Take your sharp scissors and cut right through the middle of the wrapped yarn along the slit of your cardboard. Slide the scissors in carefully and snip all the way around. This is the exciting part—and the messy part.
How To Knit Pom Poms For Hats at Johnathan Olivar blog
You’ll suddenly have a million tiny strands held together by the cardboard. Don’t panic. They’re not escaping. They’re just waiting to become glorious floof. It looks like a hairy creature at this point. That’s normal. Name it if you want.