My first holiday craft for 2022 is finished! This adorable gnome pattern was a wonderful way to get back into toy making. I chose to make him in a more traditional “Santa-like” color scheme, with a red hat, mitten, and boots, and a white beard dressed with red and green cord. He could be made in endless colorways, though – I can envision different beard and clothing colors, fanciful buttons for the suspenders, and accessories.
This pattern is designed by Natasha @natura_crochet and can be found on Instagram and Amigurumi.com. She includes a lantern pattern, too, and I’ll show you the finished lantern (and another version of this gnome) in an upcoming post.
It took me about 10 days to complete him, working a little bit each day. I used 100% mercerized cotton yarns – Phil Coton 3 and Schachenmayr Catania, two of my favorite ami yarns that work well together. I love to use mercerized cotton in my amigurumi, as it results in a smooth, slightly glossy finish. I used a 3.25 mm hook; if you try this pattern, you can experiment with hook sizes and even go down to 3.00 mm. I recommend the tightest stitches you can do comfortably. The beard decoration uses a metallic cord brand called Saipan, but similar material could be found in well-stocked craft stores. Buttons are sewn on with basic poly thread. I used 8mm safety eyes. He measures 33cm / 13 inches from pompom to shoes.
A few other tips, if you would like to try making this toy – use wire in the legs and arms if you want the gnome to stand and pose or hold any objects. When you make the hat, experiment with the width. Don’t make the hat too wide; you want it to just fit around his head and slouch a little above his eyes. That might mean you will have to reduce the hat’s circumference/number of stitches around, depending upon your hook size. Also, when stuffing the body and beard, do it little by little to achieve the shape you want. For example, when stuffing the beard, don’t put too much in the narrow ends, so it is easier to wrap around the head and sew in place.
That’s all for today! This is officially my 200th post here, apparently 🙂 I’ll be back soon with something new. Until then, stay well.
The Frill Seeker 
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