Windy City Tote in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool - 80890AD

Windy City Tote – Free Felted Knitting Pattern Using Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool

The Windy City Tote (Pattern Number 80890AD) is a free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn that produces a sturdy, everyday felted purse. After the felting process, the finished tote measures approximately 9½ × 14 inches (24 × 35.5 cm), making it a practical mid-sized bag suitable for daily use. The pattern is rated Easy, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore the satisfying craft of felting for the first time.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a felted knitted tote bag complete with two handles. The bag is knitted flat in a simple striped colorblock design, then seamed, shaped at the corners, and run through a washing machine to felt the fabric down into a dense, firm, and durable material. The result is a polished, structured purse that holds its shape beautifully thanks to the felting process.

About Felting

Felting is a technique in which a knitted fabric made from natural animal fiber — in this case, wool — is deliberately agitated in hot water, causing the individual fibers to interlock and shrink together. The resulting fabric is thicker, denser, and more rigid than the original knitted piece, and individual stitches become nearly invisible. Because the fabric shrinks significantly during felting, the tote is knitted to a much larger size before washing. Felted bags are prized for their durability and their ability to stand upright and maintain structure without any stiffening interfacings or linings.

Materials Required

• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool (Color: Nature's Brown, shade 150-126) – 1 ball, used as Color A
• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool (Color: Oatmeal, shade 150-123) – 1 ball, used as Color B
• Lion Brand Knitting Needles, Size 10.5 (6.5 mm)

Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool is a 100% pure wool yarn, which is essential for successful wet felting. Synthetic fibers and superwash-treated wools will not felt, so the natural, untreated fiber content of this specific yarn is a key reason it is chosen for this project. The two colorways — Nature's Brown and Oatmeal — create a warm, earthy, neutral stripe pattern that suits the rustic, handcrafted character of a felted bag.

Gauge

The pre-felting gauge is 16 stitches and 20 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch. Checking gauge before felting is important because the degree of shrinkage during felting can vary, and starting at the correct pre-felt dimensions helps ensure the finished bag reaches the intended size.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st) – The entire tote body and both handles are worked in Stockinette stitch, knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side. This is the most fundamental knitting stitch pattern and creates a smooth fabric that felts evenly and cleanly.
• Stripe Colorwork – The tote body alternates between Color A (Nature's Brown) and Color B (Oatmeal) in 5-row blocks, repeated across the full length of the piece for a classic horizontal stripe effect.
• Cast On and Bind Off – Standard cast-on and bind-off techniques are used for both the tote body and the handles.
• Seaming – After knitting, the tote is folded in half and the side seams are sewn together. The bottom corners are folded and sewn to create a structured, boxy base.
• Wet Felting (Machine Felting) – The assembled bag is washed in a hot wash/cold rinse cycle with detergent and additional laundry items for agitation. For additional felting, the bag can be placed in the dryer on a regular setting until nearly dry, then pulled into its final shape by hand.

Construction Details

The tote body is cast on with 86 stitches and worked