Knitted Felted Purse

This is  the first time I have tried to make a felted purse, I must admit that I like the feel, and look of felted purses. Besides the fact that they are strong, and light the shapes of the purse are as varied  as your mind dream.

The pattern called to make 2 sides, 2 bottoms, and 2 side panels.

 The bottom panels I did in different colors.  The side, and front measured 9.5 inches high, the bottom measured 7x20 inches square, the handles measured 25 inches,the width of the purse was 20 inches.

This was the result of felting.  It shrank too small, more of a clutch size.

Being this was my first time felting, I just put the purse in a pillow case, filled the washing machine with hot water, and a squirt of dish soap. I let the washing machine agitate for 20 minutes before I checked my  purse, it was too late. I tried to pull it larger without success.
The size of the purse is 16 inches wide, 5 inches high, the bottom 3x16 inches square, the handles 18 inches. I'm going back to the drawing board...

So I bought more yarn, and decided to knit a round piece that I can sew into the clutch size purse, to enlarge it.

This is what it looked like after I cut the clutch in 2, and sewed the middle piece on. I had a piece left over so not to wasted I made  a small purse.

By laying brightly colored roving in round shapes. Take a empty bottle  dish soap fill with hot water, squirt a bit of dish soap. It should feel real soapy between your fingers. Dribble a generous amount of soapy mixture on top of felt, and roving.Wrap in bubble wrap tie ends together, rolling back and forth. and forth until the roving sticks to the felt piece.

You can see how the roving has intertwined with the felt piece, rinse allow to dry.

I added glass beads, and a large button.

This purse I felted with a felting needle, laying the roving in shapes of flowers, and leaves. The inside of the purse was lined with cotton fabric, and I sewed 2 pockets on each side.

This is a close up of the decorations on the purse, I added glass beads, and embroidered around the felted roving, I really learned a lot from this purse, and it was so much fun : )