Knitted, Felted Purses

When I said that this was a grand experiment, I was not exaggerating. In fact, it's an experiment every time you try. That fact was told to me by the woman who owns the yarn shop where I shop in Traverse City, Mich. It was told to me by the woman who owns the knit shop I visit in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and it was mentioned several times in the directions I found in a brand-new knitting book. This is not to frighten you away but simply to warn you that things may not always turn out exactly as you had planned or expected. So you adapt.

The rules are few. The variations are many.

- You must use non-washable wool as your main yarn. It is best if it is 100 percent wool. For added body, use two strands of the wool yarn, and for added interest, make this in a contrasting and/or complimentary color. Knit the two together as one strand. For even further interest, add a third yarn that is not wool and will not shrink. This can be used throughout or as an accent.

- It is suggested to use needles at least one size larger than you would ordinarily use with the yarn you select. Two sizes larger are often preferred.

- Having knit your item, you will then do what you have been told NEVER to do with nonwashable wool yarn. You will wash it. You will, in fact, place it in a pillowcase and wash it at least once — maybe twice — in hot water in the washing machine. You may also wish to dry it in the dryer! Whether or not you add anything to the water is also up for grabs. I used a gentle detergent; Cherryl used a tablespoon of baking soda, and another time I used nothing. If you are washing nothing else, it is also a good idea to add a towel or two for agitation.

- In most cases, the knit item will shrink noticeably, so it is recommended that you make a sample swatch, measure it, wash it, and measure again. Only in this way will you know for certain how much it might shrink. Fortunately most of the items you will make will probably not be wearable items, so the exact amount of shrinkage will not be that important. It is not necessary to include the non-shrinking yarn when making the sample swatch unless you want to see what it will look like.

Olive Green and Gold Clutch Purse

Materials and Tools:

1 hank olive green Baabajoes Co. Wool Pac
3 balls Trendsetter's Dune
#11 needles

Steps:

1. Holding both yarns together, cast on 30 sts. and knit every row until the piece is twice the desired length. Folded in half, this will actually be the height not the length of the purse. Ours measured almost 12" in length so that folded in half it would be 6" high.

Figure A

2. To make the top flap, knit another 3" or so and then decrease one stitch at the end of every row for 10 rows. Cast off.

3. SC around the outside edge of the flap.

Figure B

4. Fold purse up to where the decrease starts. Stitch up the two sides.

5. Wash as described above.

Figure C

6. Add a decorative button for embellishment and to add weight to help hold the flap in place.

Small Burgundy Over-the-Shoulder Bag

Materials and Tools:

1 skein burgundy Lamb's Pride Bulky (85% wool, 15% mohair)
1 ball La Gran Mohair (burgundy) by Classic Elite Yarns
#11 circular needles

Steps:

1. Using both strands of yarn as one, cast on 40 sts and knit until piece is approximately 8" long. Cast off.

2. Press the purse flat and stitch across the bottom.

3. To make the handle, cast on 7 sts. Knit 4, purl 3. Turn. Continue to k 4, p 3, every row until piece is a couple inches longer than desired length to allow for shrinkage. Cast off.

4. Stitch ends to inside of purse and wash as described.

Figure D

5. Note: Another purse was knit using the same yarns but halfway up, a 3" wide band using purple mohair instead of burgundy was knit.

Cherryl's Large Blue Tote

This was our favorite. In this tote Cherryl used two wool yarns for the main body of the tote and then added a nylon yarn that did not shrink but added a decorative touch to the last five inches.

Materials and Tools:

1 hank Wool Pac from Baabajoes Wool Co. in variegated blues
1 hank Moose from K1C2 in variegated blues
1 ball Charm from Trendsetter in blue
#13 circular needles.
1 pair #11 straight needles

Steps:

1. Cast on 100 sts. and knit approximately 14" using the two wool yarns.

2. Add the third yarn and knit for approximately 5", making a total of 19".

3. Cast off and turn the tube inside out. Stitch across bottom to close.

Figure E

4. To make the handles, cast on 7 sts. for each handle using the two wool yarns. Knit 4, purl 3, for each row until each measures approximately 27" in length (24" after washing).

5. Stitch both ends of one handle to one side of the top edge of the tote. Repeat with second handle on other side of tote.

6. Wash as described. After washing, the tote measured 12" in length and 11" in width.

7. Make a tassel from remaining Charm yarn and sew to front of tote.