Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Gonk Gnome Knitting Patterns

by

Sometimes I find interesting things in the terms that people are searching on the website. Most of the time them make sense, but other times I’m scratching my head. When “gonk gnomes” turned up, I had to search it to learn that gonks aren’t really gnomes. They’re from Nordic and Scandinavian mythology and are kind of a mix of a gnome and a hobgoblin.

So I don’t know if these gnome knitting patterns really all qualify as gonk gnomes, but I assume it’s the personality that you give them that will decide that.

First of course I have to share this knitting gnome from Sharon Mooney, which you can find on Ravelry. It uses DK weight yarn and while it’s a small project (5.5 inches or 14 cm tall without the hat) there are a lot of techniques packed in, including cables (on the scarf the gnome is knitting), increasing and decreasing, stranded colorwork, knitting flat and in the round, making bobbles (its nose) and I-cord (the legs).

Hélène Magnússon’s Kertasnikiris more specifically a Yule Lad in the Icelandic tradition, who traditionally comes to your house on Dec. 24 and tries to steal your candles (his name means “Candle beggar”). I love all the details on this one, too. His little colorwork boots are the best! A variety of yarns are used for all the different parts, and this one measures 16 inches/40 cm tall. You can find it on Ravelry.

Lots of gonk gnome knitting patterns are seasonal, whether Christmas or some other holiday. You’ll find autumn gonk gnomes from Tanya Oakley Designs on Etsy, and she also has more spring and summer versions decorated with flowers.

January Knits’ rainbow gnomes aren’t necessarily seasonal, but in their pastel colors as shown they’d be lovely for spring, or you could make a set in jewel tones for fall.

I also feel like if you knit gnomes you have to give them a story. Like what are the gnomies by Huggable Bears doing? They look like a bunch a friends headed to the park or something.

If you don’t want to come up with the story on your own, try knitting up Someone to Write Gnome About from Imagined Land Knits. This one’s name is Gnock, and her favorite thing is reading in her hammock.

Or how about Gnana by Sarah Schira? This gnome reminds me of Baba Yaga and looks like she’s cooking up something interesting. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and includes colorwork on the body and a removable cloak (it’s not safe in the kitchen with a cloak on!). The pattern includes a recipe, coloring page, decorative envelope and storybook file so you can learn all about your new gnome. This one is available from Ravelry.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Make Your Knitting Machine Scarves Better

I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shared any patterns for our circular knitting machine users. I know these devices aren’t for everyone but even though I much prefer knitting by hand, it is kind of fun to crank things out on these machines.

One of the most common early projects for a circular knitting machine is a scarf. Which makes sense, because it’s just one long tube and you can make it as long as you like.

One problem that comes from knitting scarves on the circular knitting machine, though, is that it can be hard to know how to finish the ends of the tube so that it looks like a finished scarf and not a tube of knitting.

If you’re not a knitter or crocheter, the most basic way to finish a circular knitting machine scarf is just by cinching up the ends and maybe adding a pompom to each end to cover up any hole that might still be visible at the end.

But if you have a little knitting or crochet skill or are willing to learn, there are a lot of different options for closing up the ends of a scarf. And this would also be true if you hand knit a tube scarf!

I recently wrote a post over at Our Daily Craft that includes five different ways to close up the ends of a tube scarf:

  • the simple cinching method mentioned above
  • sewing the stitches together
  • three needle bind off
  • grafting
  • crochet bind off

Grafting is my favorite because I feel like it gives the cleanest, closest to a seamless look. If you’re a knitter you may already know how to do it but even if you don’t it’s not that hard to learn.

Do you knit tube scarves by hand or machine? I’d love to know how you like to finish them!