Felted Flower Bag

"There are some designs that stay with you. I saw a laser-cut leather bag in a department store years ago—and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not because I wanted to buy it… but because I wanted to figure out how to recreate that look in crochet. This felted flower bag is what came from that idea: a sturdy, sculptural bag with a lace-like structure that transforms completely in the felting process. That curiosity led to this design: a crochet bag worked in wool and then felted to create a sturdy, sculptural fabric, finished with dimensional floral motifs framed in crochet mesh that echoes the look of intricate cutwork. Over the years, I’ve made 1,000+ designs… but this is one of the few samples I’ve held onto through every move and season of life. And looking at it now, I see it differently than I did then. Today, I’d style it with more minimal leather handles for durability, add a structured insert for everyday function, and choose from the wide range of felting-friendly wool yarns that are so easy to find now. The bones of the design are still the same, but how we use and live with our handmade pieces evolves. This is the kind of bag that feels like it already has a story before you even use it—sturdy, textured, and meant to carry the things that matter. Because in that world, and in real life, it’s often the small, handmade things that hold the biggest stories. When I wrote The Sea Glass Journal, I didn’t set out to connect it to my past crochet designs. But so many of them, like this one, carry the same themes: texture, detail, intention, and the beauty of things made slowly by hand. Pieces that feel like they belong near the coast… tucked into a quiet, meaningful life. This bag has become one of those pieces for me. It’s not just something I made—it’s something I’ve carried. "

Crochet HookI/9 or 5.5 mm hook

Yarn Weight(4) Medium Weight/Worsted Weight and Aran (16-20 stitches to 4 inches)

Crochet GaugeMotif: 8 in (20.5cm) square, before felting

Motif: 5 in (12.5cm) square, after felting

Finished Size15 in (38cm) wide x 3 in deep (7.6cm) x 13 in (33cm) tall , excluding strap

Materials List

• #4 worsted weight 100% wool yarn
• I/9 (5.5mm) crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Bag handles
• Contrast cotton yarn