After a lengthy search online for a felted bowl pattern, I came up pretty much empty-handed. The one pattern I truly fancied didn't turn out quite as I had hoped. The end result looked more like a platter than a bowl. So, I improvised and came up with this pattern. Feel free to try it for yourselves.


This bowl can be knitted based on your preferences. You can make a bowl that is smaller in circumference, has shorter/taller sides, etc. Therefore, gauge is not imperative for this project. My finished bowl is 7.5" in diameter with 2.5" sides.

Items Needed:
1 20" circular needle, size 10(US)
Set of 4 DPNs, size 10
10 stitch markers
Tapestry Needle

Yarn:
Paton's Classic Wool Merino (I used the Regency colourway)
2 skeins (You won't use the entire skein, but having two separate balls of yarn is necessary for this project.)

Project Notes:
This pattern is worked holding two strands of yarn together throughout. This yields a much firmer finished fabric. I felted this piece by hand so that I could check the progress frequently; however, it could just as easily be machine felted. Just be cautious about some of the more vibrantly colored yarns bleeding (in case you wanted to throw in a pair of jeans to help with the agitation process).

Holding 2 strands together, CO 100 sts. using the long tail cast-on method. (I actually used a size 11 needle for this CO so that it wouldn't be too tight) Join to begin working in the round taking care not to twist the CO row.

Work in the round in stockinette stitch until the "tube" is as tall as you want the sides of your bowl to be, taking into account a slight shrinkage factor once the fabric is fulled.

Once your sides have reached the desired height, BO loosely using the basic knit bind-off. Do not tie off yarn! Keep the last loop on your needle! You should now have a nice, slightly rolled bottom edge and one stitch remaining on your needle. With RS facing you, pick up and knit through the two back loops of the BO row all the way around until you have 100 sts. on your needle again. Work in the round in stockinette stitch for two rounds, placing a stitch marker after every tenth stitch. This is the beginning of the flat bottom of your bowl.

Round 3: SSK, knit to the next stitch marker. *SSK first stitch after marker and knit to the next marker*. Repeat all the way around (9 stitches between each marker)

Round 4 (and every even row for remainder of the pattern): Knit all stitches

Round 5 (and every odd row for remainder of the pattern): Repeat round 3, decreasing the first stitch of the round, knitting to the next marker and decreasing the first stitch after the marker.

Repeat rounds 4 & 5 until you have 1 stitch remaining between each marker (10 stitches), switching to DPNs when necessary. Place remaining stitches on two needles (5 on ea. needle). Using the Kitchener Stitch, graft the bottom seam closed, weave in and snip yarn tails.

Finishing:
Felt the piece using the method of your choice until the piece is firm enough for your liking. I hand felted mine in hot water and mild soap for approximately thirty minutes, rinsing it in cold water approximately every five to ten minutes to check the progress. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and roll tightly in a dry towel to absorb excess moisture. I blocked mine using a gallon sized beverage pitcher. I laid a couple of wash cloths over the bottom of the pitcher, laid my bowl on top and tied a piece of cotton yarn around the outside to help the bowl maintain its shape. I let mine dry for 24 hours in this manner. You could also stuff the inside of your bowl with plastic wrap or any other water resistant "filler".



Edited to Add: I made a trio of nesting bowls using the same pattern only casting on 70 and 50 stitches for smaller bowls.