March 29, 2002

I've only made a few pom-pons in my life, and they've all been total disasters.

Poor Pom-Pon Performance

I followed the do-it-yourself instructions to a T, but somehow my half moon-shaped cardboard pieces crumbled as soon as I began wrapping them in yarn.

I let these early failures taint my overall opinion of pom-pons. I've been known to change entire projects just to avoid having to make one little pom-pon.

I was thus both curious and reluctant to explore the commercial pom-pon makers. Could there exist, I wondered, a tool that actually simplified the process? And how in the world do they work, anyway? Read this week's tool profile to find out.

Knitting Hits the Big Time

Your response to last week's "Socks Soar on Circular Needles" review was tremendous. Cat Bordi's book spent all last weekend on the Amazon.com Top 100 Bestsellers list. At one point, she even beat out popular author John Grisham!

One small step for Cat, one giant step for knitters everywhere.

In the Forums

Is there something that a gadget-phobic person would resist but ultimately realize was a splendid tool, even if it weren't used often? Share your thoughts.

March Winner!

Congratulations to Muriel, the lucky winner of this month's newsletter subscriber drawing. She's taking home a copy of Sweater 101, Finishing 101, Janice MacDaniel's Unpattern Patterns, and The Sweater Wizard, all generously provided by Patternworks.com. If you didn't win, don't despair -- I'll have another great prize next month!

Happy knitting, and I'll see you in the forums,

Sincerely,

P.S.-Do you have friends who would enjoy Knitter's Review? If so, use our simple Tell a Friend form and let them know about us.

This week's newsletter is brought to you by

The Handworks Gallery To celebrate the arrival of spring, we're offering Knitter's Review subscribers an exclusive 20% discount off k1c2 Tartelette yarn and pattern kits, as well as Crystal Palace Yarns' Deco Ribbon! To access our special Knitter's Review page, where you can see these yarns and kits up close and get your discount, click here!

New This Week...

	Tools and Tips: Pom-Pon Makers
Like melon-ballers and meat-tenderizers, knitters rarely need a pom-pon maker. But when the need does arise -- as it surely will -- invest in one of these easy, inexpensive tools. You'll be glad you did. full review

Knitter's Review Poll:

What do you do when you need help with a knitting project?

 Participate in our Knitter's Review Poll
and you'll see instantly a tally of all the votes.

(c) Copyright 2000-2002 by Clara H. Parkes. All rights reserved.
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