If you’re like me, you love knitting toques (or beanies/knit caps to my non-Canadian friends). My latest pattern, Trochu utilizes a hand made faux fur pom pom to finish it off, and they’re a great way to add a bit of personality.
Faux fur pom poms are an awesome alternative to a more traditional yarn pom pom, and are quick and easy to make, with materials you probably already have laying around the house. These can be whipped together in a few minutes, and for less than a few dollars.
Materials:
· Faux Fur
· Utility knife
· Pen
· Thread or yarn
· Glass (or anything with a circle you can trace)
· Polyfill, scrap wool, scrap yarn (or anything you can stuff into your pom pom!)
· Cutting mat, or cardboard
The faux fur fabric might be the only thing you don’t have sitting around at home. This stuff is really easy to find at any fabric store, and often there is a huge variety available, so you’re sure to find the colour and texture you will like. Be sure to ask the cutter what the smallest amount of fabric you can get is – at my fabric store it’s 10 cm, and even with that I have enough faux fur to last me a life time of pom poms. A 10 cm x 114 cm strip of fabric (4″ by 45″) cost me a grand total of $2.49.
Step 1
Gather your materials together. If you have a cutting mat, I’d recommend using one, but if you don’t, a few sheets of cardboard will protect the surface you’re working on. Take your glass (or anything with a circle you can trace around), and place it on the underside of your faux fur. The glass pictured about is about 9 cm (3.5″) in diameter. Take your pen and trace the circle (don’t worry about it showing, it won’t).
Step 2
Take your utility knife (make sure it has a good sharp edge), and cut around the circle.
Step 3
Take your thread, and sew a loose baste stitch around the circumference. I use Gutermann Jeans Thread, which is nice and tough. You’ll be pulling somewhat hard on the thread to close the pom pom, so thin, weak thread isn’t recommended. If you don’t have Gutermann Jeans Thread (but you should, it’s great for so much!), you can use yarn from the toque you just knit, or a thinner yarn you have laying around the house.
Step 4
Now pull on the thread and synch that puppy tight, leaving about a 2 cm (0.75″) hole.
Take your polyfill, yarn scraps, or wool scraps, and stuff it into the small hole.
After you’ve completed that, pull on the thread/yarn/whathaveyou more to close up the hole as much as possible.
Step 5
Leave a tail of thread/yarn so that you can sew your pom pom to your toque.
Tie a small knot to secure the thread from coming loose, and you’re done! Now you have an awesome faux fur pom pom to attach to your toque.