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Dollhouse Purse

November 13, 2009 by Jen

knit dollhouse purse

With a little embellishment and imagination, this knit bag can be both a purse and a portable dollhouse. Made from super-bulky yarn, it’s sturdy and knits up quickly. It’s a fun and practical gift for the little girl in your life.

Finished Measurements

4 inches wide, 7.75 inches long, 8.25 inches tall.

Gauge

12 st per 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Yarn

super-bulky, sample knit with Lionbrand Thick & Quick, approximately 75 yds. of each color

Scraps of yarn and fabric can be used for embellishments

Needle Size

10 1/2 US / 6.5mm

Abbreviations

MC = main color

CC = contrast color (base and roof)

PM = place marker

st = stitch

K = knit

P = purl

k2tog = knit two stitches together (decrease)

K2tog tbl = knit two stitches together through the back loops (decrease)

psso = pass slipped stitch over

Base

With CC, cast on 20 st.

Knit all rows (garter stitch) for 23 rows. Bind off.

Sides

With MC, starting with a short edge of the base: pick up 13 st along the short edge, PM, pick up 19 st along the next long edge, PM, pick up 13 st along the second short edge, PM, pick up 19 st along the second long edge—64 st total.

Knit 20 rounds.

Gable Shaping

Round 1: P2, K9, P21, P2, K9, P21 (so you’re purling each long edge, and the first and last 2 stitches on the short edges)

Round 2: Knit

Round 3: P2, K9, P21, P2, K9, P21

Round 4: Knit

Round 5: P2, K9, P2, bind off 19 st purlwise, P2, K9, P2, bind off 19 st purlwise

Now work each gable separately:

Row 1: K2, k2tog tbl, K5, t2tog, K2

Row 2: K2, P7, K2

Row 3: K2, k2tog tbl, K3, t2tog, K2

Row 4: K2, P5, K2

Row 5: K2, k2tog tbl, K1, t2tog, K2

Row 6: K2, P3, K2

Row 7: K2, slp 1, k2tog, psso, K2

Row 8: K2, P1, K2

Row 9: K1, slip 1, k2tog, psso, K1

Row 10: K3

Row 11: slip 1, k2tog, psso – bind off last st

Work the other gable to match.

Roof

Cast on 21 st.

Knit 42 rows (21 ridges). Bind off.

Strap

Cast on 4 st. Work garter stitch or i-cord for 25 inches. Bind off.

knit dollhouse purseFinishing

Find the center garter ridge on the roof piece and pin each side of that ridge to the gable peaks—make sure the roof slightly overlaps the top edge of the house walls. Starting from one peak and working around to the other, sew the roof to the house, leaving one half of the roof free to create a flap opening.

Sew two buttons on the top of the front wall flap and button loops to the roof.

Sew strap to gables.

Embellishments

Dcorative elements give the house its character and can be as simple or elaborate as you like. The front door on the sample was knit with scrap worsted weight yarn (12 st in stockinette, knit for 3 inches, bind off). A button was used for the door knob. You can add windows and other elements. You can also add plastic canvas to reinforce the shape, and a lining. NOTE: the sample has plastic canvas on the two peaked sides, without plastic canvas it’s going to be more like a soft bag.

For ideas, take a look at this incredible recreation a British village, entirely done in knitwork.

 

Filed Under: Amigurumi and Toys, Bags/Purses Tagged With: dollhouse, free pattern, knit, knit gift, knit toy, knitmonster, knitted gift, knitted toy, purse, Thick&Quick

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SUZ says

    March 29, 2016 at 12:02 am

    This would also be SO cute as a felted item!

    How does a person change it for that? I know ‘bigger’ and wool, of course, but otherwise, any tips?

    • Jen says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:14 am

      I haven’t tried felting it myself. You could look at the felted dollhouse pattern and kind of hybrid the two of them together, so instead of leaving that one side wall as a flap, knit all the sides in the round like the purse pattern does. And of course attach the roof only on one side so it opens at the top. 🙂

  2. Debbie W says

    September 6, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    I’m assuming the house itself (after you’ve knit the base) is knit in the round on circular needles? Otherwise the body of the house wouldn’t be stockinette if all rows are knit?

    • Jen says

      September 7, 2016 at 5:20 pm

      Yes, you’ll work the house in the round, so all knitting will create stockinette.

  3. Helena says

    September 24, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    I love this pattern! I made a mini Noah’s ark set and needed a good pattern for the ark and this was perfect! Now that I made it though it’s so cute I want to share it. So I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I tried to sell my set if I included the ark I made from your pattern?

    • Jen says

      October 9, 2016 at 10:56 am

      I’m glad it was helpful! And yes, feel free to sell anything you make from these patterns. All I ask is that you not sell the patterns themselves.

      • Helena says

        October 9, 2016 at 8:11 pm

        Alright, thank you!

  4. Helena says

    September 24, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    Wow sorry for the message bombardment I did not realize that first one sent 🙁

    • Jen says

      October 9, 2016 at 10:57 am

      No problem. 🙂 I deleted the duplicate. I’m sorry it took me so long to respond, I’m having a little trouble with my comment notifications. Still trying to troubleshoot that.

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