Adding pocket to purse

This blog post is about adding a pocket to a hand knit purse,

after finishing the knit of the purse but before felting the purse.

For this demo I am using a purse with a different color stripe to assist in the addition.

First, you need to find the middle 27 stitches (or the number you wish to use)

and mark with stitch markers.  If you mark to the right of the most right stitch and

to the left of the most left stitch you will have 28 stitches marked.

From the inside of the purse, using a crochet hook, pull the yarn through

a space one row up and 1/2 stitch toward the middle of the purse.

Pull about 24 inches of the yarn to the inside of the purse.

Go to the right side of the purse and directly below the

stitch marker you placed insert the crochet hook. 

Pull the yarn through to the outside of the purse.

Place the yarn on a double point needle,

the same size needle as your original project.

Continue in this manner.

As you continue be careful to move over a full stitch and not a half stitch.

After I have about 10 stitches on the double point

I transfer them to a 24 inch circular needle.

I continue until I have all 28 stitches on the knitting needle.

Notice the original pull through is above the row.

Turn the purse.

Purl the first row, and all the odd number rows.

Knit the even number rows to create stockinette.

40 to 50 rows is a good number of stockinette rows.

End with a WS knit row, RS knit row, and WS knit row.

Bind off knitwise.  Sew the pocket to the purse before felting.
Height of pocket before felting was 9 1/2 inches.

And the photo after felting.
This pocket I knitted 50 rows of stockinette;
ending with 3 rows of garter stitch.
Height of pocket after felting was 5 1/2 inches.

I do felt my items to the point of no stitch definition showing.

When I design felted items I use US10 (6.5mm) needles 

with one strand of yarn.
I used a H (5mm) crochet hook for this demonstration. 

Handmade Adventures in Pigeon Forge, TN

 The only store my items are being sold in is Handmade Adventures in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  The hats and purses are shown here together, but they do not have to be purchased as a set.

 They have an ever changing selection of my hand knit, felted and needled felted items.

 Their inventory is constantly changing because all needle felt items are truly "One of a Kind".  The needle felt designs are applied by hand after I knit and felt the item.  I do look at photographs as I needle felt, but there are no patterns.  The needle felt process consist of 'pulling' roving and actually applying the roving with a single barbed needle.  This is a very time consuming process, even when the design appears to be simple.

 They also offer a variety of my felted bowls.  These are used as home decorations.

And they have several pairs of the fingerless gloves I have designed.  There are 3 different lace designs, all knit with different yarns. 

They also carry a limited supply of my original photograph greeting cards.

If you are in the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area please check them out.  They are located in the Old Mill Village.  This Saturday (September 22, 2012) there will be all kinds of activity going on because it is the 9th Annual Old Mill Heritage Day.  I will be demonstrating needle felting at the festival.

Lindsey's Felted Purse

I have been knitting and felting purses for several years now.  Every time I would knit a new one I would change the design just a little.  I was writing down as I knit and then the next time would change something small.  The hardest part for me was the flap.  Sometimes it would bow in the middle, sometimes it would be too long, sometimes too short.  Then I finally knit and felted one that I decided was the keeper design.  And so the "Lindsey Felted Purse" pattern was created.  I sent it to my test editor and test knitters, and they all decided it was a keeper too.

 The "Big Orange" purse has a handmade button.  Jimmy made the button from a walnut tree that was damaged during the April 2011 storms.  I sold the "Big Orange" Lindsey purse at the "A Taste For Art" this past Thursday evening.

 The blue one I even knitted a matching change purse.  I sold the change purse, but not the purse at the same event.

Then the green one I added the needle felt design.  Needle felt designs are made using the fiber instead of yarn and one barbed needle.  This process takes as long as knitting and felting the purse.  

Two of these purses are available for purchase on my Etsy site.  Just a click of the button on the right side of this blog.

This pattern design has now been released and can be purchased on Ravelry at "Lindsey's Felted Purse".

Update on Fairisle Purse

Just a quick update on my fairisle purse.
This is knit from the top down, so what you are seeing
is the top half of the purse.

Teal Felted Purse with needle felted bird and flowers

I designed this mesenger style purse and knit it.
After knitting, the purse is then felted.

After felting the purse I then needle felted
the bird and flowers on the purse.

I entered this purse in the Jefferson County Fair
this past summer and received first place in the felted category.

This purse sold at Heaven & Earth Gallery
on the craft loop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Knitting Project Updates

I had listed this purse earlier on Etsy, but removed it because I wanted to add more flowers. I have worked on it all day today and just listed it again on Etsy. I also have a Common Yellowthroat Warbler on a green purse. Then one of a bird (not quite a Chickadee in my opinion) and some flowers on a turquoise purse.

Latest needle felted purse, finished and listed

This is the purse I showed in progress
(a few post down the page if you want to see it while I was working on it).
The first picture is what I call the back of the purse,
because the flap closure is on the other side.

Once it was completed I had a hard time making up my mind if it was going on Etsy, or my shoulder. (UPDATE: I did take it off Etsy before it could sell. It is regularly on my shoulder)

I know the butterfly isn't really a Swallowtail (at least not one that I have ever photographed). Have you ever tried to needle felt a Swallowtail? It ain't easy! LOL! So this is what I decided on after looking at my own bought clothing that had butterflies. None of those butterflies look like the real thing either. Notice the tiny little bead for his eye. I was afraid to use the size I have been using for the birds, thought it would be too big. Can barely see this one in person.

The last picture is the front of the purse. Notice the green at the bottom on the front and the back. It is needle felted across the bottom and goes up just enough on each side for the flower stems to start in the grass.

When I make these and list them on Etsy my thought is if they don't sell the nieces will get purses for Christmas this year. This past year they all received scarfs, (never listed on Etsy). The purses would be a step up, don't you think? So far, they are selling, some faster than others. The last one I sold was shipped to Alaska.

Knitting Project Update

The collage has several small purses I have made, the coral colored ones are the only ones I still have. The entrelac purple and green ones (little squares) were ordered by one person for his daughters. He also purchased one of these in 2 colors of blue, and the purple peace sign one.

In Atlanta I took 2 classes taught by Gwen Bortiner on entrelac. The first class was design and I didn't even get to pick up my knitting needles. The 2nd class with Gwen was Mix and Match in Entrelac. We knit this cap while in class. For those of you that don't know anything about entrelac, it usually does not have design and different colors in each square. I really enjoyed this class and teacher. She has a new entrelac book coming out August-September 2010, Entree to Entrelac. I do plan on purchasing it.

This purse was not going to be needle felted to begin with, but after I knit and felted it something about it was crying out for some blue butterflies. I couldn't resist.

Now to what I am currently working on. Almost every purse I knit to felt is a new pattern, I keep changing my designs. And with felting you can't be sure how it is going to turn out when it is felted. The one below turned out to my favor, but I had planned on needle felting a Northern Cardinal. Something was telling me to change my mind again and I have now started needle felting Black Eyed Susans, on the front.
And on the back. This is just the beginning stage.
I will show you again when I list it on Etsy.
I have now started another purse with 'basically' the same design as the one above. I have not even thought about what I am going to needle felt on it. Seems like I change my mind by the time it comes out of the machine from the felting process, so why think about it right now?

Two new needle felted purses

I have been working on these 2 purses since I posted the Chickadee purse. Lots of interest in my needle felted purses, so thought I would post these here too. The styles of these two purses are totally different from each other.

Now to go work on a custom order for a dark purple drawstring pouch with a needle felted lightening flash. Have the pouch knitted and felted, now to work on the needle felting.