An answer for Vicki

All of you Blogger users know there is no good way to respond to comments folks leave. Bummer. Vicki had a question about yarn for felting, so I thought it would be good to repeat her question and my answer here.

Vicki said...
I love this bag [Around About]! I would like to make it in a yarn other than wool, though, as I am allergic to wool. Can you recommend another type of yarn I could use to get a similar, sturdy bag? Thank you!~Vicki

Amybel said...
Thanks Vicki!
In order to get yarn to felt it should be 100% natural animal fiber. No superwash, acrylic, cotton, etc. You could try Alpaca and see if you get an allergic reaction. Alpaca tends to be a little "furry" after felting, but it is very soft and should felt nicely (and you could always give it a haircut). I would recommend that you try to felt a sample swatch first just to make sure! You wouldn't want all that hard work to go down the drain (pun intended!). There are also wools blended with other animal fibers like llama or alpaca that might be less irritating to your allergy. Or, if you are not wallet constrained you could opt for higher end yarn like mohair or angora. Good luck! And let me know how you make out :)

Good luck Vicki, and keep in touch!

Check out the other Around Abouts!

One of the most flattering thing for me has been seeing other people make bags from my pattern.

One of the first ones was fiber friend Gretchen's Around About. She used the same yarn for the color pattern, but switched out the pink for brown. Funny how one little change can make something so different!

This one is from Montananana's blog. She stayed with the pink theme too. Isn't it cute?

And this one from AprilFoolGirl is a solid color. I love it!

Anyway, I do hope the other projects on Ravelry get finished soon, the suspense is killing me!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway!

I made it into KPC!

So I'm having a great day even though is it the second day of flat-out rain. I don't even care that the kidsters are climbing the walls and each other (and occasionally me). My Around About made it into the Knitting Pattern Central free patterns list for bags & purses! I feel like I have "arrived"! Oh, and have I mentioned that it's on Ravelry and I'm considered a designer now? Oh yeah, you say, about ten times already. Sorry.

But I shall not be a one hit wonder! I am feverishly working on the next item and pattern, the sage cabled purse. Well, as feverishly as possible for me anyway. I think I only did two rounds last night, which is two more than I would have expected on "Survivor" night. Usually the knitting just sits in my lap and keeps me warm. But the challenges were long and I wasn't on a cable crossing row, so I squeaked it out. Tonight there will be zero knitting. And I'm ok with that, since it's Ladies Night! Woo Hoo!

Around About Free Pattern

It's finished! Also available as a free Ravelry download, or a printer friendly link is provided at the bottom.

Around About

A round bag, knit in the round,

perfect for hauling your stuff about!

Skill Level: Easy
Gauge:
Not extremely important since this will be felted.

Yarn: about 450 yards of worsted weight
feltable wool
as pictured: "Chocolate Covered Raspberries"
Patons Classic Wool
1 skein Petal Pink
1 skein Rosewood

Materials:
US 8 (5 mm) circular knitting needle
US 8 (5 mm) double pointed needles
Markers in two colors
Stitches/abbreviations:
dpn(s) double pointed needle(s)
k2tog knit two stitches together
ss stockinette stitch (knit every round)
sts stitches

Finished Size:
Approximately 8” diameter by 9” tall.

Bag Body
Using solid color yarn, cast on 136 stitches.
Place marker to indicate beginning of the round.
Join to work in rounds.
Rounds 1-6: knit in ss
Round 7: knit 32, cast off next 36 sts, knit 32, cast off next 36 sts.
Round 8: knit 32, cast on 36 sts, knit 32, cast on 36 sts.
Rounds 9-14 knit in ss
Change to contrasting color or variegated yarn.
Continue knitting in rounds until yarn is used up (or until bag measures between 10” and 12”).
Change back to solid color yarn.
Knit 5 rounds.

Bag Base
Setup round for decreases: *knit 34 sts, place alternate color marker*, repeat two more times, knit 34 sts.
Decrease round 1: *k2tog, knit to next marker, pass marker*. Repeat three times.
Continue decreasing per round 1, until there are 12 sts remaining, switching to dpns (or Magic Loop) as required.

Finishing
Cut a long tail from yarn and thread onto needle. Pull needle through remaining sts as they are dropped off the needle and pull tight. Sew in securely in the inside of bag.
Sew in any ends from cast on and color changes.
Felt. There are lots of tutorials out in cyberspace. I would be happy to help, so drop me a line if you have any questions!
Find a nice big plastic container or plate to put in bottom of bag for shaping while drying. Use it to draw a circle on some sturdy cardboard or plastic canvas for your base. Cover in pretty fabric or leave it out for a more natural appearance.

I would be thrilled if you would send me a picture so I can add it to the photo gallery.

Enjoy!

Around About
by Amybelbags
amybelbags@gmail.com

This pattern is offered for personal use only. The pattern, photos, and products made from this pattern are not to be used or sold for personal monetary gain without the written consent of the designer. Do not copy, cut, or paste this pattern. Links back to this pattern are always welcomed.

Click here for printer friendly version!