To make your own you will need:
10cm x 5cm purse frame (this frame is a small silver frame from u-handbag for tips on using other purse frames see my notes at the end of this post)
Textile glue
Approximately 115m of DK weight yarn - I used Elle Rustica for a vintage tweed effect.
3.75mm knitting needles
Some material for lining
Needle and thread
4mm Crochet hook or darning needle for side seams
Cast on 44 stitches. This should measure 20cm which is half the circumference of the purse frame.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Repeat these two rows until the piece measures approximately 8 inches.
Cast off
Fold in half with right sides facing. To join seams either slip stitch the stitches at the ends of the rows together using a crochet hook, or simply sew up the side.
Turn right side out. Using the knitted piece as a template, place on the lining material and draw around leaving approximately half an inch seam allowance. Cut two pieces of lining material the same size.
With right sides facing sew around edges with needle an thread. Place inside knitted purse piece. It is important that the lining fits really well and is the same size or even slightly bigger than the knitted exterior, since the knitting can stretch. This will make fixing to the frame much easier!
Sew the lining to the top of the purse, then fix to the frame using the textile glue. It will be much easier to fix with the frame open fully, fixing one half of the frame at a time. For tips on fixing to purse frames there is a great tutorial here
To create the shape of the purse, push the bottom corners in on themselves (they probably look a little pointy at present!) and secure with a couple of stitches.
The flower on this purse is a pattern from the Encyclopedia of Crochet by Jan Eaton called 'Frilly flower' and is secured with a vintage button from my stash.
There are many free flower patterns available to try so you can make your purse unique!
Notes on using other purse frames: To modify this pattern to suit a different purse frame simply open the purse frame fully and measure the perimeter of the frame. Divide this measurement by two and this should be the approximate width of the piece you are knitting. Simply add or subtract the number of stitches in the row to suit your gauge and the purse frame. The length of the piece you knit should be twice the depth of the finished purse. Just be aware that if your purse frame is not flat across the top then the purse will not be flat across the bottom and you may have to shape the ends of your knitting, but it would be an interesting experiment!
