2010-05 Felted Striped Bag

I made my mother a felted blue bag about a year ago and loved it so much that I finally got around to making myself one. I have a lot of bags, but don’t have anything in brown. So, I picked out different shades of brown Galway yarn from Gabriella’s yarn shop in Naples.  For more about felting, please see my post: https://knitwerks.com/2010/02/20/felting/

2 skeins color A Galway Worsted (a little over 1 full skein)

1 skein color B Galway Worsted

1 skein color C Galway Worsted

1 size 9 circular needle

Base of Bag

With size 9 needles, cast on 54 stitches in color A

Row 1 Slip 1st Stitch, Knit

Row 2 Slip 1st Stitch, Purl

Complete 30 more rows

Bag itself:

Side 1 K54

Side 2 pick up 15 using slipped stitches

side 3 pick up 54

side 4 pick up15 using slipped stitches

K10 rows color A

K5 rows color B

K3 rows color C

K5 rows color B

Repeat above 3 times

K5 rows color A

Bind off

Handles:

Create 2 38 inch 6 stitch icords alternating between the 3 colors.

Cord: Create a 15 inch 3 stitch icord with color C.

Throw bag, handles and cord in a pillowcase. Tie or zipper it closed and felt in washing machine with hot water and a pair of jeans (see felting instructions page). Check often and pull out when at desired dementions. Mine took one agitation cycle. You may need more than one, but make sure you check before rinse cycle begins. Place over box to dry so that felt bag keeps that shape.

Fold sides in and poke holes in side of bag and make a knot in each handle on the inside edge of the bag. Poke holes in center of one side of bag and insert cord, tying ends together on the inside of the bag. Sew a large button to the other side of the bag and use cord loop to keep bag closed. See below pictures.

Wear and enjoy.