Knitted Felted Tote Bags

Ha! After tediously trying and testing over and over again I finally managed to do kitchener stitches! Kitchener stitch is a neat way to combine two pieces of knitting without seams and is handy for handles and such.

I managed to use it in two different kinds of bags, both large tote bags. The first I made was this lilac beauty with a long strap to wear around the neck. I don't quite know how I did it, but I did!

Then I moved on to try it on a bit of a more challenging piece. The pink bag has pretty plaited straps. I did them by knitting twelve (twelve!!) i-cords, 6 on each side. I plaited three together and then using kitchener stitch joined them with three shorter ones, creating a seamless plait handle. It was tricky but I did it! Don't ask me how, I still don't understand how I pulled it off, I just tried and tried until the stitches were right. If I ever fully come to comprehend what is the logic here, I will surely share it. Until then there is nothing to do but accept the mystery!