Small triangle purse

Small Triangle Purse by Astrid Schramm

Project Overview

This is a compact knitted triangle purse designed by Astrid Schramm as a practical accessory for carrying essentials like keys, a driver's license, and a mobile phone. The purse is small enough to use when a full handbag would be impractical, such as during dog walks. The design is versatile—the handle can be easily removed to convert the purse into a portemonnaie or coin purse for alternative use.

Finished Dimensions

The purse measurements change significantly before and after the felting process:

• Before felting: 27 x 23 cm (10.8" x 9.2")
• After felting: 22 x 15 cm (8.8" x 6")

Yarn and Materials

This project uses 1 ball (50 g) of Unikat by Atelier Zitron, a chunky weight yarn. The pattern notes that any other yarn achieving the correct gauge may be substituted, with Kureon by Noro given as an example alternative. The yarn choice is essential for obtaining proper fabric density before felting.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires US 8 (size 5) needles in multiple configurations to accommodate different knitting preferences and techniques:

• Single-pointed or circular needles (US 8) for the main body
• A short circular needle or set of double-pointed needles (US 8) for specific sections
• 3 buttons for finishing

Gauge

Gauge is critical for this project because the purse is intentionally felted to achieve its final dimensions. The gauge measurements reflect this transformation:

• Before felting: 16 stitches and 24 rows = 10 cm (4") x 10 cm (4")
• After felting: 8 cm (3.1") x 6.5 cm (2.6")

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This intermediate-level project employs specialized knitting techniques to create the triangle shape and structure. The pattern uses wrapped stitches (w&t), a shaping technique that creates smooth transitions in the knitted fabric.

Wrapped stitch technique: The abbreviation w&t refers to knitting or purling until the last stitch, then bringing the yarn to the front of the work, slipping the next stitch from the left-hand needle, taking the yarn to the back of the work, and slipping the stitch back to the left-hand needle. This creates a wrapped stitch that prevents holes and laddering when working short rows, making it ideal for creating the triangular shaping in this purse design.

Felting Process

The purse incorporates felting as an integral part of the construction process. Felting significantly reduces the dimensions of the finished piece—approximately 18% reduction in width and 35% reduction in height—while creating a denser, more structured fabric. This transformation is essential to the purse's final appearance and functionality.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate difficulty, this project is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to work with short-row shaping techniques and felting processes.