Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Pom Poms for lamp pulls

This idea probably wouldn't be high on the fire department's list of best uses for wool but I think it is pretty cute. I just love pom poms! They remind me of the pom pom bedecked knit hats my sisters and I wore when learning to iceskate on the Minervino's pond in Randolph, NJ. Lately, I have been including pom poms on many of my knitwear designs. They have such a sculptural and textural feel to them and give a festive, fun look to anything they are applied to.

I have made pom poms using a piece of cardboard to wrap the yarn around - I give directions for them in Colorful Stitchery. (In C.S. I attached pom poms to pillows.) I also love my Clover pom pom maker. When I first saw one of these contraptions, I wasn't sure I needed it - something else to take care of. But my good friend Cathy Payson told me that I just couldn't live without it - and I can't. The set I have had 4 different size "molds". Unfortunately I broke the second smallest one. They don't make it anymore but they do make this one which I haven't invested in yet.

To make a multi-colored pom pom, just wrap varying amounts of different colors of yarn around your mold or a piece of stiff cardboard. You can also wrap two colors together to make a tweedy pom pom. I have found that it's fun to try out new color combinations on pom poms because they are quick to make. Pom poms "eat" yarn - the larger one here weighed 50 grams when it was finished - but I used up lots of odds and ends from my knitting bag.

To make my lamp pulls, I tied the center with 6 ends of yarn that were about 20" long. I braided the ties together and somehow attached them by wrapping the ends to the lamp chain. Because they are wool, they resist catching on fire - but I am pretty careful to turn the lamps off every night.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I found you thru' Jane too, I love your pompoms. I'm just off to look at your book.
: )

Anonymous said...

What a fun idea for pom-pons! I've been trying to think of a way to spruce up a broken light pull in my craft room closet, and this just might do the trick. :)

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