Maybe it's New Year's Eve and there is a dinner dance celebration. The Fancy Party felted handbag will look beautiful as a complement to any outfit with her understated, vintage vibe. She looks amazing accompanying a tailored suit, a flippy skirt for those fast turns, a fashion-forward frock, a pair of flared pants and a tuxedo blouse. Dress her up with a few sparkles, or make her dazzling with a lot. Cabochon rivets or spikes give her a more industrial edge that is an interesting contrast to her classic styling.

Not to be overlooked is the versatility that the Elegant frame gives this bag: the little handbag handle need only be squeezed gently at its base to come out of its housing and you've got a clutch. Turn the little purse chain loops to the outside of the bag and the frame is a shoulder bag with the addition of a 27" (67.5cm) Classic Purse Chain. Clip on a shorter chain and her personality changes again to match your mood.

Paired with Little Gems or Just the Change felted purses in matching attire and you've got a lovely ensemble.

Use the Elegant frame with bag feet hardware kit to complete this project. For more information about dimensions, gauge, and a materials list, see Additional Details below.

Finished Dimensions

6" (15cm) tall from base to frame
6" (15cm) width at frame top
8.25" (20.5cm) wide across front
3" (7.5cm) deep at bag bottom

Pattern Difficulty Level

Requires knowledge of knitting, purling, decreasing, knitting in the round on circular needles, some hand-sewing and easy beading during the finishing process.

Gauge

Pre-Felted: 20 sts and 28 rounds = 4" (10cm) in stockinette stitch

Materials

Elegant Hardware Kit is available for this pattern and includes:

1 Elegant purse frame
1 27" (67.5cm) Classic purse chain
6 24mm Classic bag feet
Noni Label
Stiffener for the bag bottom

You may want to also purchase a 40-pk of sparkle rivets in a color to match your yarn.

Yarn

190 yds (175m) worsted weight feltable yarn

Needles and Other Materials

Size 8 (5mm) 16" (40cm) circular needles
4 stitch markers to mark corners, 1 in a different color to mark round beginning
Sewing needle
Tapestry needle

Ella wears clothes with no pockets to weigh her down and the Going Out Bag has the same sort of mentality. She loves to dance. She is all ruffles and flourishes.

In white, she could get married or lead the attendants to their places. In bright mossy green she'd draw every eye on the streets of New York. In mint with blushing petals, she looks good enough to nibble. In Lilac with beaded edges, she is sweet as Spring flowers. Add blue sparkle rivets to a white bag with white ruffles and she would be a bouquet for the bride. Add spikes or cabochon rivets and she gets a little more daring . . .

However you dress her, she is, in short, delicious, flexible, and can go anywhere, from gay frolic through the botanical garden, to the garden party, to cinema, to night club. She is even the best friend of girly little girls.

Take her out. She loves an adventure . . .

Click on the Additional Details tab below for more information about dimensions, yarn amounts, materials, and bag kits that include everything you need to complete this project.

Finished Dimensions

6 3/4" (17cm) across the top
3" (7.5cm) deep at bottom
7" (17.5cm) wide across the bottom
8" (20cm) tall from bottom to frame

Pattern Difficulty

Intrepid Easy/Intermediate: Requires knowledge of knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, picking up stitches within fabric, some hand-sewing to attach the bag to the snap purse frame.

Gauge

Pre-felted gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rounds = 4" (10cm) in St st with a single strand of worsted weight yarn.

Materials

An Elegant Hardware Kit with Feet is available for this pattern and includes:

1 Elegant Bag Frame 
27" (68cm) purse chain
Stiffener for the bag bottom
6 Noni Big 24mm bag feet
1 Noni Design label

Yarn Requirements

Solid Bag: 750 yds (685m)
Solid Bag with Beaded Ruffle Edge: 550 yds (503m) solid color and 70 yds (64m) of feltable beaded yarn

Needles and Other Materials

Size 8 (5mm) 24" (60cm) circular needle
Tapestry needle
Sewing Needle
Stitch markers

Pictured Samples

The white bag was made with Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool in White. The green bag was made with Tilli Tomas Merino in Moss with Moss Flurries just at the ruffle bind off. Unfortunately, both of these yarns are no longer available.

A one-skein project, this little vintage-style, romantic bag is fun to make and looks as sweet as the little cakes for which it was named. Embellish your little sweet with one or several of the sweetheart roses, romantic as sugar flowers (pattern included), and your little bag is a vintage-style companion for a wedding or an evening out. The perfect bag for for you to take to the wedding in a color that matches or compliments your outfit. It is also the perfect bag for bride and bridesmaids. 

Dot with cabochon rivets in nickel, antique brass, or gunmetal finishes (pick the finish that matches your frame!) in an all-over design and your little purse has the feeling of a little harlequin pastry.

Style with a bouquet of pansies from Noni Flowers and it is the ideal companion for a Spring-time frock. 

This bag is big enough for wallet, keys, and phone, but small enough for all your gift-knitting projects. 

The Petit Four bags requires The Elegant Frame with Bag Feet Hardware Kit to complete as pictured. Click on the Additional Details tab for more information about dimensions, yarn amounts, materials, and bag kits that include everything you need to complete this project.

Finished Dimensions

6” (15cm) wide across the front/back at bag top
8” (20cm) wide across the front/back at bag bottom
3” (7.5cm) deep
5 1/2 - 6” (13.75 - 15cm) tall

Pattern Difficulty

Intrepid Beginner: Requires knowledge of knitting, purling, decreasing, knitting in the round on circular needles.

Gauge

Pre-felted gauge: 12 stitches and 16 rounds = 4" (10cm) in St st with a double-strand of worsted weight yarn.

Materials

Yarn Requirements

Bag

190 yds (173.75m)

Bright Roses

75- 215 yds (69- 196.5m) each: Sage, Red, Christmas Rd, Hot Pink, Antique Rose

Pastel Roses

75- 215 yds (69- 196.5m) each:Green or Sage, Hot Pink, Christmas Red,Baby Pink, Antique Rose

Needles and Other Requirements

Size 8 (5mm) 16" (40cm) circular needles
Tapestry needle
Sewing needle
Nylon sewing thread
Stitch markers
Elegant snap frame
4 - 6 Noni 24mm bag feet
7 1/2 x 9 in sheet of stiffener
'A Noni Design' label

Pictured Samples

The samples pictured were made with Stoenehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool and with Tilli Tomas. The flowers on the bags were made with embellished yarn that is no longer available. The chocolate bag with a single rose was made with Shepherd's Wool in Midnight Lake with embellised yarn rose in Moss and Ruby. The red bag was made with in Shepherd's Wool Garnet and then hand-beaded. The white and pale pink bags on the back cover were made in Tilli Tomas's Whistler in Natural and Dusty Pink respectively. We are sorry to say that this yarn is no longer available. 

My inspiration for these three little treats were small beaded bags I have in my antique bag collection. The beaded bags are from the 30s and 40s, and, for me, conjure images of young women in dazzling dresses dashing from one social event to the next . . . sometimes for three nights in a row.

These bags are small enough, and easy enough to make, that you can knit them up quickly with just a skein or two of yarn. Perfect for holiday parties, a weekend getaway, date night, or for brides and bridal party. Even if your social schedule is not as busy as the heroines who were my muses, these bags are delightful to carry yourself or to make as gifts for dear friends, loved family members, or little girls in your life.

Leave unembellished and remove the Elegant Frame handle for a lovely accessory bag or simple purse for a night out. Put the handle back on and decorate with finish-matching cabochon rivets that conjures images of those beaded purses that inspired me. Wear as a shoulder bag and decorate with a veritable garden of knitted flowers plucked from Noni Flowers. Share your creative innovations with us!

Look at Additional Details below for information about dimensions, gauge, materials, and bag kits.

Finished Dimensions

Thursday Night (Ruby Wine with Roses)

6 3/4" (17cm) wide across the front/back at bag bottom
6" (15cm) wide across the front/back at bag top
7" (17.5cm) tall

Friday Night (Baby Pink with Roses & Stephanotis)

6 3/4" (17cm) wide across the front/back at bag bottom
6" (15cm) wide across the front/back at bag top
4" (10cm) tall

Saturday Night (Raspberry with Tassel)

6 3/4" (17cm) wide across the front/back at bag bottom
6" (15cm) wide across the front/back at bag top
12" (30cm) tall

Pattern Difficulty

Intrepid Easy: Requires knowledge of casting on, knitting and purling, increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round on circular needles and double-pointed needles, and some hand-sewing during the finishing process.

Gauge

Pre-felted gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rounds= 4" (10cm) in St st with a single-strand of worsted weight yarn.

Materials

Yarn Requirements:

Thursday Night

200 yds (183m)

Friday Night

110 yds (100m)

Saturday Night

180 yds (164m)

Bouquet of Stephanotis

75 - 250 yds (68.5-228.6m) Sage
75 - 250 yds (68.5-228.6m)White
75 - 250 yds (68.5-228.6m) Baby Pink

Bouquet of Rose Blossoms

75- 250 yds (68.5-228.6m) Red or Christmas Red

Needles and Other Materials

Size 8 (5mm) 16" (40cm) circular needle
Size 8 (5mm) double-pointed needles (set) to work Saturday Night
Size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles (set of 5) to work flowers
Locking stitch markers (used as holders for flowers)
Tapestry needle
Sewing needle
Seed Beads and Nylon thread
Elegant Snap Frame

Pictured Samples

The bags pictured were created using Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool and Tilli Tomas Flurries.  Thursday Night pictured in Ruby Wine Flurries with Ruby Wine roses across the top. Saturday Night pictured in Raspberry Flurries with a purchased tassel to decorate the bottom. Diminutive Friday Night pictured in Shepherd's Wool in Baby Pink with Flurries Stephanotis. The Stephanotis stems are Moss with Natural flowers. The rosettes are made in Hope.