11 June 2011

After!

Look at what I stumbled upon in the park this morning!!!!! I may or may not have participated...
Yarnbombing for beginners -- The POM POM BOMB! International Yarn Bombing Day 2011, Fredericksburg, VA.

Folks have been sitting here on and off all morning!!!




LOVE:  Pom Pom Flowers!


Some of our guests!  

The tag attached to the installation.

Please e-mail if you saw, walked by, sat on, napped on, or took a sun bath on the Pom Bench!  Think it's great? awful? weird?  fun? AWESOME??  Let us know!  I can't wait to see and share your photos!  

10 June 2011

Before

Today, just an unassuming bench.
Tomorrow, in the light of day...who knows!

What did you do for International Yarn Bomb day???

T-Minus 1 day 'til International Yarn Bombing Day

Yeah, you read that right.
One day.
Tomorrow.

What did you say? 
You don't have anything ready?
Here are a few things you can do if you haven't had time...just heard about it and want to participate...can't knit or crochet (ME). 

Can't wait to show you what we have been working on!

Soon.
Soon.
Soon.

08 June 2011

Tutorial: Newspaper Pom Pom Recipe


Lovely, right?  Right.

Want to make a recycled newspaper pom pom of your own?

Here's how!



1.  Cut 8 full size newspaper sheets in half along the crease.






2. Cut the half sheets in half again along the fold line so that you have 2 almost square pieces per sheet.





3.  You should have a stack of 32 squarish pieces of newsprint.














4-5. Fold 1.5 inch sections accordion style until you have a small bundle.






6. Tie the bundle so that it stays together, not too tight, not too loose...just right.  leave at least one strand long enough to grab after it is fluffed for hanging.








7-8. Trim the edges into a pleasing shape.  For this one I did pointy edges, but you could to scallops, double scallops, whatever you like.  The paper is pretty think so use sharp scissors and do it in sections if you have to.





9. Begin to loosen the pages, they are pretty tight so be patient, fluff, repeat.  In the end it will be about the size of a large cantaloupe.






This is what you get!  A lovely way to use that old newspaper laying around!

Recycled Newspaper Pom Pom!

**Linked up at Hope Studios Tutorial Tuesday!**
















This would be awesome as a gift topper!  Kinda reminds me of my dad.  At our house growing up you knew a gift was from Daddy because he ONLY/ALWAYS/EXCLUSIVELY wraps gifts in newspaper!

This would be awesome as a garland!  I hung this one in our dining room, I'm thinking I'll make a garland to go with it!

Where did my Love of Pom Poms Begin?

I think it was these...when I was little I loved them!
When I can find them now, I still LOVE them!

07 June 2011

TUTORIAL: Basic pom pom recipe

We all know how to make a pompom right?
Well I thought I would show you an easy way to make a variety of YARN pom pom sizes!

You will need:
Yarn ( I usually use yarn found, thrifted, or repurposed, and given to me by others) 
Scissors
Fingers

1. Grab yarn and wrap around two fingers, tight enough so it isn't floppy, but please let your circulation do its thing!

2.  Wrap the yarn anywhere between 50 and a 150 times.  This pom is pretty small and was wrapped 50 times.  For bigger ones I normally use multiple strands, like 3 different yarns, wrapped 50 times=150 total wraps.

3.  Gently slide the yarn from your fingers, being sure to keep the bundle intact.

4.  Cut a piece of yarn about 5 inches long.
5. Place the bundle of yarn on top of your single piece of yarn.
6.  Tie a knot in the center of and on top of the bundle.  Wrap the ends around and tie a knot on the other side too.  I do this just to make sure it is tight and sturdy.

7.  Trim the loops above and below the single yarn you just tied.  This pom is pretty small so they are really obvious, but when you get into making a bigger one the trimming will take some attention because a few loops get lost in the bushyness.
this is what you will have, a floppy pom pom:
8. Now is time to give your pom pom a 'high and tight'...or trim it up.  It can be left like above, but to trim it up just snip away until it is even and will feel tight and full.  A tip is to flatten the pom and trim around the edges, fluff repeat in different directions for a nice sphere.

06 June 2011

pot hole, or POM hole?

How adorable is this!  I would love to see this on my way to work!

image: Trendland

Nid de Poule
  Juliana Santacruz Herrera decorated Paris’ potholes with strips of colorful yarn!

I would LOVE to adapt this idea to pom poms! hmmmm.  Gets me thinking!

International Yarn Bombing Day!

Did you know that June 11th is the first International Yarn Bombing Day?

The moxie behind this is Joann Matvichuk who lives in Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada).

If you are are a knitter or a crocheter, I hope you will join others AROUND THE WORLD in a day of world YARN DOMINATION!
Guess what?  I don't knit or crochet and I'll be participating...you can too!  I'm planning a Pom Pom Bomb!  You know not the dangerous kind, the adorable, colorful, leave no mess behind kind!

If you’d like to get involved, there is an informative Facebook group and a website: http://iybd.blogspot.com/. The Ravelry knit graffiti, yarn bombing, and guerilla knitter groups should have local listings as well.

In central Virginia and interested in joining in with me?  Leave a comment or  Email me! 

05 June 2011

Pom Pom Love

"Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly."
~Epictetus


The pom pom was made for me and you!  The perfect adornment for that personality of mine!
I'm fun...pom poms are fun!
I'm cute...pom poms are cute!
I'm round...pom poms are round!
I brighten up a room...pom poms brighten up a room!
I'm soft and cuddly...so are pom poms!
I know who I am, and I know pom poms are made for me!

What is it about pom poms I love so much?
Could it be all of the great colors?
image: short cake party pick's etsy shop




Maybe it's the texture?


Is it the simple elegance?
image: craftzine


image: futuregirl

Maybe they are just fun and make me happy!

I'm going to share all of my pom pom love, pictures, tutorials, and projects with you to inspire a whole lotta Pom Pom Hoopla!