Abbi Purse

I'm definitely on a felted purse kick. I like making something function, yet pretty. And you really can't beat felting - it covers up mistakes and is incredibly durable. And it's beautiful.

I decided to try the Abbi Purse, designed by Susan Larson at Prairie Yarns. It's a sweet little girls purse that knits up in just a couple evenings with half a skein of yarn. It's mostly the knit stitch, with some opportunities to pick up and knit, slip slip knit and even whip up an i-cord handle.

I also learned to make a button hole, but not without many trials and errors. Finally, my mom rounded up instructions for me and taught me how to cable cast-on.

Here are the purses before felting:

I made each of the purses with a special little girl in mind. The tiny pink one was a Christmas present for my niece, Ansley. The larger pink one is a 5th birthday present for my Natalie. And the little purple purse? That one's still a surprise for someone later this year.

Finished products: