Felt Appeal

How is it that things "Grow on You"? You get a haircut that's way too short and people say, "don't worry - it will grow on you." Despite the pun there they really mean that you'll get used to it and perhaps even come to like it. Foods are often called and "acquired taste." Now if you don't like a food why would you try to acquire a taste for it? It's not like there aren't enough foods that I already like to get me in to trouble - why should I acquire another one? Well felted bags were that way for me. When I first started knitting I would go in to yarn stores and see the felted bags hanging there and just think that they were the ugliest thing going. Why would I want to buy beautiful yarn and turn it in to felt? Why would I spend time knitting something bigger than it needed to be just to felt it back down? Then something happened - I started actually looking at those felted bags in the yarn stores - viewing bag patterns on line and - GASP - considering making a felted bag! How had this happened to me? How had they "grown on me"? How had I "acquired at taste for felt?" Alas I'm afraid I can't answer the WHY but I can tell you I've become a felting fiend! My first felted bag was a simple pattern and turned out like this:


For my second felted bag I took the leftover yarn from a felted bag my Mom had made and designed this bag. I took the design from the first bag and made some changes to come up with my own design. I gave this one to my Mom yesterday for Mother's Day and she really liked it.


Then for the Just Bag It exchange for the Month of May I followed the bowling ball bag pattern. Now this is the most "complicated" pattern I have used for a felted bag but I'm happy how it turned out. Also I didn't like the handles in the pattern so I created my own. I wanted a shoulder strap and I needed triangles to match the bag so I made a mini multi-directional scarf. Here it is - I think I'm keeping this one for myself!

Now I'm on to bag #4 - I can't tell you too much about it because it is for my Tote Exchange partner. I'm thrilled with the colors and how it is turning out. I can't wait to tell you all the pattern but that will have to wait.


So why is it that I now love felting bags? Is it the mystery of what you'll get when you're done? Is it the fact that at the end you have something useful? Or is it the fact that garter stitch is mindless and sometimes I just need a break? I don't know for sure but I do know there's more felt in my future!


TODAY'S QUESTION: What's your favorite felted bag pattern?