Pom Poms

Earlier this year, Hermione and I went on a little jaunt up North. We went to see my oldest friend, whom I first met nearly 50 years ago! gulp! We stayed with her Mother as it was closer for both of us to get to the venue we wanted to visit. It was lovely to see her Mum again, as I have known her for a similar amount of time too.
It was so peaceful, Hermione and I were both well fed with delicious home cooked food, the evening was spent with the 4 of us knitting, sewing and reading, chattering away and laughing at our many antics over the years.... There were also moments of silence, the sort of silence you can only have with real friends, just a not needing to continually talk type of silence :) before we retired to our wonderful warm, comfy beds.
    Earlier in the day, we had spent a lovely few hours looking around the market town of Northallerton. What a beautiful town. Lots of delightful shops, all ready for Christmas, heaving with happy people choosing gifts for loved ones. I was pleased to see a Bettys, and peered through the window at the lovely, mouthwatering designs on offer. There was Lakeland Plastics, which I never get to see often enough, We swanned around a large department store, and went to an amazing delicatessen, with queues 1 mile long. We also popped into a lovely Craft Fair, and bought a few Christmas bits and pieces for swaps and stockings : ) Back home into the warmth, and delicious home made tea and pudding.
                        
                                                            Photos from Northallerton

                                                         I fell in love this double postbox!

 There is an open air market, on both sides of the main through road...... (not in anyway as good as the one we have in my home town though)

 I love all the old buildings, I've always been enchanted by the building above the shop front, they are so interesting. Some of these shops were using the upstairs as well.

       After a particularly good nights sleep, we got up bright and early and headed off in the direction of Harrogate, It wasn't a particularly pleasant journey, it was one of those very wet weekends, and there were floods everywhere, with no knowing just how deep each one was..... but we survived and arrived.... in Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching show. Wow, what a show.... and with wonderful company too. We had arranged to meet up with one of B's friends, who I hadn't seen for more than 20years, she looked just the same, whilst she kept seeing me in Hermione.... and has never seen me with longer hair! But all of us really had to keep reminding ourselves what to look for in our mutual friend, Having recently gone though chemotherapy, her hair has grown back a lovely silvery colour, and it is short..... she looks fabulous, and so different,

                                    Photos from the knitting and stitching show in Harrogate

 We had morning coffee in this beautiful theatre, and went back for our packed lunches and to meet up with our friends. It was a delicious lunch, and the most amazing place I've eaten in for a long time...


This photo, the tents in the middle of the hall, were made up using ufo's brought in by the public last year apparently, so that they no longer have the worry of starting something and not finishing it. What a brilliant idea!

 Years ago, before my 1st was born, we did the Harrogate trade fair (for crafts) I only remember it being a dark, dingy, sleazy sort of place. So it came as a real surprise to find out how beautiful it is these days. Perhaps it was because we used the tradespeoples entrance, I don't know....

      
We came home with lots of gorgeous goodies, non of which I photographed. Some of them and their costs were shared, so we both went home happy, and with more items than we would have done otherwise. I wonder if her friends wish came true, and that Santa dropped off a brand new sewing machine for her, I do hope so :)

Just as we were leaving, Hermione and I spotted an interesting display, we just had to look at, I don't know how we missed it on the way in! It was an amazing, charming, eclectic display (I think based on the mad hatters tea party) a collaboration by Ann Small and Sue Walton.
Click on there names to find their websites..... Two friends, and two teachers, combining their skills to great effect. If you ever get the chance to see their work in person, DO. I particularly fell in love with the glasses chandelier 

Anyway, this leads me onto the title of this blog..... We spent a while chatting to these exhibitors, poor things, on the last day of the exhibition, and probably wanting to pack up and go home.... I admired there hats, as well as everything else...... and somehow (I think it was my scarf) we got round to talking about bobbles and our mutual love of them.
I had a postcard shoved in my hand, and told to look on the website..... (Sue uses a great deal of pom poms in her work) and said I could make them much more quickly with her method. She hadn't had time to produce the sets in time for the show.

(I have sought her permission to enthuse about her kits)

We left, saying our goodbyes to our friends, promising I will visit again, ( I hadn't visited the North since one particular nightmarish 7 hour journey home with roadworks, bad weather and delays, then on top of all that a Screaming teething baby......urrrrgh ) We are very fortunate, that she has been able to visit us regularly, often combining her business with pleasure, putting up with all my children, and sleeping on an assortment of made up beds, usually with childish bedlinen, in any room that was spare at the time.

Well, I did leave, when I worked out what was wrong with my car!!! We ( I ) had parked on a steep hill, not a problem, I've done that before? but everytime I let the handbrake off, it went backwards....... I became quite scared..... the revs just weren't enough to propel it forward. Anyway, eventually, and before I hit the car behind, I realised I had stupidly put it into reverse as I always do to get out of a parking space in my own flat town!!! Once in 1st gear she was fine!!!

Once home, reality set in, and I had to cook the evening meal, they had been living out of cans! Hmmmm.

I debated weather to buy the kit..... I waited a while, and my heart kept saying YES, I have of course made pom poms as a child, through two pieces of card, or old fashioned milk bottle tops, and yes, with those silly rounded child safe scissors, that can barely cut paper, let alone strands of wool. Using up grotty bits of yucky coloured wools that my mum had hanging around. Also as an adult, with one of those 'clover' machines, I could never really get the hang of them.

I am not a wool person, no matter how much I would like to be, with all those scrumptious yarns out there today. I can't knit, or crochet, and now no-longer have any desire to as now I get terrible arm ache when I do. I can manage every other crafts without this problem, it must be something to do with the wrist action!

All of us fell in love with these new designers works, Hermione adored this coat, I think they were University students works. Fabulous

So anyway, a few weeks later I decided to order one of these kits....

If you like pom poms, you really must get one for yourself.
All I can say is : 

• It's Brilliant 
• Everything I make from now on is in danger of having a pom pom on it!
• You can make lots,
• Small and big
• on the same gadget
•  it doesn't take very long
• It comes with some wool,
•  a bag to keep it in
• Instructions
• a chenille needle
• and some ideas on how to use the pom poms

     
 Copyright  Multipom 2013   All rights reserved.

I think when people find her website and order there own, the whole world will go pom pom crazy and Sue will be a multi millionaire!

However, I did have a problem,

As I don't knit, I don't have much in the way of wool lying around in my house, most of the useful stuff has been given away to people who may be able to use it......

SO...... When it came to choosing my order for my £15 Abakhan challenge, there was nothing else for it but to order some wool!

                                                                 

  I chose a mixed selection of colours in a pack, there are 10 colours and 20 balls of wool. This is now reduced to £9.22 see here

I also chose 3yards of white lining. This is for printing on, which I will hopefully try out in the next few days.

Abakhan are having a sale at the moment 'tis the season'
15% off everything (can't be bad) as they are so good anyway, so if you haven't looked before, now is the time to go and visit there website or one of their shops.


Anyway, would you like to see what I have made........... I thought so



   I took an old felted jumper and recycled it to make some handwarmers

 

I was making this felt basket as a Christmas present, but fell in love with it, and couldn't bear to give it away, especially after I  added 4 lovely pom poms

I made some red pom poms on a thick cord for our fireplace, this was just a practice piece....
                                                                                                                                                                       Then of course, I had to make a Christmas wreath for the front door.

I have become completely obsessed with making pom poms, in different sizes and colours and mixing colours

I

I have made stripy  ones, The ones on the right are supposed to be in Christmas colours, although Hermione says they look like sushi to her, the white being the rice....

              I'm not quite sure how she knows as she's a lifelong vegetarian...                                                               

Then I made some multicoloured, multi striped large pom poms

I then decided to try and make some heart shaped pom poms, which were successful, and will be turned into bunting.

 My head is buzzing with ideas, with all the possibilities!!!


I would love to own my own camel so I could decorate it!!!!

Image from google images



What do you think?
Sue Xxx