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Beginners Guide To Crochet Gnome

Beginners Guide to Crochet Gnomes

Double Gnomes

When I first came across crochet gnomes my first thought was how cute they were. Then like most crocheters I started to wonder, how do you crochet a gnome? 

I did some looking around and I found that crochet gnomes can be made in a variety of ways. However, they all have 5 things in common. They all have: a body, hat, arms, nose, and a beard. Some may include legs, feet, eyes, or accessories. I made a pattern that includes all the common gnome parts! Click here to view it!

It’s more common to find patterns of gnomes, specifically nordic gnomes. These Nordic gnomes are otherwise referred to as Nisse in Norwegian, Tomte in Swedish, and Tomtenisse or Tonttu in Finnish. From what I read on Wikipedia, the Nordic folklore is folklore from the countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Faroe Islands. With a bit of mutual influence from other countries like England, Germany, Finnland, and a few other countries.

How Do You Crochet Gnomes?

Crochet gnomes are worked in parts. I found making the smaller parts first was a very important part of making a gnome. Having the nose and, especially the arms, make it easier during assembly. Depending on the pattern you will either sew the arms on or you will crochet them directly into the body. The same can be said about gnome noses, the majority of patterns that I’ve come across have you sew the nose to the body. However, I have seen patterns that have the nose crocheted directly into the body or head.

Speaking about gnome heads, not all gnome patterns ask you to make a head. In fact most of the gnome patterns that I looked at while making this article DON’T have a gnome head included. I’m not saying there aren’t gnome patterns that have heads, I found a really cute free gnome pattern by Laura Jaworski that has a gnome depicted with a head. This is because most gnome patterns are Nordic gnomes. 

As for gnome feet I’ve seen many gnome patterns that have small crocheted oval balls for the feet. But this varies from pattern to pattern. Some gnome patterns have small round feet, others have large feet, or some have legs hanging down with little elf shoes attached. 

It’s all up to you, the creator, to decide what you want your gnome to look like. Do you want to choose a pattern and make your gnome exactly as written? Or would you like to add your own creative spin to it? There are so many gnome patterns to choose from, it’s easy to mix and match gnome parts to create your own one-of-a-kind gnome!

How Do You Crochet Gnome Arms?

Crocheted gnome arms are made in continuation with the gnome hands. In all the patterns that I’ve looked at have the hands made first then the pattern has you switch to a different color to begin the makings of the arms.The hands are usually always asked to be stuffed, where as the arms usually call for NO stuffing. This is so the arms lay flat against the body and don’t bulge out at the sides of the body.

The arms are a continuation of the hands, just in a different color and with no increases or decreases; until the end when the arms are either crocheted directly onto the body or sewn onto the body. 

If you ever find that you missed making the arms before the body and the pattern wants you to crochet the arms into the body, don’t worry! I’ve run into this problem before, what I do is I finish making the body, without the arms. This way I have a general idea of how much yarn I’ll need. I cut a fairly long tail (in case more yarn is needed) then I rip out each row until I’m back at the row where the arms are attached. Having a place marker in this case is VERY important. With each row taken out the place marker should move down to the corresponding stitch in the row below. 

It sounds like a hassle but depending on the pattern it’s a necessary step. 

Most crochet gnomes have their arms hidden under their hats so you could just sew the arms to the body when you’re done. But if you’re working on a project where the arms will be more noticeable I highly recommend following the patterns suggestions and crocheting the arms directly into the body. 

How Do You Crochet A Gnome Beard?

Gnome beards come in all shapes and sizes. There are many gnome beards to choose from, the one you use all depends on your preference. Do you want to follow the pattern and use the gnome beard written, or would you like to change it up and use a different beard? 

From what I’ve seen gnome beards are usually made up of yarn strands, either cut and just slip stitched on, or slip stitched on and the yarn strands separated to give a more curly beard. But! Gnome beards don’t always have to be made of yarn, some are made of mohair and are felted on, or the beards are displayed in other materials. Some examples could be towels, tissues, fabric, or a fuzzy/furry material.

Most yarn beards I’ve seen, have been put on gnomes with a chain and single crochet base, or they’ve been slip stitched directly onto the gnome. The amount and length of the gnome beard is up to the person creating the gnome. Do you want a bushy beard? A long beard? A braided beard? The only thing limiting you is your creativity! 

To get a bushy beard you separate the yarn strands once they’re attached to your gnome. Usually separating them into 2 strands is recommended. This is because once all the yarn strands are separated they have a tendency to fall apart. Yes they’re at their most curliest and bushiest, but they tangle very easily, and they’re much more fragile. Only separating the yarn in half, leaving the yarn strands in groups of 2 gives more structure and strength to the yarn. 

Here is a visual sample list of a few different gnomes with different beards.

Pumpkin Gnome by Laura Jaworski

Taurus Gnome by Hugles

Bluebell Gnome by PamPinoStore

Snowman Gnome by Jen Hayes

Colourful Gnomie

Basic Gnome by Cozy Crochet

Crochet Gnome Variations

With everything crochet, you can add a little gnome twist to pretty much anything. If you search ‘Crochet Gnome’ on Pinterest you’ll find gnomes for any occasion. These are just a few unique crochet gnome inspirational things I found. 

Crochet Gnome Towel Topper by Nana’s Crafty Home

Crochet Gnome Chocolate Orange Holder by Beejui Creations

Crochet Gnome Ornaments by Amiguroom Toys

Crochet Gnome Tissue Box by Nana’s Crafty Home

Crochet Gnome Houses by Mamta