I found a pattern I liked (here) but then decided to modify it. This was a big mistake! I was aiming to make more of a tote style bag, but when it shrunk during the felting process it did not turn out that way at all.
I adjusted the pattern as follows using a size K10.5 (US) crochet hook:
- I chained 110 using brown yarn.
- I then made 10 rows of brown - 2 single crochets in each loop of the chain. Each set of single crochets were seperated by one chain stitch.
- Next came 12 rows of green made in the same fashion, then 10 rows of brown, 12 rows of green, and 10 more rows of brown.
- For the strap, I chained 8 followed by 9 rows of brown, about 80 rows of green, and 9 more rows of brown.
- The sides of the bag and strap was sewn using yarn. The finished size was approximately 20" x 32".
If you find a pattern you like that was not created especially for felting, you can try to adjust it to work for felting. During the felting process you can expect to lose around 25% of the size of the finished pattern. There is also usually a difference between how much height and width you will lose.
The best way to prevent 'surprises' is to test the yarn for shrinkage first. You can do this by creating a swatch to felt first. Simply knit or crochet a square, about 4" x 4". Run that square through the felting process to see what kind of results you get. Using those results, you can adjust your pattern as desired.
If you prefer not to knit or crochet your project you can construct it out of a wool sweater. Just make sure the sweater has not been shrunk already. I have a simple purse pattern here you can try.
