually rests is about 3" — that's what I measure for the fit.
Tube in progress — white with little black cow spots already sewn on, my water bottle inside to check the fit — on my linen table with black and white yarn balls nearby.
The tube — where your bottle sits
R8: BLO sc around — 42 — working in the back loop only makes a nice sharp edge so the sides go straight up
R9-35: sc around — 42 stitches each round — 27 rounds — no increases, no decreases — tube is about 7" tall from the bottom edge — when it lays flat it's about 3.5" wide, when it's around your bottle it's about 3" wide and hugs a 2.75" bottle with a little wiggle room
After the bottom, you just go straight up — 42 stitches around and around for 27 rounds. That's the cozy tube that holds your bottle. I keep it at 42 the whole time so it doesn't flare out or get too tight. When it's empty and flat on the table it looks about 3.5" wide, but once your bottle slides inside it stretches gently to about 3" wide around the bottle — that's normal and what you want, so the bottle slides in and out easily.
Black spots — three little patches
Small spot: magic ring, 6 sc — 6 — about 1" wide
Medium spot: magic ring, 6 sc — 6, next round inc in each — 12 — about 1.5" wide — make 2 of these
Sew them randomly — I put one small one near the front lower part, one medium on the side, and one medium on the back lower part — like a sweet cow pattern
Spots are my favorite — just little circles in black that you sew on wherever you like. I like them a little random, not perfectly lined up, so it feels more like a real cow.
The face — nose, ears, horns, and eyes
Little cow face parts laid out — pink oval nose with two tiny nostrils, soft beige ears and little curved horns — plus a few extra flower motifs I was playing with.
Ch 6, sc in 2nd chain, sc 3, 3 sc in last chain, sc 3 on other side, 2 sc in last — 12 — oval
Next round: inc, sc 3, inc 3 times, sc 3, inc 2 times — 18 — oval about 1.5" wide × 1" tall — embroider two little black nostrils about 3 stitches apart with black yarn
Eyes — 12mm safety eyes:
Place at round 28-29 of tube, about 10 stitches apart, on the front — I like big cow eyes
Ears — make 2 — white outer + pink inner — 4.0mm:
White outer: ch 6, sc 5, ch 1 turn, sc 5 — about 1.2" ear
Pink inner: ch 4, sc 3, ch 1 turn, sc 3 — smaller — sew pink inside white — sweet cow ear
Sew at round 30-31, just above eyes, so ears stick out to the sides
Horns — make 2 — beige, 4.0mm:
R1: magic ring, 4 sc — 4
R2-3: sc 4 — 2 rounds — about 0.8" little horn
Sew at round 31-32, just above ears — tiny horns like in my finished cow
I sew the nose first, centered at round 26-27, then eyes a couple rounds above it, 10 stitches apart — that gives that sweet cow face you see in the photo. Ears go just above eyes, horns just above ears. Everything is little and quick — each ear takes about 5 minutes.
Close-up of ears and horns — beige ears with a soft curve and little horns — fresh photo on linen.
The long crossbody strap
Ch 150, sc in 2nd chain and each chain — 149 sc — Row 1 — long chain
Row 2: ch 1, sc 149 — second row makes it a little thicker and sturdier — about 45" long when finished — crossbody length that goes over your shoulder
I like mine to feel sturdy for a light 16-20 oz bottle with water inside — I test it with my own bottle and a little water — it feels secure for a small bottle for a walk — if you carry a heavier bottle or like extra strength, you can add a thin cotton cord inside as you crochet the second row, or use a slightly thicker yarn
Sew strap to tube at round 32-33, left and right sides — sew through about 5 stitches each side and go over it 3 times so it's strong
The strap is long — about 45 inches — so you can wear it crossbody and have your hands free. I make it with two rows of single crochet so it feels a little thicker and not too stretchy. For a light water bottle with just water inside it feels sturdy and secure — I always test with my own bottle first and give it a little tug. If you plan to carry a heavier bottle, you can easily add a thin cotton cord inside while you crochet, or just use a slightly thicker yarn for the strap.
Putting it all together
1. Bottom circle — 42 stitches — about 3" inside where bottle sits, 3.5" tip-to-tip
2. Sew 3 black spots randomly — 1" and 1.5" wide
3. Sew pink nose at round 26-27 front center — oval 18 stitches with 2 nostrils
4. Eyes 12mm at round 28-29, 10 stitches apart, above nose
5. Ears at round 30-31 — white with pink inside — horns at round 31-32 — beige 0.8"
6. Strap at round 32-33 sides — about 45" long — sewn 5 stitches each side 3 times for strength
7. Try your bottle inside — 16-20 oz bottle about 2.75" wide — should slide in with a tiny bit of room on each side
8. Weave all tails — white inside white — 3 stitches forward, 3 back
I always try my bottle inside before I weave the last tails — that way if it feels a little snug I can stretch the cotton gently with my fingers. Cotton stretches just a bit and then holds its shape.
Finished — my cow carrying your bottle
And here she is — my little cow water bottle holder. White with soft black spots, a pink nose with two tiny nostrils, little beige horns and ears, and a long strap so you can wear her crossbody. She holds my 16 oz bottle perfectly for morning walks, and I love how the little ears flop a bit when you walk.
Finished — my little cow water bottle holder with a water bottle inside, pink nose, black spots, and a long crossbody strap — ready for a walk. 🐮🍼💕
I made the first one for my friend who walks her dog every morning and always has to juggle her bottle. She texted me a photo of her cow on her shoulder with her dog in the background and said, "She's the cutest walking buddy." That's when I knew I had to write this pattern down properly for you. I hope your cow goes on lots of walks with you too, and maybe holds a little iced coffee in the summer — she loves iced coffee season too.
Thank you for making this little cow with me — I hope she goes on lots of walks and holds lots of water bottles and iced coffees for you. If you make her, tag me — I love seeing your cows. 🤍🐮