Felt crafts
for knitted felted bags and purses

My felt crafts journey began when I discovered knitted felted bags and purses...I was experienced designing and knitting both lined and un-lined purses and bags using cotton, acrylics and wool but it hadn't occurred to me to felt any of them.

My interest was piqued and the search was on. How exactly do you felting techniques and what yarns would felt?

I searched and found quite a few felted pictures and free felting patterns on the net but the wool recommended either wasn’t available here (in Queensland) or, if ordered online, would cost far more than I was willing to pay for an experiment.

A little research showed me anything that was 100% wool or animal fibre would felt. Acrylics and cottons wouldn’t, but could be added to a project for detail.

So naturally I did what every knitter does, I fossicked through my stash - looking for any ball band that said 100% wool, hand wash only . I’ve yet to find a machine washable wool that will felt correctly - they will fuzzy up a little - but won’t actually felt.

I found some odd balls of wool and ends of my own handspun skeins of sheep wool.

Being the impatient type and raring to go with this new felt crafts idea. I thought to heck with a pattern I’ll knit some squares on large needles and see what happens. So I madly began knitting test squares :

These three were my very first samples. Before and after felting - I kept a record of their measurements including row, stitch count and needle size.

Bottom red sample is 100% wool purchased by the ball.Top brown sample is my homespun from purchased roving.Right hand white sample is my carded and spun fleece with an acrylic yarn included along the top edge.

I had to re-make the white sample because the red dye came out of the other two and stained it a light pink - good experience....I no longer felt strong dark colours together with lighter colours.

But all in all the experiment was a success all felted well and it was easier than I’d expected - I was hooked .

(I still maintain the habit of making a test square sample whenever trying a new felting yarn, yarn or colour combination , stitch pattern or radically different needle sizes.)

On with my felt crafts bag felting journey....

Just as I’d finished felting and drying my samples - and admiring the results!! The “Gods of knitting and felting” began smiling down upon me.

Firstly - I located a free pattern using Panda’s Woolbale ( one of the - reasonably priced - yarns readily available in Australia for felting )

and

Secondly - a local craft store was selling out Woolbale in a couple of colours that I knew my sister would enjoy, I was of course attracted by the price - my first felted bag would cost around $5.

The Woolbale pattern looked interesting but a little plain, I added random stripes and a base insert.

Here’s the result. My first completed knitted felted bag

Happily my sister loved this first effort and still uses it frequently for toting her knitting around the house. It’s proved a perfect traveling knitting bag, she simply lifts the base and packs it flat in her suitcase. Light and easy.

Has my journey inspired you to try felt crafts, particularly bag making? If so, try some of our felted bag patterns - we've also included a link to the above pattern.

You’ll discover felting isn’t an exact science - but the good news is - your felting life will be full of wonderful surprises.....and you’ll never be short of bags, purses or totes to give or use yourself.....

Enjoy.....

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