Pompon? Pompom?
pompon n. (also pompom) 1 an ornamental ball or bobble made of wool, silk, or ribbons, usu.worn on women’s or children’s hats or clothing [French, of unknown origin]
Oxford Concise English Dictionary
Ah, pompoms. Beloved craft of young children and a matter for debate among aesthetically-minded knitters. Some seem to be quite passionate in their hatred of the little fluffballs. Are they perhaps scarred by over-zealous application of the decorative effect on their childhood headgear? After all, there surely can’t be anyone who didn’t wear a bobble-hat at least once when they were little.
As for me, I have to say that I absolutely hate making pompoms- all that fiddling about with an ever smaller ‘doughnut’ hole to push the yarn through and trying to trim it into an even shape. But for all that I am quite fond of using them in designs, albeit with the right dash of tongue-in-cheek, retro jauntiness, as seen in my Union Jack teacosy, above.
As well as their perky and nostalgic qualities, I also think that pompoms can do an important job in balancing out and finishing some designs. This is absolutely the case with the project I’ve just completed for the Holla Knits Accessories collection. Yes, that’s right, not content with asking people to let fur/loop stitch in from the cold, I’ve also added pompoms into the mix. Well it was always going to be a love it or hate it number, so I’ll just have to see what the reaction is when it’s published!
>Shop restocked!
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Having been very neglectful of teacosies for months and months, I’ve suddenly got all re-invigorated for a number of reasons. Anyway, the result is that as I mentioned in the previous post, I uploaded my Union Jack teacosy pattern on Ravelry and have been very excited to see it added to more than 75 favourites lists and 20 or more queues! Meanwhile, I’ve completed what I’m calling my ‘High Tea’ collection of teacosies, each with a vintage teapot, to restock my Folksy shop. ‘Battenburg’ has been joined by ‘Cucumber Sandwiches’ and ‘Lemon Drizzle’. I love the soft retro colours and can’t decide which is my favourite!
>Battenburg- a preview!
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I’m really pleased with how it turned out! Coming soon to the Folksy shop- just need to dig out my sew-in labels from whichever box marked ‘Craft’ they’re in and get the others in the ‘High Tea’ collection knitted.
>What’s on your needles?
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I’ve finally got a bit motivated about restocking my Folksy shop after my pre-Christmas success. A dinky little brown betty for one now has this ‘beehive’ style cosy made from Cornish Organic wool. To join it, the slightly larger brown betty is getting a humbug striped number made from more Cornish Organic and also some Sherington Flock Hebridean Wool, bought at last year’s Woolfest to make a hat I never got around to (think I fell in love with the cute sheep more than the idea of the headgear!)
As the tea cosies can just about be managed with P running around during the day (only one ball of wool to keep out of his way) I’m keeping the evenings for the Fairisle. The latest update is, I’ve reached the armhole shaping, so I’m steeling myself for dealing with armhole shaping while working either side of the neckline separately, while maintaining the Fairisle pattern. Yikes!
What’s on your needles?
>On commission
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I fully accept that I’m never going make a living from making stuff. I’m not even sure I’d enjoy it if I did, as I’m never keen on making the same thing more than once. That said it has been immensely gratifying to enjoy some modest success with my Folksy shop. It feels even better when I can boast about being ‘on commission’. A customer who bought a Union Jack tea cosy ended up giving it to a friend who admired it, so she asked me for another. As I was a little bit tired of the red/white/blue colourwork I was very happy to oblige when she requested an alternative colourway. Hence the pink and purple confection you see here. And yes, I know it really doesn’t go with the orange teapot, but that was the only one I had that fitted!
>Third of Advent
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Although I know you can’t put a value on bringing up your child, but when Christmas is coming up, it’s tough not bringing any actual money into the household kitty. It’s therefore been a surprise and a delight that following my shop being featured on the front page of Folksy (along with other tea and Britishness themed items), I sold three items- two teapots with cosies and an extra tea cosy! Typical that the labels I ordered a few weeks ago only just turned up in time to go on the last cosy I shipped, but so exciting to have earned money and nice feedback for my handiwork. Only problem is, now my shop only has one lonely teapot in it- yet more knitting to do then.