Being a girl, I am always searching for the perfect purse concept. For a while, I really liked an origami-style structure, starting with a flat piece that I folded and stitched into a tube, then added gussets and straps. The bottom of the purse was not as sturdy as I would like, though. Then I noticed that a number of interesting designs are basically some manipulation of a flat tube, or envelope.
I started with a sample with a kit for a felted purse. The yarn is worsted weight, and I used a 5mm hook.
Once I had a flat tube (stitched in a coil, in what I call bag stitch because it is sturdy and not stretchy, which also works for plackets on sweaters), I formed a base by seaming the bottom corners. This base is asymmetrical.
This left an open tube that was a bit goofy, so I basted that shut on the outside and inside before running it through the washer and dryer for felting.
I wanted to see how much the wool would shrink/felt, and the answer turned out to be, “A lot.” Now I know. But it is really sturdy and essentially waterproof.
Made a couple of flowers from the leftover yarn and added the zipper that came with the original kit, and the result is both useful in my everyday purse and also a meditation of what I want to try next.
For my next variation, I am using a DK weight yarn and a 4mm hook for an everyday purse.
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