Pom-Tiddly-Pom

Pom-Tiddly-Pom :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flash

A Crafty Adventure

Yesterday I made a pompom. It is red, and it is enormous. And it is made to sit on the head. I figured, if one is going to wear a pompom on the head, it may as well be huge and make a statement. After all, all sorts of oversize headpieces have been in the fashion news in the last year: rabbit ears, bows, and giant pieces of fruit, so why be shy? Being a wallflower never got anyone anywhere.

Round and Round She Goes :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashIt is very easy to make a pompom. Cut two circles out of cardboard. Cut smaller circles in the middle. Wind yarn round and round and round (finishing with the end on the outside edge). Make it fat.

Flutter and Entice :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashTo clarify: for thick yarn wind 4–5 times around; for thin, 8–9 times. I preferred to err on the side of caution, for though I was using two types of yarn, they were both quite skimpy. I used both skeins entirely. (Note these yarns are both a true pillar-box red; the C-Type plate film is quite deceptive.)

Lincraft Yarn :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashI wanted my pompom to be very thick and dense, and had specifically chosen yarns with texture and character. Originally I wanted chenille, but could not actually find any to purchase. These yarns are both acrylic, but are very soft to the touch – one kinda hairy (Entice), the other something like a very fine fringe (Flutter).

Pompom Flavoured Donut :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashCut all around the edges, slipping the blades of your scissors between the two pieces of cardboard. You will end up with a fat donut. Insert a piece of yarn between the circles, wind and knot tightly.

Peppermint Sticks :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashBecause I intended to attach my pompom to a headband and wanted something stiff to support it, I also tied it with a chenille pipecleaner. I found some very charming peppermint stick types in a two-dollar shop – for $2, in fact.

Pompom :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashOnce the pompom is tied-off, I plumped it up and trimmed all the sticky-outy ends. By nature of the type of yarn I used it will probably always look raggedy, although I am quite pleased with this aspect; too uniform is boring. I love it – it is so nice and plump and has a lovely weight.

The Biggest Pompom :: Tinto1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashI twisted the ends of the pipecleaners around a black satin-covered headband to attach the pompom, and voila! Wearing it today however I discover it is heavy enough that I must keep my head upright or the headband slips forward under the weight of the pompom. This actually does wonders for my posture, which is undoubtedly a good thing, but it would probably be worth considering using a wider headband as a base.