Brotherly Hat

I finished up the hat for my brother. I plan to give it to him on his birthday in July. I used the same stitch/pattern that I used to make the cap for Paul.

Even though I was working the same pattern, this hat was still a learning experience. I had issues with gaps at the top of Paul's hat, because I tried to decrease the number of stitches per row too quickly. This time, I over compensated and decreased too slowly, creating this awkward nubby point at the top of the hat. Since this was going to be a gift, I thought I should make it look as nice as possible and cover up the weirdness. I opted for the traditional hat topper - a pom pom.


So I guess you can buy pom pom makers online or at craft stores. They cost about $8 and look pretty hi tech and futuristic.

Or, you could do what I did and find free instructions on how to make them on the interwebz.

To start, you will need 6 strands of your chosen yarn, 2 yards long each. You will also need two cardboard circles, with holes about the size of dimes in the middle. These discs should be the same size you want your pom pom to be. I made these out of an old box I found at work.


Wrap the yarn around the discs like so. It can be a little tricky getting started, be sure to secure the loose ends with the thumb and forefinger you 're using to hold the discs.


Once completely wrapped around, slip sharp scissors in between the discs and cut the threads.

Next, separate the discs slightly. Take another strand of thread, about a foot long, and wrap it around the center. Secure the threads with a few tight knots.

Remove the discs and you should have a pom pom. You can trim away any scraggly or loose threads. Pom poms are really fun to make.

I hope my brother likes it. I feel like pom poms are seen as a little childish. I'm hoping that he'll be able to rock it in a hipster ironic way, like animal sweatshirts or big glasses.