Have you felted yet? Sure you have…you just didn’t realize that it was an actual knitting technique. Felting was when you put that expensive sweater in the washing machine with hot water and it came out very very tiny. The process is used by knitters to shrink knitted fabric down and make it tighter. It works wonderfully for hats, shoes or clogs, place mats or coasters and purses. When you knit a purse, pens and other small items may slip through the knitted fabric. Often knitters have to line the purse to make it more secure and usable. But a felted purse will stop these little objects from falling through because the knitted fabric has been shrunk down and made solid.
When I first moved to DC I went through a felting craze. (shocked, aren’t you) I loved felting and ordered no less than ten felted purse patterns from an online store and proceeded to knit what looked to be giant purses and then shrunk them down in the washer. I think I am over this now, but every once in awhile a felting pattern will catch my eye.
This entrelac felted purse is one of those patterns for me. I love entrelac, as we know, so this is one pattern that has taken the technique and worked it into an adorable purse. I also love that the handles are real purse handles. (I don’t know why this little touch makes me happy, but it does). It can also be knit in a more evening bag size.
Olga selected this project for a class this fall, October 18th and 25th from 10 am to noon at Knit Happens. Since the other entrelac class this fall is filled, this is a great alternative way to learn the entrelac technique and to throw in some felting while you’re at it.