How To Knit Pom Poms With Faux Fur Yarn

TL;DR (jump to the pattern)

Pom Pom hats are trendy right now. Totally “in” and “happening”. Did I just say happening? Yes, well, I’m a bit tardy to the beanie and Pom Pom hat party, you see. So, you’ll just have to excuse me. =)

There are tons of Creatives on Etsy selling Poms as singles, in grab bags, and even DIY kits. There are videos on YouTube to show you how to make your own if you’re so inclined, and have access to a fabric store that sells faux fur.

My local Wal-Mart only has one or two varieties of the fabric fur, and due to COVID-19, I haven’t really felt like mingling amongst the other house-bound work-from-homers who have suddenly found an interesting in crafting (in an attempt to keep cabin fever at bay.) So, I haven’t ventured into the fabric store.

I did notice, however, that there are a couple yarn brands making faux fur yarn right now.

• Lion Brand has “Go For Faux” in both regular weight and a Thick & Quick. The regular weight comes in 17 colors, while the Thick & Quick comes in 14 colors.
• Knitting Fever has Furreal which is available in 14 colors.
• Sirdir has Alpine in 10 colors,
• Snuggly Bunny in 8 colors, and Touch in 5 colors.
• Knit Picks has Fable Fur in 16 colors.

(Those ARE NOT Aff links).

So I thought I would give it a try, At less than $5 at my local Wal-Mart and available through the Pick-Up service, I didn’t figure I had much to lose. =)

So, I began by trying to create a simple ball using single crochet stitches, trying to follow this pattern here. For me, this was quite difficult. I already knew that Go For Faux was a “by feel” yarn. Meaning, you feel for your next stitch instead of see it. I didn’t realize how poorly I would do at that. LOL

On the first try, I tried making the stitches the way I would normally… and quickly lost where I was. =( On the second try, I used a stitch marker at the beginning of the row, thinking that would be enough. Nope. Nuh-uh. On the third try, I used a stitch marker in every stitch. And I still struggled. (LOL?) On the fourth try, I switched to knit. (HA!)

If you are looking for a crochet version, you can find that here.

Knitting with faux fur is much easier easy because you never have to find your stitch if you’re knitting straight. They are all on your needle.

Then it occurred to me… In all of those DIY fabric instructions, they are cutting the fabric into squares. Why didn’t I just make a square?!?!

Well, that made the project SO much easier!

So, then it was as simple as knitting a square!! Only know how to knit (and not purl)? That’s fine, you can make your square in Garter Stitch. No Problem! You can knit one row and purl one row in standard stockinette, too! The finished product will have a slightly different look, but it will be fine.

Go For Faux Knit Pom Pom Pattern

Required Materials:

• 1 skein Lion Brand Go For Faux (I chose Chincilla)
• Knitting needles of appropriate size (yarn band calls for 15mm – I used a 9 mm)
• Scissors (don’t run with them)
• LARGE EYE Yarn needle (or other means of weaving in ends.)

Notes:

• 15 stitches x 16 rows garter stitch: Measured 6 in. created a 4.25 in. pom pom.
• 12 stitches x 13 rows garter stitch: Measured 5.5 in. created a 3.5 in. pom pom.
• 10 stitches x 11 rows stockinette: Measured 5 in. created a 3.25 in. pom pom. 

Instructions:

1. Cast on using your favorite technique. (10, 12, 15)
2. Knit every stitch across. (10, 12, 15)
3. Repeat row 2 for (11, 13, 16) rows, or until you have a square. The number of rows isn’t *that* important.
4. Bind off leaving a tail equal to the length of the four sides of your square. If you have a 4 inch square, you’ll want a tail that’s at least 16 inches. Have a 6 inch square? You’ll want 24 inches. If you do not want to use your faux fur, then trim and use a sturdy acrylic for step 5. (See note below)
5. Using a large eyed, blunt tipped needle, thread in and out around the edge of the square until you are back at the beginning. Precision isn’t necessary. Start cinching. Fill with fiberfill, yarn scraps, or even roving, as much or as little as you like. When you are ready, pull it tight. If you left your beginning cast on tail and are using the faux fur, you can tie your end to the beginning. If not, tuck in your ends, and tie the acrylic ends together.
6. Attach your pom pom to your hat or other accessory. You can either stitch it directly to your hat, or stitch it loosely to a button that can then be pushed through the stitches of a knit or crochet hat. You can also attach it to a keychain or a purse. =)

NOTE: In case you’re asking WHY such a long tail, this is because you never want to be in a situation where you lose your tail somewhere among your stitches. If you feel certain you will/can avoid that, then by all means, go shorter. =) 

Check out my tips for working with Faux Fur Yarn!