Felted Bags, another stash busting project!

I felted some slippers as gifts, the Christmas of 2011. I have plenty of 100% wool yarn left from the slippers, and other projects. So, I decided to knit some bags and felt them as gifts for Christmas of 2012. Felting is an extraordinary experience. I watched the knitted big floppy bag transformed into a fuzzy, dense, smaller bag! I have tried felting with a few brands of 100% wool yarn,  in the end, I prefer Patons Classic Wool. It is affordable, and your projects will felt nicely. Here are a few bags that I made. You can get the yarn and project information by clicking on the link to my page on Ravelry.

http://ravel.me/SJSEAL/sfb

http://ravel.me/SJSEAL/sbbfb

http://ravel.me/SJSEAL/sgawb

Small Felted Bag Pattern

Material: 100% wool 

Needle: US 11, 24" circular needle

Instruction:

Cast on 55 stitches, with two strands of yarn held together. Join, to knit in the round, and be careful not to twist the stitches. (You will knit the entire bag with two strands of yarn held together.)

Row 1: [K1,P1] to the last stitch, K1

Row 2: [P1,K1] to the last stitch, P1

Row 3: Repeat Row 1

Row 4: Repeat Row 2

Row 5: Repeat Row 1

Row 6: [K 10, inc] 5 times (60sts)

Row 7: Knit 10 rounds

Row 17: K3, M1, K24, M1, K6, M1, K24, M1, K3. (64sts)

Row 18: Knit 12 rounds

Row 30: K4, M1, K24, M1, K8, M1, K24, M1, K4. (68sts)

Row 31: Knit 14 rounds

Row 58: K4, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl (knit 2 together through back loop), K8, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K4 

Row 59: K3, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K6, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K3. (60sts)

Row 60: K2, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K4, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K2. (56sts)

Row 61: K1, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K2, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K1. (52sts)

Row 62: K2tog, K22, K2togtbl, K2tog, K22, K2togtbl. (48sts remaining)

Use another US 11 circular needle, and slip 24 stitches onto this needle. That way, you have divided the 48sts to 24sts evenly on each needle. Turn bag inside out, and bind off using the 3 needle method.

Handles (make two) :

Cast on 55 stitches, holding two strands of yarn together. Knit 3 rows back and forth, then bind off loosely.

Finish:

Attach handles to bag. Lastly, felt it.