Summer Fun with Pom Poms

Today, we're featuring three fun craft ideas for the Knitter's Pride Rejoice and Nirvana Pom Pom Makers. These are great crafts for using up those odd bits of leftover yarns and fun to do with kids, too! 

For our projects, we made larger pom poms using the 2.5"/8.5cm Nirvana pom pom maker and smaller pom poms using the 3/8"/3.5cm Rejoice pom pom maker. For instructions on how to make pom poms, take a look at this tutorial from our blog archive.  

Pom Pom Hair Tie

Our first project is a fun summer accessory for keeping the hair off your neck! All you'll need is a pom pom in the size of your choice (we used a small one) and a hair tie. 

Using the tails from your pom pom, secure the pom pom to your hair tie. Be sure to wrap a few times and tie some nice strong knots so that it won't come apart. 

Voila, you have an adorable pom pom hair tie! 

Pom Pom Flowers

Our second project is a great way to decorate your home throughout the year - and you won't have to worry about watering or wilting! We went outdoors to source a small branch to use with both large and small pom poms (in the example below, we use one of each size, but feel free to get creative!).

All you have to do is tie your pom poms to the branch using the tails; you can use a little craft glue to secure the ends in if you like. Using hot glue or other craft glue to secure each pom pom might be helpful with more slippery yarns like cotton. You can make several and put them in a vase for a lovely decoration! 

Pom Pom Garland

With our third project, you can add a little color to any part of your home! You can make your garland as long as you'd like, depending on where you plan to hang it. 

For our garland, we used 8 of the smaller pom poms and crocheted a chain approximately 4.5 feet long. 

To make sure your garland comes out fairly even, fold your crochet chain in half, and arrange the pom poms in the order you'd like them to appear. Remember that the ones at the center (on the left in the photo below) should be closer together since the crochet chain is folded.

Tie your pom poms to your crochet chain and trim the ends. Now you're ready to hang your garland! 

We used ours to brighten up a shelf in the kitchen! Where would you hang a pom pom garland?

Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Shelley, you're the lucky winner of a Nova Platina Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set! We'll be in touch to arrange delivery of your prize. Thanks to everyone who participated! 

Tutorial: Block a Cowl in 3 Minutes Or Less!

Today on the blog we'll be using some of our favorite Knitter's Pride blocking tools to block a cowl in  3 minutes or less! Note, this assumes that you've already soaked your cowl in warm water and pressed the water out.

Once your cowl is ready to be blocked you'll need three tools: Knitter's Pride Lace Blocking Mats, Steel Wires, and our new Knit Blockers.

Next, insert through the opening of the cowl, with one at each end. 

Secure the wires into place with two of the smaller Knit Blocker combs in the corners of the cowl. 

 Use the larger combs to pin the top and the bottom of the cowl into straight lines. 

 And voila! Now you just need to wait for your cowl to dry, unpin, and wear! 

 Giveaway

Enter to win your own set of Knitter's Pride Knit Blockers! To enter to win leave a comment telling us why you need Knit Blockers in your life. We'll choose one lucky winner on Friday, March 27th! 

Lace Blocking Wire Tutorial + Winner

Our new lace blocking supplies are the perfect way to finish your projects (and they can be used for more than just lace!). If you have never used wires before, you will be astonished at how easily they create neat edges and professional-looking results. Just follow these six easy steps to finish off your next project like a pro:

1.  Gather your supplies: a set of Knitter's Pride Blocking Mats and a Lace Blocking Wire Kit which includes 15 stainless steel wires, 15 rust-resistant T-pins, and a measuring tape. You may also wish to have extra T-pins on hand.
   
2. Wet block your piece or use a spray bottle to dampen the piece in preparation for blocking.
3. Beginning with the straight edge of your piece, pick up each stitch along the edge with a wire. The more stitches you pick up, the neater your edge will be.
   
4. When all of the straight edge stitches are picked up, lay flat on your blocking mats. Beginning at the center, insert t-pins between the knit edge and the wires. This is a great time to make sure your piece has the correct dimensions; feel free to make any adjustments necessary before proceeding to the next step. 
   
   
5. Beginning at one top edge, use a blocking wire to pick up one stitch from each point along curved shawl edge til you reach the center. Adjust the fabric until you are satisfied with how it looks, then use a few t-pins to stabilize wire as you did in step 4. Repeat for other side of shawl.
   
   
6. Once your piece is dry, carefully remove the pins, then the wires. Enjoy!

Congratulations are in order for Heidi A, who was randomly selected to win this month's prize, a Knitter's Pride Lace Blocking Set. Heidi commented, "My knitting resolution is to finally publish some patterns. I have several first drafts; I just need to see them through to completion! " We have contacted her via Ravelry to arrange for prize delivery. Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway this month! 

Rejoice Pom Pom Maker Giveaway + Tutorial

Rejoice, our easy-to-use pom pom maker is here! Pom poms are a great finishing touch and are one of the hot trends we've spotted for fall. Our new set includes four sizes, each in a bright color unique to its size. There's no end to what you can make with your pom poms, and we're sharing some of our favorite ideas here on our pinterest board.

Below is our easy photo tutorial to walk you through the steps from start to finish. We're also giving our readers a chance to win 1 of Knitter's Pride Rejoice Pom Pom Maker Sets this month (see contest details below). Thanks for joining us!

Place the two parts, one over the other as show in the image above; the side with the holes should be matched up to the side with the convex depressions. Begin to wrap yarn evenly from left to right on the first side.  TIP: It is helpful to count your wraps to ensure an even pom pom! 

Wrap other side as before. Cut yarn and bring each side together as pictured. You should be able to lock the pieces together with the latch on each side. 

Begin to cut the yarn from the outer circumference and continue all around(your scissors should fit in the space between the pieces, which acts as a guide).

Take a length of yarn to knot through the middle twice, pulling taut to secure the pom pom. Once it is secure, open the latch and remove the pom pom maker. Trim and shape the pompom by cutting extra bits of yarn with scissors.

Voila! You have successfully made your first pom pom! Shown above are pom poms in each of the four sizes available in the set using Manos del Uruguay Maxima yarn in color #2180 Clementine.

Win 1 of 3 Rejoice Pom Pom Maker Sets

3 lucky readers will be randomly-selected to win one of our new Rejoice Pom Pom Maker Sets this month. To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post sharing your favorite pattern that uses pom poms! Be sure to also leave a way for us to contact you if you win (email address or Ravelry ID). Please, only one entry per person (note: comments are approved daily by our moderator and may not appear immediately upon posting).

We will announce our winners in our next blog post on Friday, September 27. Good luck! 

Winner + Guest Post: Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches

Thanks to everyone who entered our Pin It To Win It giveaway this month, we saw some fantastic pins and comments. Random.org has decreed our winning entry to be Raveler Lindaturc, who is wishing for some Dreamz Interchangeable Needles - looks like Santa got her letter! We have sent a private message to Lindaturc to arrange delivery of her Dreamz Starter Set. Congratulations!

Guest Post: Stacey Trock of Fresh Stitches

We're pleased to offer you this photo tutorial (featuring our own Dreamz Crochet Hook!) courtesy of Stacey Trock at Fresh Stitches. We are proud sponsors of the Fresh Stitches Crochet Chat Podcast this month and are excited to share this post with our fans! 

"Sc in each ch" is an instruction you'll often see in a written pattern. But exactly how do you crochet into a chain? It's a great question, because there are actually two different options for crocheting into your chain stitches. I'll show you both options and compare the finished look!

Meet your chain

When you crochet your chain (also called a 'foundation chain'), it should look like this:


Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Wool, color #70

Hook: Knitter's Pride Dreamz, size H (5.0mm)
It should look like a bunch of 'V's, laying on their side.
Does your chain not look like this? Let's troubleshoot:

• Look at the back... you might just be looking at the wrong side!
• Is your chain forming a ringlet curl? That's normal! Mine is just flat because I'm pulling on it. The ringlet will come out once you continue crocheting.
• Is your chain zig-zag-y? This typically happens when you pause in between your chains, which allows the chain to twist slightly.

Okay... let's do our first row!

Option 1: Crochet through the back loop only

Remember how we talked about those 'V's? The first option is to crochet only through the top half of the 'V' (also called the 'back loop'):

When you've completed single crocheting, your piece will look like this:

Option 2: Crochet through both loops

The second option is to insert your hook under the entire 'V' (also called crocheting through 'both loops'):

When you've completed single crocheting, your piece will look like this:

Comparing the two methods

Let's look at the two options side by side:

As you can see, crocheting through both loops creates more of a 'bump', while crocheting through both loops is straighter along the bottom edge.
There's no right way! And once you know the two options, you'll be able to pick the one that best suits your project!