Blue and White Felted Purse

Blue and White Felted Purse
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

I wanted to knit another felted bag but didn't want to use the same pattern I'd used on the last 2 bags. I did like the clutch handle though, and wanted to use that type of handle in my new felted bag. However, I wanted my new bag to also have a flat bottom and I also wanted to knit it up without seams to sew.

I remembered a shawl pattern that I had knitted a few years back, that called for picking up stitches along the other three sides. So I thought about this and finally decided....yes, I can do that with a felted bag as well.

So I grabed my size 10 1/2 circular needles, some of my Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk and some Hanspun White Blueface Leicester and started thinking up how I could incorporate the 2 different yarns together into a bag.

I began with casting on 36 stitches with the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk. I then knit back and for in the garter stitch for 36 rows. Then I picked up 18 stitches along the right side and 36 stitches along the bottom and another 18 stitches along the left side. I placed a marker to mark the beginning and 2 more markers on the sides (dividing the 18 stitches in half). The 2 extra markers would help me later when I went to center the handles in both the front and back.

I knit 1 more round with just the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino Silk, to start up the sides of the felted bag. Now here was where I wanted to add my Handspun White Blueface Leicester to give the Felted bag some Blue and White Stripes. So I began the next round by following this pattern.

Row 1: * Sl 1, K1 (White BFL)* around to beginning marker.
Row 2: *K1, Sl 1 (Majestic Sky)* around to beginning marker.
Row 3: *Sl 1, K1 (Majestic Sky)* around to beginning marker.
Row 4: *K1, Sl 1 (White BFL)* around to begining marker.

I continued these 4 rows until I have knitted 36 rows. Then I cut the Handspun White BFL and wove that yarn into the felted bag. I then continued knitting with just the Handspun Majestic Sky Merino for 8 rows.

My next row I need to start working on the clutch handles. Here I knew I had 54 stitches on each side and I wanted to cast off 16 stitches in the center of the 54 stitches, so I went to my calculator and put in 54 stitches - 16 stitches = 38 stitches left. Here I had to divide the 38 stitches by 2 to come up with 19 stitches on either side of the handles. This would give me a centered handle.

So now I just had 38 stitches on side and 38 stitches on the other. I would be just knitting on one side for now, so I put the other 38 stitches on a holder. I now would have to knit 1 row and purl 1 row on the first 38 stitches for 10 rows, then I cut the yarn and put these 38 stitches on a holder and picked up the other 38 stitches from the holder and attached my yarn and began knitting 1 row and purling 1 row for 10 rows.

Once I had knitted and purled 10 rows on both sides, I would be rejoining, these sides by casting on 16 stitches, knitting 38 stitches and casting on 16 stitches. Then I would continue knitting in the round for 8 more rows. Then I cast off loosely all the way around and woven in all my threads.

Now that my bag was finished, all I needed to do was felt and block it. So I put my bag into my washer on a low water level with extremely hot water and washed it twice to get it felted to the right size. After the washing I placed my newly felted bag over a small box to get the bottom of the bag to dry flat, and give the bag a nice square side. The handles I left alone to dry naturally.

Here's what my Blue and White Felted Purse looks like. Not bad for my first ever design.