Lucky Purse

Pattern Info

Pattern info for this project can be found here:
Purse With Leaves by Kristiina Temin »

Instructions

This is a free pattern designed by Kristiina Temin. This can be downloaded from Ravelry database - but then you need to have an account in ravelry.com. Absolutely recommended!

Difficulty:

Category: Knitting

Type of item: Accessory

For: Women

Style: Formal / Bridal, Whimsical, Cute, Romantic, Holiday

Materials

Here I used Gjestal Perle (color 100 - white) together with a strand of Gjestal Heklegarn 12/4 (color 102 - white) for the main body of the purse. Gjestal Elegante (color 600 - silver, with black bubbles) together with a strand of Gjestal Heklegarn - in the bottom. The cord and the leaves are knitted with a lace/light fingering weight yarn which brand I'm totally unaware for...

What was your inspiration?

The inspiration was surely Chinese, I guess. The choice of colors (weeell, here it was also influenced by the previous birthday present which it was supposed to match. It was even made from the same yarns.) But the red silky lining, the red Chinese knot on the background of white - these were surely not without that Chinese thing...

There is a macrame detail in this purse - the Good Luck Chinese Knot (hence the title of the whole project). It's also called The Chinese Crown Knot or the Shamrock Knot - it certainly contributed greatly into the whole Chinese feeling about the project.

I accidentally found this pattern while browsing through Ravelry. Well, how accidentally it happened, can actually be argued, because at that moment I was looking for an idea what to make for a birthday present. I had some certain points in mind as well. And of course it was supposed to take short time to make but at the same time be somewhat spactacular. So I found it!

What are you most proud of?

I like how the purse came off the needles.
The choice of colors is also a good one, I think.

I'm also quite proud of having coped with this knot.
But here I have to take my hat off for the amazingly good and clear step-by-step picture tutorial at http://www.free-macrame-patterns.com/crown-knot.html.
Excellent and easy to follow.
So I did it!
Yippee!

Another thing which I'm usually not at all good at, but did surprisingly well this time, is the lining.
I found out that it was best to make one, and I had to sew it! Hooray for the sewing machine!
It has a silky feeling, some brocade patterning, and it's double.
Red on the inside (I mean the visible side, inside the purse), and white on the outside (the one that is not visible when you look inside the purse, but it's closest to the knitted sides of the purse. I had to hide the red, prevent it from shining through the holes in the lacy leaves.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

The cord is easiest and funniest to make using a knitting dolly for French (or Spool) knitting.

If you're not familiar with this, you can google it or just have a look at for example, a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OUP0CkjBKs, or a tutorial at http://www.how-to-knit-guide.com/french-knitting.html (here including for example how to make a knitting dolly if you don't have one or can't buy it anywhere).