Pom-Poms are Still a Big Thing -- Here are Three Ways to Make Them

I’ve been seeing a lot of stuff about pom-poms lately, and they are a really fun way to jazz up knitting projects or just about anything else (and often a great way to use up yarn, as well). Here are some tutorials that have caught my eye recently.

The Crafty Crusader was inspired by tutorials she saw online to try her hand at a two-color pom-pom designed to look like a golden snitch from Harry Potter. The effect is pretty cool, and once you understand the basics you can design all sorts of creatures and other fun stuff.

Wronek is a Polish blog, and she has a basic tutorial for the classic way to make pom-poms, but this page also shows an image from Pinterest (no idea the original source) that shows how to turn a hank of yarn into a bunch of pom-poms. This is a great idea when you’re using them for decorative purposes and you want a bunch that are consistent in size and color.

And if you love a giant pom-pom but what something a little different from the usual yarn-wrapped ball, check out this great, super simple tutorial for a faux-fur pom-pom from Sew 4 Bub. These faux-fur pom-poms are super popular on knit hats, and this is a great way to make them.

Do you like using pom-poms on your projects? I’d love to hear how you make them or if you have any special tricks.

Looking for more Knitted Beanie patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

Pom-Poms are Still a Big Thing — Here are Three Ways to Make Them

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

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