Sow's Ear --> Silk Purse

Landscapes is the yarn of reincarnation.

It's puzzling because it's a little pricey among craft stores yarns, but it seems almost impossible to do anything with it. The colors are pretty, but the yarn itself is like a hairy rope. I inherited a half-dozen balls of the Rose Garden color from a friend of a friend. It's on its third incarnation at the very least, as it arrived rewound into balls. I tried to turn it into a funky shrug, but I don't seem to be able to sustain that level of funkiness (read: it looked like I was being attacked by a Muppet).  So, I introduced my daughter to the fun of frogging, and it turned into a bunch of ropey colorful balls.  That's when I decided to be mean to it.  Landscapes is 100% wool, so I decided to try felting.  Garter stitch doesn't seem to work at all, but reverse stockinette has a colorful nubbly sort of texture (stockinette just looks lumpy).  It shrinks, but it doesn't felt like Paton's 100% Merino.  There aren't enough loose fibres to make a proper felt, but it's an interesting fabric, nonetheless.

Thus, I will attempt to turn this annoying pile of yarn into a messenger bag-styled purse.  So far, I've knitted a piece for the front, and the back/front flap is still on the needles, but it knocks out pretty quickly.  The strap, sides, and bottom will be one piece, sewn on the outside for a bit of structure.  Then I will reinforce the strap/sides/bottom with webbed strapping to prevent the sagging I see in so many other felted bags.  No, there is no pattern.  I'm just winging it, but I have high hopes.

Btw, when I was shopping at Joann's the other day, I noticed that they were blowing out Landscapes at $2 per ball.  Another novelty yarn rides off into the sunset.