Easy Felt Booga Bag Free Knitting Pattern
If you’ve been searching for a knitting project that’s satisfying to complete, endlessly customizable, and genuinely useful in everyday life, the Booga Bag is exactly what you’ve been looking for. This iconic felted knitting bag has been a beloved staple in the knitting community for years, and it’s easy to see why. The combination of simple construction, dramatic felting transformation, and durable finished fabric makes it one of those projects you’ll want to knit again and again — in every colorway you can imagine.
In this post, you’ll find a complete free knitting pattern for an easy felt Booga Bag, along with detailed instructions, helpful tips, yarn recommendations, and all the guidance you need to felt your finished knitting with confidence. Whether you’re a beginner looking to try felting for the first time or an experienced knitter who wants to add a go-to bag pattern to your collection, this is the pattern for you.
What Is a Booga Bag?
The Booga Bag is a felted bag that originated from the knitting design community and quickly became one of the most popular felting projects ever shared online. Its appeal lies in the magic of the felting process: you knit what looks like a ridiculously oversized, floppy bag, toss it in the washing machine, and pull out a dense, structured, beautiful tote that looks nothing like what you started with. That transformation never gets old, no matter how many times you do it.
The bag is typically worked in the round from the bottom up, using chunky yarn on large needles. The resulting fabric has wide, loose stitches before felting, and after a trip through hot water and agitation, it shrinks and compresses into a solid, almost fabric-like material with a lovely rustic texture. The finished bag is sturdy enough to carry groceries, stylish enough to use as a purse, and unique enough to make a wonderful handmade gift.
Why You’ll Love This Pattern
There are a few things that make this pattern particularly satisfying compared to other bag patterns out there.
First, it’s knit in the round, which means no seaming. If seaming is your least favorite part of any knitting project, you’ll appreciate that the main body of this bag comes together in one continuous tube. The only finishing you’ll really need to do is weave in a few ends and attach the handles — and even that is fast and simple.
Second, the stitch pattern is completely beginner-friendly. The main body uses basic knit stitches in the round, which means you’re essentially knitting stockinette throughout. This makes it a wonderful project for newer knitters who want to build their skills and end up with something impressive to show for their efforts.
Third, the felting process is deeply forgiving. Felting works by matting the fibers of natural wool together under heat, moisture, and agitation. Because of this matting effect, small tension inconsistencies, minor mistakes, and uneven stitches all disappear in the wash. If you’ve ever been self-conscious about your knitting looking a little inconsistent, a felted project will give you a serious confidence boost.
Finally, the color possibilities are nearly limitless. The Booga Bag is traditionally made with two or more colors worked together, which creates a tweedy, rich-toned fabric that looks far more complex than it actually is. You can choose colors that complement each other, contrast dramatically, or create a gradient effect, and the finished result always looks intentional and beautiful.
Materials You’ll Need
Before you cast on, gather the following supplies:
Yarn: You’ll need approximately 200 to 250 yards of bulky-weight feltable wool yarn in your main color, and about 100 yards in a contrasting or complementary color. The most important thing here is that the yarn must be made from natural animal fiber that felts — traditional wool, Merino, or similar. Do not use superwash wool, as it has been treated to resist felting and will not shrink properly. Avoid acrylic, cotton, or synthetic blends entirely. Noro Kureyon is the yarn most classically associated with this pattern, and for good reason — its rich hand-dyed colorways look spectacular when felted and the single-ply construction felts beautifully. Other great options include Cascade 220, Lamb’s Pride Bulky, Brown Sheep Bulky, or any similar feltable wool you love.
Needles: US size 13 (9mm) circular needles, 16 inches long, for the main body. You may also want a set of double-pointed needles or a second circular in the same size for the I-cord handles.
Other supplies: A stitch marker to mark the beginning of your round, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and scissors. You’ll also need access to a washing machine with a hot water setting for the felting process.
Gauge
Before felting: approximately 8 to 9 stitches and 12 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, holding two strands together. Gauge is not critical for this pattern, as the felting process will even out most inconsistencies, but working at roughly this gauge will give you a finished bag of the dimensions described below.
After felting: dimensions will vary depending on your washing machine, water temperature, and how long you felt the bag. Expect the bag to shrink by about 30 to 40 percent in both width and height.
Pattern Notes
This pattern is worked holding two strands of yarn together throughout. Typically, you hold one strand of your main color and one strand of your contrasting color together at the same time, feeding them from separate balls. This two-strand technique is what gives the Booga Bag its characteristic tweedy, variegated look. You can also choose to use two strands of the same yarn for a more solid look, or switch up your color combinations every few rows.
All measurements given are approximate before felting. Your finished bag will be smaller after felting.
Free Booga Bag Knitting Pattern
Finished dimensions (before felting)
Approximately 20 inches wide and 16 inches tall, not including handles.
Finished dimensions (after felting)
Approximately 13 to 15 inches wide and 10 to 12 inches tall, depending on felting time and your washing machine. Handles will shrink and thicken as well.
Cast On
Using US size 13 circular needles and two strands of yarn held together, cast on 60 stitches. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.
Bottom of the Bag
Round 1: Knit all stitches.
Round 2: K1, M1, K28, M1, K1 — repeat this sequence once more. You now have 64 stitches.
Round 3: Knit all stitches.
Round 4: K1, M1, K30, M1, K1 — repeat once more. You now have 68 stitches.
Round 5: Knit all stitches.
Round 6: K1, M1, K32, M1, K1 — repeat once more. You now have 72 stitches.
Continue knitting every round without increases until the bag measures approximately 12 to 14 inches from the cast-on edge (this is the height of the main body before felting).
Top Edge
To create a clean, slightly reinforced top edge, work 3 rounds of purl stitches. This creates a subtle ridge that helps the top of the bag hold its shape after felting. Bind off loosely in purl.
Handles (Make 2)
The handles are worked as I-cord, which is a small, tight tube of knitting made on double-pointed needles or the tips of your circular needles.
Using two strands held together and US size 13 needles, cast on 4 stitches.
Work I-cord as follows: Knit 4 stitches. Do not turn your work. Slide the stitches to the right end of the needle. Pull the working yarn firmly across the back of the stitches and knit again.
Repeat this process until your I-cord measures approximately 24 inches. This will felt down to roughly 16 to 18 inches, which creates a comfortable shoulder-length handle.
Bind off and leave a long tail for attaching.
Finishing Before Felting
Weave in all ends securely. Because felting will tighten and lock the fibers, your ends won’t unravel, but you still want them woven in neatly before the bag goes into the wash.
Position the handles on the inside of the bag top, folding each handle end over the top edge so that about 2 inches of each end is overlapping the bag interior. Using your tapestry needle and a length of the same yarn, stitch each handle end securely to the inside of the bag. The handles should be positioned roughly 4 to 5 inches in from each side of the bag opening, creating two symmetrical handles.
How to Felt Your Booga Bag
This is the exciting part. Felting is simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind to get the best result.
Step 1: Prepare for the wash. Place your knitted bag inside a zippered pillowcase or mesh laundry bag. This does two important things: it contains any shed fibers that might otherwise clog your washing machine’s drain, and it prevents the bag from getting tangled or stretched during agitation.
Step 2: Set your washing machine. Use the hottest water setting available and the lowest water level that will still allow the bag to move freely. Add a small amount of regular liquid laundry detergent. Some knitters also add a pair of old jeans or tennis balls to increase agitation, which can speed up the felting process.
Step 3: Run the cycle and check frequently. This is the most important tip for successful felting — do not simply run the full wash cycle and walk away. Check on your bag every five minutes or so. Pull it out, give it a squeeze, and look at it. You’re checking for two things: the individual stitches should no longer be visible, and the fabric should feel dense and firm rather than loose and stretchy. When the bag has reached a size and texture you’re happy with, you can stop the process. Different machines and different yarns will felt at different rates, so checking frequently ensures you don’t over-felt the bag.
Step 4: Skip the spin cycle. Once the bag is felted to your liking, remove it from the machine before the spin cycle runs. Spinning can create permanent creases in felted fabric that are difficult or impossible to remove.
Step 5: Shape and dry. Rinse the bag in cool water by hand, then gently squeeze out excess moisture (don’t wring). Stuff the bag with plastic bags, a towel, or crumpled newspaper to help it hold a nice shape as it dries. You can also shape the bag over a box or container of the right size. Lay it flat or stand it upright and allow it to dry completely — this may take 24 to 48 hours depending on humidity and airflow. Don’t rush this step, as a bag dried too quickly without proper shaping can come out misshapen.
Customization Ideas
One of the best things about the Booga Bag pattern is how easy it is to make it your own. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
Change the size. Cast on more stitches for a wider bag, or work more rounds before the top edge for a taller bag. Just keep in mind that increases in pre-felting size will result in proportionally larger finished bags. You can also go smaller for a cute coin purse or wristlet by casting on fewer stitches and using thinner yarn.
Experiment with colorways. Try three strands of yarn in different colors instead of two, or switch your contrast color every few inches for a striped effect. Some knitters work with several mini-balls of yarn and change colors every round for a truly wild, confetti-like effect.
Add a lining. Once the bag is fully felted and dry, you can hand-stitch a simple fabric lining inside. This makes the bag more practical for everyday use and adds a lovely polished look to the interior. Choose a sturdy cotton or canvas fabric and cut it to match the interior dimensions of your felted bag.
Try different handle lengths and styles. Shorter handles create a hand-carry bag; longer ones make it a comfortable shoulder bag. You can also skip the I-cord handles entirely and use leather bag handles purchased from a craft store, which you can rivet or stitch on after felting.
Add pockets or embellishments. After the bag is felted, you can sew on pockets using the same felted fabric (just felt a small swatch separately and cut to shape — felted wool won’t fray). You can also add buttons, embroidery, or even needle-felted designs on the surface of the finished bag.
Troubleshooting Common Felting Issues
The bag isn’t felting evenly. This usually happens when there isn’t enough agitation. Try adding tennis balls or jeans to the machine, or run another wash cycle. Make sure the water is as hot as possible.
The bag is felting too quickly and getting too small. Check more frequently next time and stop the process earlier. If this batch is already too small, you unfortunately can’t un-felt it, but you may be able to use it as a smaller coin purse or decorative bowl.
The stitches are still visible after one full cycle. Some yarns require two or more cycles to fully felt. Run the bag through again and check every five minutes.
The handles are pulling away from the bag. This sometimes happens if the handles weren’t secured firmly enough before felting. Once the bag is dry, you can reinforce the handle attachment with a few stitches using a curved upholstery needle and heavy thread or waxed linen.
The bag dried with an uneven shape. Dampen the bag again with warm water, reshape it, restuff it, and allow it to dry again. Felted wool is surprisingly responsive to reshaping when damp.
Final Thoughts
The easy felt Booga Bag is one of those knitting patterns that earns a permanent place in your project rotation. It’s fast enough to keep you engaged, satisfying enough to finish in a weekend or two of casual knitting, and the felting process delivers a final result that genuinely surprises and delights every time. The fact that it’s made from natural wool means the finished bag is durable enough to last for years of everyday use — many knitters report using their Booga Bags for a decade or more without any sign of wear.
Whether you’re making this for yourself or as a gift, you’re creating something that combines the warmth of handmade craft with the practicality of a bag you’ll actually reach for every day. Grab your yarn, cast on those first 60 stitches, and enjoy the process. And when you pull that felted bag out of the washing machine for the first time and see what it’s become, you’ll understand exactly why knitters have been making and loving the Booga Bag for so many years.
Happy knitting.
