FELTED HEART PURSE
Use your new skills to hook up this cute zip-up purse with a sweet popcorn heart motif. By Becky Skuse
Designer Becky Skuse says: “Give a piece of your heart to someone special with this pretty felted purse. It’s the perfect notions store for a craft lover, a sturdy make-up case for a glam lady or a sweet holiday purse for a jetsetter. It’s easy to work with trebles and popcorn stitches, using just one ball of DROPS Lima wool and alpaca yarn. This blend gives you the best of both fibres, for a purse that felts really easily, but still feels lovely and soft when it’s finished.”
NOTES
Please refer to the Workshop feature on the preceding pages when making this Purse. When you work into the top of a popcorn on subsequent rows, work into the ch1 and skip the loop of the popcorn that lies next to it. The Purse Back is worked into the back of the foundation ch.
PURSE FRONT
Using Red, ch47.
Row 1 (RS) Tr in fourth chain from hook, tr in each ch to end, turn. [45 tr]
Row 2 (WS) Ch3 (counts as first tr throughout), tr in each st across.
WORK HEART MOTIF
Row 3 Ch3, tr in next 21 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 22 tr. [44 tr, 1 popcorn]
Row 4 Ch3, tr in each of next 20 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 21 sts. [43 tr, 2 popcorn]
Row 5 Ch3, tr in each of next 19 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in next tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 20 tr.
Row 6 Ch3, tr in each of next 18 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in each of next 3 tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 19 tr.
Row 7 Ch3, tr in each of next 17 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in each of next 2 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 2 tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 18 tr.
Row 8 Ch3, tr in each of next 16 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in each of next 2 tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 2 tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in each of next 17 tr. [41 tr, 4 popcorn]
Row 9 Ch3, tr in each of next 16 tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in next tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in next tr, tr in next popcorn, popcorn in next tr, tr in next tr, popcorn in next tr, tr in next popcorn, tr in each of next 17 tr.
Rows 10-11 Ch3, tr in each st across. Fasten off.
PURSE BACK
With RS facing, join Red into first ch of foundation ch.
Row 1 (RS) Ch3 (counts as first tr), tr in each ch across. [45 tr]
Row 2 (WS) Ch3, tr in each tr across.
Rows 3-11 Repeat Row 2 to create a plain back. Alternatively, repeat Rows 3-11 as given for the Front if you’d like the Heart Motif on both sides.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
TO MAKE UP
Fold Purse in half so that Row 11 of Front and Back align at top. Sew the sides together.
FELT THE PURSE
Felt the Purse in a tumble dryer, following the instructions in the Workshop feature on the preceding pages.
ATTACH THE ZIP
Pin the zip in place at the top of the Purse. Start pinning from the zip end, and if you have any extra length at the stopper end, just tuck this inside the Purse. Sew in place.
If the zip isn’t quite long enough for the Purse opening, pin it in place at the centre of the opening and sew the top sides together up to the zip.