Craft course- Jersey Bag

Last year a good friend of mine knitted a bag and "fulled" it (shrinking in hot soapy water), I coveted that bag and was determined to knit my own. Being super thrifty I brought an unfinished jersey from our local opp shop with the aim to unravel it.
Whilst wrestling with the ordeal of unraveling, it crossed my mind that it was really a waste of good knitting. My friend eyed what I was doing and said she would be back later to check on my progress.
Will being a "bear with little brain and patience " that day I decided to quit the unraveling and proceed to the shrinking phase. working at a break neck speed I had fulled, cut out, and sewn the bag before my friend returned. The result was well worth the effort, my friend was gobbed smacked and delighted (and slightly peeved) , and the bag was not to shabby ether.

Today was my craft course day, and one of my student's Vicky, whom was inspired to create her own fulled bag, from one of her late mothers Jerseys, and kindly let me photograph the process for my blog.


Step one: Take one pre-loved pure wool jumper . Wash this jumper in hot and cold soapy water until it has shrunk so much you can hardly see the individual stitches. This may take more than one wash. I find that if you add a cap full of dish washing powder to the wash it will shrink very quickly.

Vicky decided to keep the yoke patten, and neckline as integral part of her Jersey bag.




Step 2:

Make a pattern for you bag, a good ideal is to use another bag as a template.








Step 3:
Cut out bag and pin it/ sew it. Feel free to over lock the edge if you want.





Step Four:
Cut long strips of Jersey for the handles approx 2 inches wide. Pin these and sew,and then turn out using a knitting needle. sew onto bag, Vicky used buttons on her bag to secure the handles.
Step Five:
Cut out a lining for you bag using the same template. Stitch it in place securely.




Step six: Cut one of the selves to fit as a flap for the front of the Bag. Secure in place with a few buttons.
















Have fun adding embellishments, such as buttons.

Vicky used a brooch I had made, as it suited her bag quite nicely. She decided later that she might shift the buttons, and the first photo has been "photo shopped" showing the change. The last photo is of the original bag.
This was her first fulled handbag and it took her about 2 hours to make.