Tuesday 25 February 2014

New knitting finishes and a new way to make a pompom

I had some leftover yarns from knitting mittens and socks for two little girls, so I wanted to knit matching hats for them. I bought some pink yarn to make the purple hat prettier, and naturally little girls' hats will be lovelier if they have a pompom. I tested a new (to me anyway) way to make a big pompom. I have always cut two circles of cardboard and used a needle to wind the yarn through the centre hole and around the circle. For the newest pompom before this I used a plastic pompom maker that works just like the old cardboard version but is reusable and comes in three sizes. This time I needed a big pompom, and the new trick promised just that. First, you need an empty kitchen roll core cut in half or two toilet roll cores. No needle needed, just start winding your yarn around both rolls like this. It goes really fast!
 

When you think there is enough yarn for the pompom, cut your yarn. Take a longish piece of strong yarn and tie it between the roll cores around the pompom yarn. I made a slip knot.



Take your good big scissors and cut at opposite sides of the roll core pair through all layers of yarn.

 
Tighten the slip knot really tight and tie the ends of that yarn twice around the centre of the pompom and make a knot or two. Hold these long tails  and trim the pompom. Use the tails to fasten the pompom where you want it.


Here are the hats finished. The yellow hat has "my grandmother's mitten pattern", and for the purple hat I used a star pattern my mother once used for my hat. It was pink with white stars, and a wonderful white pompom that wasn't so heavy that it would pull your head back.


My mother was the little girls' great grandmother, and I hope these hats will bring the knitted love tradition of our family to the newest generation. My mother used to call her knitting "time bent to curves", referring to the form the yarn takes, but I'd like to add love to the time.

5 comments:

  1. The hats are beautiful. I recognize your grandmother's pattern. It's always nice to learn new ways of doing something. Pom poms can get tricky if they are not tightly held together. You seem to have solved the problem.

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  2. Absolutely love is added! I really like the knit patterns. Amazing how everyday things can be so useful. No special tools required. I love a hat with a pom pom.

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  3. Oh what a great idea! I've been making them for our kitties but they never come out even. Now I'll try this. Yes, it's all time spent for love, isn't it ;>)
    Cheers!

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  4. So so pretty and sharing a wealth of family history. I'm sure they will help your sister bring to life the girl's Finnish heritage. Thanks for sharing the pom pom technique- I hadn't seen that before.

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  5. Brilliant pom pom- thank you!!

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