The tapered tote is constructed seamlessly, leaving you with no pesky finishing to do at the end of your project! The straps are knit one at a time and then grafted together at the top using a three-needle bind off. Full instructions are provided for felting the bag in your washing machine. This pattern is an excellent beginner’s felting project. Felting is a fun and easy technique that you’ll find quickly becomes addictive!

Techniques utilized: knit, purl, pick up stitches, decrease, three-needle bind off.

Yarn Recommendations:

• Most animal-based fibers will felt. Wool is the most commonly used fiber for felting, but alpaca, angora, and mohair will felt as well. You can weave in decorative yarns (fun fur, etc.) in your projects, as long as you hold them double with an animal-based fiber that will felt.

• Cautionary note: AVOID SUPERWASH YARNS (these have been treated so they won’t felt when washed!)

• Fiber mixtures have mixed results—if you aren’t sure if it will felt, knit a swatch and test it first!

• Any time you mix different types of feltable yarn, knitting a test swatch is a good idea, since different yarns felt at different rates. You’ll have the most success if you combine yarns that felt at the same rate.

• ANOTHER CAUTIONARY NOTE: White and off-white colors are notoriously difficult to felt with. The bleaching process to achieve a white color strips the scales on the wool that cause the felting process to occur. Do test swatches for any white colored felting project!