Using 6mm hook, FSC 16 sts (about 6 inches long), then continue working in continuous rounds. I made the first round after foundation row in SC then switched to HDC to help the rest of the project grow faster. At my gauge two rows of HDC equaled about 1 inch in height. Working this way one skein yielded about 47 inches of tube, a little over half as long as I wanted, so I had to break into a second skein to reach the desired finished length.
I placed a marker to indicate when my tube had reached a length that was about half as long as the finished tube should be (for me this was after 2 rows SC plus 80 rows HDC). It’s important to measure the actual length of your work to determine where you’re at rather than to rely on row counts for length, just to make sure you end up with a finished tube that’s the right size. Once you’ve marked the halfway point, you can fold the tube at the marker as you work the second half to more easily figure the length of the second half. (At least for me this is easier than constantly using a tape measure to figure out where I’m at.)
Continue working until the tube you’re crocheting measures about 76 inches long. In my experience these hose covers work better if they’re a little longer than the hose itself. Switch to 5mm hook and finish with 4 rounds of FPDC/BPDC for a ribbing effect, then fasten off and weave in ends.
For better performance sew a couple of rows of silicone-striped grip elastic to the inside of the hose cover at the ribbed end (cut elastic to 3.5-inch lengths). This will be the end closest to the user. The grip elastic will cinch the cover against the hose, and the silicone grip will prevent the cover from slipping down the hose and away from the user. The whole point of using a hose cover is to keep the cold plastic away from the CPAP user. Well, that and a hose cover cuts down on air noise and prevents condensation buildup.
Placing the grip elastic at only one end also makes it easier to feed a fresh hose into the cover from the end without the elastic when it’s time to change the hose.
