Felted Purse in Plymouth Boku - F184

Felted Purse in Plymouth Boku – Pattern F184 Summary

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn Design Studio (pattern number F184) guides knitters through creating a charming small felted purse using just one 50g ball of Plymouth Yarn Boku. The finished bag is compact and practical, measuring approximately 6 inches wide by 7 inches tall after the felting process has been completed. Because felting shrinks and transforms the fabric, the knitted piece is worked at a much larger size before being washed down to its final dimensions.

What Is Being Made

The project is a small 1-ball felted purse — a handheld bag knitted flat in one continuous piece that includes an integrated handle at each end. The handle openings are formed directly within the knitting using a bind-off and cast-on technique, meaning no separate strap needs to be constructed or attached. Once knitting is complete, the sides of the purse are seamed together and the entire piece is felted to create a dense, sturdy fabric with a polished, finished appearance.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting: The entire purse is worked back and forth in rows on a single pair of needles, making it accessible to knitters who are comfortable with basic flat construction.
• Cable cast-on: This technique is used to recreate stitches across the handle openings after binding off, forming the top edges of the integrated handles cleanly and firmly.
• Seaming: After knitting, the sides of the purse are sewn together. The pattern specifically recommends using a flat wool yarn such as Plymouth Yarn Galway for seaming, as it will felt along with the body of the bag and become invisible in the finished piece.
• Wet felting (fulling): The completed and seamed knitted bag is felted — typically by machine washing in hot water with agitation — which causes the wool fibers to mat together, shrinking and firming the fabric into a dense, non-fraying material. This is the defining finishing technique of the pattern.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch: The handle sections at both ends of the purse are worked entirely in garter stitch (knit every row). Garter stitch is used here because it lies flat, creates a firm edge, and felts beautifully.
• Stockinette stitch: The main body of the purse — approximately 15½ to 16 inches of fabric before felting — is worked in stockinette stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side). Stockinette felts into a smooth, even surface that gives the finished bag its clean look.
• Bind-off and cable cast-on within a row: These are used mid-row to shape the handle openings, creating the functional slots through which the handles are formed without any additional construction.

Materials

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Boku — 1 ball of 50g is all that is required for the entire purse. The pattern sample is shown in color 2. Boku is a wool-blend yarn well suited to felting due to its natural fiber content.
• Seaming yarn: A small amount of Plymouth Yarn Galway is recommended for sewing the purse together. Galway is a flat, smooth wool yarn that integrates seamlessly into the felted fabric.
• Needles: US size 10 straight or circular needles, or the size necessary to achieve the stated gauge.

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 14 stitches over 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US size 10 needles, measured before felting. Because the piece will shrink significantly during the felting process, achieving the correct pre-felting gauge is important for reaching the intended finished dimensions of 6 inches wide by 7 inches tall.

Who This Pattern Is For

This is an excellent project for knitters who want to explore felting for the first time, as the construction is straightforward and the one-ball requirement keeps the project quick and affordable. The integrated handles, simple stitch pattern, and minimal seaming make it a satisfying beginner-to-intermediate