DIY Network

Felting: Flower Purse Felting: Flower Purse From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-103

Have you ever accidentally laundered a favorite wool sweater and ended up with a doll-sized garment? If so, you already know a little about felting, a process by which knitted wool is soaked in hot water to shrink and tighten the fibers and create a dense fabric. Show host Vicki Howell and knitting expert Beverly Galeskas (and, of course, the Knitsters) demonstrate felting and show how to make a funky, flowery felted purse.

Beverly Galeskas's Flower Purse.

Notice how much smaller the felted square (left) is than the unfelted one.

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Design by Bev Galeskas ©2004 Fiber Trends, Inc.

Size
Approximately 6" deep by 10" wide across top edge.
Size will vary with the amount of felting.

Materials:
150-200 yards 14-ply (bulky) Woolpak 100 percent New Zealand Wool
2 ring markers
16" (40 cm) circular needle, US size 11 (8 mm)
2 double-pointed needles, US size 13 (9 mm)
Spare 16" circular needle in a smaller size
Fiber Trends' Needle Felting Starter Kit and Colored Roving Variety Pack

Unfelted Gauge: Approximately 12 sts = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on size 11 (8 mm) needles.

Stitches And Abbreviations Used:
RS or WS: Right side or wrong side.
k2tog: Knit 2 sts together as one.
m1 (make 1): Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand between the last stitch worked and next stitch on left needle, forming a loop on the left needle. Knit through the back of this loop.
Stockinette stitch in rounds: Knit all rounds.

Figure A

Knitting Instructions
With size-11 circular needle, very loosely cast on 32 sts.
Place a marker on needle and join into round (figure A), being careful that stitches are not twisted.

Tip: If your cast-on edge is too tight to join, try casting on with a larger needle, or use two needles held together while casting on.

	Make one (to see a step-by-step demo, click on the video link below)...
	Media Watch the Video

Round 1: Purl.
Round 2: k1, *m1, k1, m1, k13,* m1, k1, m1, k1, repeat from * to * m1, k1, m1. (40 sts)
Round 3: Purl.
Round 4: k2, *m1, k1, m1, k15,* m1, k1, m1, k3, repeat from * to * m1, k1, m1, k1. (48 sts)
Row 5: Purl. This completes the bottom of the purse.

Knitting Quick Tip: Bleached yarn will not felt. The bleaching process affects the scales of the fiber cuticles. Always check the yarn label and avoid using bright-white yarns for your felting projects.

RESOURCES :

Woolpak wool yarn
14-ply (bulky) 100 percent New Zealand wool

Fiber Trends' Needle Felting Starter Kit and Colored Roving Variety Pack
Fiber Trends
Web: fibertrends.com

Felted Knits
By Beverly Galeskas
Interweave Press 2003
Website: www.interweave.com

GUESTS :

Beverly Galeskas
Fiber Trends
Website: www.fibertrends.com