Bags : A Knitter's Dozen
(A Knitter's Dozen series)
by Elaine Rowley
$10.85 on Amazon (Paperback)

Well, maybe not a dozen...There are some really great and I mean GREAT bags in this book. The entrelac square bag, for example, gets an ooh-ahh reponse from everyone who sees this bag when done. There's a 'small notions' cosmetic bag which knits quickly, is very versatile, and makes a terrific last-minute gift. There's a tube-shaped bag called 'Soho sling' which everyone should try once and another unusual shape (Three for the road) which is so cool, so fun, and so quick that I've made several in variations. A section on needle felting is very welcome to add some pizazz to those all-look-alike felted totes and a section on zippers takes into account (thanks goodness) that many knitters do NOT sew! The basic bag shapes are well-covered: tote, backback, clutch, market bag, evening bag, beads on a bag.

Still, as a collection, is this the one book or the best book you would recommend for someone who is looking for a bag book? No - to me this is way down on the list. For one thing, of all the bags there are to knit, there are four cabled-aran choices. The tote shape occurs too often and two of the patterns could go away and no one would remember. There are way too many cool techniques out there to put in this much repetition. The one beaded bag (a very dressy bag) is quite complex and only a very experienced bead knitter could do this pattern.

Some 'basics' are missing. There is no coverage of lining a bag or adding bases to make it sturdier. The I-cord instructions are too sparse - and in fact cords and straps are not as well explained as they should be.

Pardon the pun - the book ends up being a mixed bag - I would put it on my 'like to have' rather than 'must have' list.

Pursenalities: 20 Great Knitted And Felted Bags 
by Eva Wiechmann
$13.57 on Amazon (Paperback)
 
Fabulous! But not for the novice felter...Those knitters who love this book are inspired by the really creative yarn combinations - let's face it there are only so many bag shapes and as for textures? In felting, they all tend to look alike once felted. So what makes a bag "creative" is the color changing, the novelty yarns, the closures and other doodads once the bag is finished. This book is loaded with creativity - I've made all the bags and all but one was great fun. All the bags look great, even those that didn't turn out like the pictures. However, I don't think it's the best book for the new felter. The basic instructions are fine to get the bag felted (especially if you use Cascade 220 which is a 'can't miss' felting yarn.) Even so, the felting process relies on so many factors - water temperature, whether you use a spin cycle, your own knitting tension and also the fact that real mistakes can happen unless you have some felting expertise under your belt. For example, some colors can bleed if you try and change the color palette, the felt can get permanently wrinkled on the bigger bags unless you do a lot of checking - and not all washers are good for felting, etc.

Those of us looking for inspiration and ways to expand our bag repertoire love this book as an addition to our library. The grommets, handles, and novelties are useful even if you expect never to felt a bag again.

That said, those looking for a first time felting bag book should start with a book such as "Knit One, Felt Too : Discover the magic of knitted felt with 25 easy patterns."