Felted Loopy Tote Bag in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool

Felted Loopy Tote Bag Knitting Pattern in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn guides crafters through creating the Felted Loopy Tote Bag, a soft, felted handbag designed by Virginia Rowan Rokholt. The finished bag combines practical everyday functionality with playful feminine style, featuring a loopy ruffle trim around the opening and elegant hard Lucite handles for a retro Art Deco-inspired touch. A length of leopard-print ribbon (the sample uses Offray #310054) adds an additional decorative accent. This is a one-size pattern rated Easy skill level, making it an approachable project for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques but eager to explore the exciting world of felting.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a felted tote bag worked in a simple rectangular shape, then folded, seamed, trimmed with a handmade loopy cord ruffle, and shrunk down through a wet felting process in the washing machine. Before felting, the bag measures 20 inches tall by 25 inches wide, and after felting it shrinks dramatically to a compact and sturdy 10 inches tall by 16 inches wide (both measurements excluding handles). The felting process transforms the loosely knitted fabric into a dense, firm, almost fabric-like material that holds its shape beautifully and is naturally durable.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 2 skeins of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in colorway Natural (150-098) — a 100% pure wool yarn essential for the felting process, as animal fibers felt and bond together when agitated in hot water
• Primary Knitting Needles: Lion Brand Knitting Needles, Size 10.5 (6.5 mm) — used for the main body of the bag
• Double-Pointed Needles: Lion Brand Double-Pointed Needles, Size 8 — used to create the I-cord ruffle trim
• Crochet Hook: Lion Brand Crochet Hook, Size G-6 — used for seaming and attaching the ruffle
• Finishing Needles: Large-Eye Blunt Needles (set of 6) for weaving in ends
• Additional Materials: Lucite handles, approximately 1 yard (1 meter) of leopard-print ribbon (sample uses Offray #310054), a glue gun, and glue sticks for attaching the handles and ribbon

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 14.5 stitches over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on the larger Size 10.5 needles, measured before felting. Checking gauge before felting is particularly important in this project because the degree of shrinkage during the felting process depends on the initial fabric density. A looser or tighter gauge can significantly affect the final dimensions of the finished bag.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch: The main body of the bag is worked entirely in stockinette stitch — knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side — over 90 cast-on stitches for a length of 40 inches (101.5 cm). This creates the smooth, even fabric that felts most predictably.
• I-Cord: The decorative loopy ruffle is created using a classic knitting technique called I-cord, worked on double-pointed needles with just 6 stitches. I-cord is made by casting on a small number of stitches, then sliding them to the opposite end of the needle and knitting across again without turning the work, pulling the yarn tightly across the back. This creates a narrow, tube-like cord. The cord is worked until it reaches a length of 20 feet (6 meters).
• Cast On and Bind Off: Standard cast-on and bind-off techniques are used for both the main bag body and the I-cord.

Crochet Techniques Used

• Slip