Yes. Avoid red rouge for sharpening. Green or white will do a great job
And you can make a great strop for yourself for practically nothing. There is no need to buy a strop. In fact, if you can't make your own strop, you have very little future as a knife sharpener, or whittler, and probably not enough dexterity to even handle sharp instruments safely.
Just get a flat piece of wood an inch or two wide by about a foot long. (Other dimensions work fine too.) Plywood is good but any smooth flat stick will do - even a big paint stir stick will work. Then take a worn out pair of blue jeans, and cut out a piece to fit the stick. Glue the fabric to the stick with whatever glue you have (avoid hot glue and other really fast drying glues because they will make the whole deal lumpy).
Leather is good, but denim (blue jean material) is probably easier for most people to get, and I actually prefer it over leather which I have used for many years.
When the glue is dry, "crayon" some of the compound - just enough to color the fabric some - and strop away. The strop will get black as the steel is worn away from the blades.
DO NOT flip the blade at the end of the stroke and come back the other way. If you do, there will be a tendency to anticipate that flip, and rub the blade almost perpendicular to the strop which will make it dull. Sometimes people give the blade a little flip at the end of the stroke even when they are not going to turn the blade over, and that has the same effect. NO FLIP! Just give the blade about 75 firm strokes on one side at a consistent angle from one end of the stroke to the other (don't run off the end of the strop either) and then give it 75 the other way.
You can do this! I have taught 100s of 9yr olds to do this. You can do it too.