Peruvian Figure Purse Elements to Knit

Women in Peru and Bolivia have made and used knitted figure purses called monederos (coin purses) for centuries. The two shown here were purchased in a market in Cuzco, Peru. (For more on figure purses, see “Andean Knitted Figure Purses: Monederos for Your Money” by Cynthia LeCount Samaké in the January/February 2009 issue of PieceWork.)

[PAYWALL] Except for the faces, hands, and legs, the original figures were knitted with slightly over-twisted singles spun from rough wool at a gauge of about 10 stitches per inch (about 4 stitches per cm). The elements shown here are slightly larger in dimension than the original and are knitted from two-ply Shetland wool.

Pattern for Figure Purse Elements