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A Bit Of Hope: A Tiny Felted Purse – Free Knitting Pattern

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A tiny blue felted purse with a pink lining sits in the palm of a person's hand.
A tiny felted purse made in light blue wool with hand beading has a fun pink lining. The purse is lying on a bed of sedums that are bright green with white flowers.
A tiny, felted purse made in light blue and beaded with clear, silver-lined beads lies on a bed of sedum plants with small white flowers.
Two tiny felted purses side by side: on the left is a light turquoise bag with clear beads and on the right is a blue and green striped bag.
Five tiny felted A Bit Of Hope felted purses by Noni Designs are lined up vertically rather like toppled dominoes on a stone surface.
A tiny red felted purse by Nora Bellows of Noni Designs sits on a wooden background. Centered on its front is a metal "A Noni Design" label.

I have been thinking a lot about hope as winter begins. For me, hope can be a small thing, but always with you. We tuck it away. Hold it tight in our hands or worry it with nervous fingers. Small hope gets us through. Hope is big. This tiny bag, is the little big bag that carries hope.

As any knitter knows, the knitted gift is always more than its physical self. It is hours of thought, a meditation often, of love. Of hope. This tiny purse is no different, even though it is quick to knit and easy to finish. This tiny purse is perfect for small treasures. It is a re-usable gift box for a lovely gift. Or it is the gift itself. It is a bodacious stash buster, too, requiring only 20 yards of feltable worsted weight yarn. You don’t have 20 yards of one color? Stripes are fun. Maybe more fun. Make several for tiny precious surprises or as a happy container for your stitch markers and other small knitting notions. Attach a key chain and carry it with you.

Pattern Difficulty Level

Easy: This project requires knowledge of casting on, knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round on double-pointed needles, binding off, and some hand-sewing to complete the finishing process and to make the tiny bag linings (if desired).

Four tiny felted purses in shades of blue, green, and purple are displayed together.

Finished Dimensions

2 1/2 inches wide (6.25cm) by 2 1/2 inches tall (6.25cm

Unfelted Gauge

20 sts and 28 rounds = 4″ (10cm) in stockinette stitch on a US size 7 (4.5mm) needle

Yarn & Materials

Buy A LIttle Bit of Hope Limited Edition Hardware Kit – total Noni Designs inventory for this kit is only 28 pieces, so if you love this little bag, don’t wait!

If you love this little bag and might want to make more tiny bags, consider buying the Little Sweets Pattern. The Little Sweets pattern is also for sale on Ravelry. Little Sweets contains 3 bag patterns: A Little Bit of Hope plus Just Lipstick and Little Poof. All adorable.

If you’d like a copy of A Little Bit of Hope in your Ravelry Library, you can download the free pattern on Ravelry HERE.

Use promocode blogpost20 for a 20% discount off of the A LIttle Bit of Hope Limited Edition Hardware Kit and nearly everything* in the store from now until Friday, January 8th at midnight EST.

*Excluded from the sale are JUL leather handles and leather handle kits.

A tiny purse frame, a spool of white thread, silver-lined clear seed beads, and A Noni Design Label comprise the Little Bit Of Hope purse hardware kit displayed here on a wooden surface.

The Little Bit of Hope Kit Contains:

  • 1 Little Flirt Purse Frame
  • 1 Noni seed beads and thread: white with silver-lined clear beads
  • 1 A Noni Design label in lead-free, USA-made pewter
  • A tiny working lock and key as a gift from Noni (a $10 value!)

You will also need:

  • 20 yds (18.5m) worsted-weight, feltable wool from your stash or purchase a skein from Noni. The pictured bags are made with Stonehedge Fiber Mill’s Shepherd’s Wool
  • US size 7 (4.5mm) set of 5 double-pointed needles 
  • 2 locking stitch markers in different colors to mark sides
  • Sewing needle for finishing work
  • Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
  • Locktite Super Glue “Extra Time Control”
  • 1/16 yd (.05m) lining fabric if desired (optional)

A Little Bit Of Hope Purse Pattern

Purse Flaps (make 2)
First, cast on 6 stitches using your preferred cast on method. I worked the flaps separately on double-pointed needles, but you can certainly use a circular needle and work the flaps simultaneously if you prefer.
Row 1 (WS): P6.
Row 2: K1, m1r, k to last st, m1l, k1—8 sts.
Row 3: P8.
Row 4: Repeat row 2—10 sts.
Row 5: P10.
Row 6: Repeat row 2—12 sts.
Row 7: P12.
Row 8: Repeat row 2—14 sts.
Rows 9 – 11: Continue in St st. Place stitches for first flap on a spare needle if working separately and work the second flap as for the first.
Round 12: Note: Use your preferred needle(s) to work in the round, taking into consideration that you will be knitting a very small circumference, and, in the end, will perform a three-needle bind off, by dividing the stitches in half at the side markers. 

Join the 2 flaps together to finish the bag in the round as follows: knit across the last worked flap, place a marker to indicate the side seam of the bag, continue to work across the stitches from the second flap, place different colored marker to designate the side seam and beginning of the round. 

Purse Body
Rounds 13 – 16: Knit in the round.
Round 17: *K1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm; repeat from *, slip round marker—12sts each side.
Round 18: Knit in the round.
Round 19: Repeat round 16—10sts each side.
Round 20: Knit around.
Round 21: Repeat round 16—8 sts each side.
Round 22: Knit around.

After the last round turn the bag inside out so that RSs face each other and the WS of the fabric is facing you. Divide the sts onto 2 needles at the side markers so that the two sides sit parallel to each other. Perform a 3-needle bind off. Cut yarn. Weave in all ends. 

Three tiny knitted purses sit on a window sill waiting to be felted.

Finishing

Where possible, I have created live links to other blog post tutorials here in The Noni Blog that offer additional details about each finishing step. Details about how to felt your knitted bags are coming within the next few days to this blog. When that post is live on Tuesday, January 5, the Felt Your Bag heading below will become a live link.

Prepare to Felt Your Purse

For best results, have the purse frame available to check the size of the purse so that you do not over-felt or under-felt your bag. Felt your bag until the bag, from side seam to side seam, measures between 2.5 – 2.75″ (6.25 – 6.75cm).

I caution against overfelting as a general principle: an over-felted bag is difficult if not impossible to put in a frame. Once the purse is the desired size, rinse and then spin or press between absorbent cloths until slightly damp. Keep the purse slightly damp (not wet) until you can sew the purse into the frame. If you are not able to begin the finishing process immediately, place your felted purse in a plastic bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to glue the purse into the frame (see below).

Felt Your Bag

In the top-loading washer, choose the smallest (hot wash/cold rinse) load size since this purse is so tiny. Put in a small lingerie bag. You do not need to add anything else to the washer. You especially should not add anything, such as towels, that will add lint to the wash. Add a few drops of wool-wash or baking soda to create an alkaline wash environment. Turn back the agitation dial until the bag is felted to measurement specifications. Then spin or press dry.

In a dryer, choose the hottest setting. Soak the purse in cool water until the wool is saturated. Then put in the dryer. Felt just as you would in the washer: the agitation of the dryer and project wetness is what causes the felting. Stay close by, smooth out, check size, and re-wet often. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep the bag absolutely soaking wet and to check it every few minutes.

The purpose for such vigilance is not only to make sure the bag does not shrink too little or too much but also to ensure that it does not develop creases or curling at the bag edges and/or top. Creasing and curling are a particular danger with this really tiny purse: it is so tiny that it can get balled up and stay that way. I urge you to set a timer so that you are reminded to check your bag often in order to wet it, block it, and check its felting process.

Both during the felting process and once the bag has shrunk to the desired measurements, pull, push, and mush into shape using the photographs here and its size in relation to the frame itself to direct your efforts. Questions, worries, or felting emergencies? Take the bag out of the felting process, put in a plastic bag, and put it into the freezer. Then write to me in the comments section below and I will get back to you as quickly as I can.

Once your purse is felted, proceed to the finishing below and glue the purse into the purse frame.

Glue And Then Sew Your Purse Into The Purse Frame 

I recommend that you do not to skip this important step: Apply clear-drying, Locktite Extra Time Control glue into the “slot” of purse frame. Do NOT fill the slot, but rather put a single line of glue on the non-hole side of the flap.

Press flap edges into the slot with a tapestry or small-gauge double-pointed needle.

If needed, keep flaps in place with long (snug) basting stitches that go through the purse fabric and around frame (going through the sew holes is not necessary unless the purse is very densely felted and is difficult to keep in the frame). Immediately sew the purse into the frame as described below as sometimes the glue makes this step nearly or completely impossible.

Only remove basting stitches once glue has dried.

Sew the purse into frame while the glue is still drying: With a sharp, small- gauge sewing needle and beading thread, begin on inside of purse: bring threaded needle through felt, through first metal purse frame hole, and through a bead on the outside. 

*To reach the next sew-hole, angle the needle toward that hole as you put it back through the same frame hole out of which the needle just came. Pull snug. Your needle is now on the inside of the purse and the bead is secure on the outside of the purse. Repeat from * until each hole on frame exterior is filled with a bead. Finish off thread on the inside of the purse with a knot. Weave end(s) into the felt so as to be invisible before cutting the thread. 

Two tiny felted purses side by side: on the left is a light turquoise bag with clear beads and on the right is a blue and green striped bag.

Sew on The “A Noni Design” Label

A pile of A Noni Design labels are arranged on a wooden surface.
Noni Labels take your bag to the next level of finishing.

Measure carefully to position the label in the center front or back of the purse. Secure the label to the purse as follows: Place just a tiny dot of fabric or super glue on the label back and place in desired location. Hold in place until dry. Second, beginning on the inside of the purse, bring a threaded needle through purse fabric, through one of the metal label holes, and finally through a bead. Then go back through the same hole and through purse fabric. Travel on the inside of the purse (for invisible stitches, travel through the fabric of the felt) to next label hole and repeat the procedure until the label is secured through all four holes using beads. Cut the thread and secure on the inside of the purse.

Share Your Projects With Your Knitting Friends and With Us!

A series of tiny Noni "A Bit of Hope" Felted bags are lined up vertically.

This pattern is also available for free on Ravelry. Please post your Little Bit Of Hope purses in your own Ravelry projects (it’s up in mine) and link to the pattern page. I would be delighted if you would share with all of your knitting friends!

Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, let me know if there are questions, comments, or if you need my help with anything.

Happy New Year!

Nora

Noni Q and A: Sewing Purses into Purse Frames

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A group of small felted purses called Lipstick and Change Sparkle are arranged horizontally on a white surface. They range in color from black, to grey, to orange, pink, and finally green.

I have gotten a few questions about how to put felted purses into purse frames (6-8-10, W, Lipstick & Change, Big Flirt . . . and so many others). Here is a step-by-step photo-tutorial that shows how to put a purse into a sew-hole frame that has a slot.

Essential Materials

First, Gather together the necessary materials on a clean, well-lit working surface: a clean paper towel to protect your work surface, your slightly damp purse, fabric glue, purse frame, beads, beading thread, a sharp thin-gauge needle, a pair of thread nippers (pictured here) or scissors, and a metal double-pointed needle or tapestry needle (top poke the purse into the frame slot).

Essential-Materials

Gluing The Purse Into The Frame

Step 1: Apply the Glue to the Frame one side at a time. The first step is to put a line of glue into the slot of the purse frame, particularly on the “solid” side of the frame that does not contain sew holes.

NOTE: Do not put glue in both sides as it is very easy to end up with glue on your purse where you don’t want it. Also important: DO NOT USE TOO MUCH GLUE. In other words, it is not necessary to fill the slot. Just a single slim line of glue on the non-hole side will more than do the trick. More important than getting a lot of glue is that you are using the correct glue. Use fabric glue (Liquid Stitch is a good choice). The bottle you see here is Liquid Fusion. I like it very much. It has a nice consistency, stays put, and works on fabric and other materials for a good hold. Elmer’s Glue is not strong enough. Gorilla glue makes a mess.

Place the frame, front side down, on the paper towel. Then arrange the first flap (right side down on the paper towel) so that it is ready to be poked into the frame.

A hot pink felted purse is lined up with the purse frame it needs to be sewn into.

I like to begin by poking one side of the purse and then the other into the frame side with the tip of a double-pointed needle or tapestry needle. I do this so that I know how much of the purse flap fabric needs to be distributed evenly across the frame. In the above photo, the middle part of the purse flap is positioned to insert into the frame.

  • A felted purse is being pressed into a purse frame with a sharp-tipped knitting needle.

In the above picture, I have started to insert the frame has not yet been poked into the frame. As I poke it in, I make sure that the fullness of the flap is distributed across the entire frame. It is easy to move the tip of the needle from left to right or right to left in order to distribute the fabric evenly. Below is a picture of this process once it is complete – NOTE that the folds of the flap are spaced evenly across the frame top. We can still do a little adjustment if necessary at this point and again during the blocking process.

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You can check that the purse flap fabric is secure within the frame by turning the frame over so you can see the right side/whole side of the frame. If the purse is “in” the frame, you will see the color of the purse fabric through the sew holes. Dark holes, holes in shadow, mean that the purse flap has not been sufficiently poked into the slot. Simply poke the fabric in yet again.

To ensure that the purse stays put inside the frame as the glue dries, baste the purse in place using a double-strand of sewing or beading thread and a sharp needle. For good results, simply baste around the entire frame. It is not necessary to go through the sew holes at this point as you can see below.

A close up of the basting stitches: you want the stitches to be snug around the frame.

Next, place a line of glue inside the second frame slot, again careful that you put this bead of glue on the non-sew hole side of the slot.

<p value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">I sometimes find that poking the second flap into the frame is more awkward than the first. Mainly because the purse is in the way, you may have difficulty laying the frame down flat. . . so, I try to follow the same procedure: first, poke the sides in, then the top of the flap, distribute the fabric evenly . . . I console myself that the second side is the awkward side and just get the job done any way I can without making a mess. Deep breaths. That's my advice. And do what works. Sometimes you'll be very glad the glue dries clear.I sometimes find that poking the second flap into the frame is more awkward than the first. Mainly because the purse is in the way, you may have difficulty laying the frame down flat. . . so, I try to follow the same procedure: first, poke the sides in, then the top of the flap, distribute the fabric evenly . . . I console myself that the second side is the awkward side and just get the job done any way I can without making a mess. Deep breaths. That’s my advice. And do what works. Sometimes you’ll be very glad the glue dries clear.

Don’t Skip the Gluing Step: Here’s Why

I did see a posting somewhere that a Lipstick and Change maker had skipped the gluing step . . . I do not think this is wise. She seemed to think it would save her time or that she was giving in to laziness. The gluing step is possibly the quickest of the finishing steps. AND it is essential for keeping the purse in the frame should the “sewing in” part of the purse construction be compromised in some way.

I would not want to be be walking down the street and have a corner of my purse come undone with no glue to keep it in place.

The purse will be held in the frame by the glue alone if you have done this step properly. You will see that gluing and basting may take as little as 15 minutes. It’s the sewing that will take more of your time.

Sew The Purse Into The Frame While The Glue Dries

You may be tempted to glue one day and sew the next. I do not recommend this. It is both necessary and easier to sew the purse into the frame using the little beads while the glue dries. As the glue hardens, it becomes much harder to push a needle through it. So, what would normally take an hour can take considerably longer or prove impossible altogether.

Begin Sewing at The Hinge On One Side

The First step is to begin at the hinge of one side. With your double strand of nylon beading thread already on the needle and a knot at the end, put your needle into the purse frabric and then into a hole from inside to outside. You will have to angle your needle somewhat to get it through the hole. Getting the right angle sometimes is awkward and annoying. Sometimes, one might be inclined to think she is doing something wrong . . . this step requires a bit of muscle memory, so have patience as you internalize the needle angle.

Once you have come through the hole on the front, put a bead on the needle and then go back through the same hole out of which the needle just came.

Repeat this process around the entire frame. You may also want to catch a bead on the inside of the purse in the same manner as you have done on the outside. It makes for a pretty finish on the inside. If you do not want to do this, you should nevertheless put the point of your needle almost in the same place on the inside of the purse, angling your needle toward the next sew hole so that your stitches are more or less invisible on the inside of the purse.

I sometimes prefer to have beads on the inside as well as the outside, because it is prettier.

Finish off your strand of thread by making a dress-maker’s knot and then traveling inside the felt (see images below) so that you can cut the thread off at the purse with no unsightly ends sticking out.

Once both sides are sewn in place, you can cut the basting thread, pull out the stitches, removing all the basting thread. The purse is now secure in the frame.

If you have questions about how to put stiffener in the purse bottom and apply the purse feet, consult the blog posting on the topic.

Your QUESTIONS provide the material for this particular blog column, so keep asking and I’ll keep answering.

Noni Labels. . . The Perfect Finishing Touch For Your Bags

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A tiny red felted purse by Nora Bellows of Noni Designs sits on a wooden background. Centered on its front is a metal "A Noni Design" label.

Noni’s lead-free, pewter labels are made in the USA so they support our homegrown industries and American jobs. I’ve kept the price as reasonable as I could to make them affordable. 

A pile of A Noni Design labels are arranged on a wooden surface.

What you’ll need to attach the label to your bag or purse:

A sharp, medium-gauge sewing needle, nylon beading thread or some other really sturdy thread (you wouldn’t want them to come off), and 4 little size 8 seed beads in silver, silver-lined clear (my favorite for an all-purpose bead), or the color of your choice.

Here’s how to attach them:

  1. Place the label where you want it. Measure to make sure it is centered or exactly as you want it.
  2. Place a tiny drop of super glue on the back and stick it down in place.
  3. Bring a threaded needle up from underneath through the felted fabric and through a label hole.
  4. Catch a size 8 seed bead on the needle and pull the needle through the bead.
  5. Then return the needle to the same hole out of which it just came. This creates a thread “loop” around the bead.
  6. Pull the needle through the whole and pull snug. The bead is now secure on the front and positioned in one of holes on the label.
  7. Make a knot on the back to secure the bead. Do not break or cut the thread. Instead, travel through the felt across the inside to the next hole and repeat steps 3 – 7.
  8. Finish off.
  9. Admire!
Three felted bags with Noni labels are displayed on a bed of leaves.

Questions? Suggestions? Please write to me in the comment below.