Felted Knitting Bag
I was asking people on face book what they make to sell in warm weather. One suggestion was a knitting bag.
I used the flat resist method and cut the handle and flap form the top of the resist.
After cutting the handle and flap I blew up a balloon inside it and wrapped it up and let it bounce around the dryer for a while.
Next I cut the J. Thinking of the bag like a portable knitting bowl. Then another tumble.
I wanted to bind the edge. I tried leather but that wouldn’t work at all. Then I tried some bias tape. That worked better but not great. It was ugly but part of that is the bad sewing too.
I took that off and used a blanket stitch. that worked much better.
I don’t like the way the jay effects the shape or the way it hangs open. Not bad for a first design. I will make some changes in the next one. I will make the handle longer so I have a bigger flap. I will make a smaller slit for the yarn to come out of the bag. I realised with the bag having a flap over the top to stop the ball bouncing out I don’t need to make a J at all. I did see a bag with a grommet in the back near the bottom that looked very neat and tidy but if you use a hole you can’t take the yarn out of the bag without breaking the yarn. Ideally a little U shaped metal frame that could be squeezed shut around the felt (similar to when you put snaps onto a bag) would be best but I haven’t found anything like that. Purse frames work like that; you slide the felt into the channel of the frame and squeeze it shut and it grabs the felt or in some cases you sew the frame on. The problem is I just want a small U shaped piece. I always seem to be looking for things that don’t exist
18 thoughts on “Felted Knitting Bag”
That turned out really nicely, Ann 🙂
Thank you Zed
Ann, what about you keeping the J as it was in the beginning, and adding a little button to one side, so one could close the opening with a piece of felt that would close on said button? I don’t know if I’m explaining myself very well 🙂
I did think about adding another button at the curve. It would work. it does make it look like more than just a bag with a fancy name.
It’s a great idea and very pretty with the surface design. I’m sure you’ll work something out for the yarn!
Thank you Lyn. Yes I will think of something.
That’s very cool Ann! I know exactly how you feel about wanting things that don’t exist which is why we need to invent them. 🙂
Thanks Marilyn. I thought about the caning they use for stained glass. I don’t know if it is still lead based.
very pretty – try shaping a large paper clip in to a “U”, cover with roving and then blanket stitch in place in a slit – just an idea
Thank you. Good Idea Shadyrr that would help it keep its’ shape
It’s a very nice bag Ann. I love the colours and the design.
If you want to use a bias edging on a curve, you need to stretch it a little as you apply it, then it will lie flat. It’s also easier to do it in 2 stages. Open the binding and attach it by sewing along one of the folds, then turn it and finish either by hand or machine – I have a preference for hand finishing. Horses for courses! 🙂
Thank you Koffipot. Yes, it would have worked better if I had done one side at a time. I was being lazy the curve is just so tight. Maybe I could get some stainless steel fiber for spinning and spin my own metal edge. 🙂
Your bag turned out well, Ann, even though it wasn’t finished quite how you envisioned. Although I am not a knitter, my sis is, so I think this would make a nice gift at some point in the future. About the balloons you use–what size or weight do you buy that will go in a washer or dryer?
Thank you. the balloons are just regular cheap 1/4 pound bag of balloons form the dollar store. they are usually a mix of sizes. They are not blown up to maximum so they have some give and they can expand out the hole if they have too. I do not use any heat in the dryer. I am using it as a tumbler.
Hello Ann, what a super creative idea.. I have never seen a felted knitting bag/bowl… I like the button hole stitch around the opening…. Great job..
Thank you Judy.
I think working out the design for something is the fun part 🙂 I’m sure you’ll come up with a solution that works. I am not a knitter either but when I looked up knitting bags, none of them seemed to have any special hole for the yarn. But some did include a matching knitting needle holder with inside pockets to hold extra stuff. If you made it more complex, you could charge more for it but of course it would take longer to make too.
most I have seen are large with extra stuff. I took it to the guild and people seemed to like the size. maybe when you gave a big bag it get full of to much stuff.