The 100th Gnome

I heard from a couple of you that you want to see more gnomes. There will be more gnomes. I have a couple of plans for gnome content, and the 124th gnome is on the needles. Today I am going to show just one. The 100th Gnome. As my kids would say “He’s just a special little guy.”

These are the Advent Gnome colors. His hat is done and next steps are being taken. A grand reveal will be happening hopefully before Christmas.

I knit the 99th gnome on New Year’s Eve of 2023 out of my first handspun, celebrating that I had learned to spin that year. I knew I wanted to make a 100th gnome, but I also wanted to do something special to commemorate 100 gnomes. But what??

My husband mentioned, in an off-hand way, that maybe could I knit a gnome in a bottle? Initially I scoffed at him, but that idea kept niggling. I found myself looking at bottles in shops, wondering how I would go about such a challenge. I imagined the steps and techniques I would need to pull off this task. I decided that I would knit my 100th gnome in a bottle. The deciding factor was finally finding the perfect bottle. It had to be big enough to get the unstuffed gnome inside, but with a neck to small to let a fully stuffed gnome in or out.

GN100 -Gnemo - with his message in a bottle.

After 99 gnomes I was comfortable enough with the structure of the pattern to make the necessary adjustments. So, to celebrate Knit for Food in 2024, I set out on a mission to make a gnome in a bottle. I cast on first thing in the morning and by the mid-afternoon, I had succeeded. The Gnome was in the Bottle.

Here he is, about to be armed. Almost all of my gnomes are made from scraps of old projects. But sometimes those scraps are so old I no longer know what they are from.

We made a little video of some of the process, and that will show Gnemo’s creation better than words. Forgive the sound quality. I never set out to be any kind of a video person.

Sweater Success!!

After much consternation and swearing and ripping of sleeves, Sam’s sweater is DONE.

I ended up taking the bad yarn out of the sleeves, back to the elbows, and re-knitting the lower halves of both sleeves. I didn’t love it, but I love that this sweater is finally finished. Even with the set backs it was done on his birthday. And it looks so good on him!

The pattern is the DNA Pullover by Andrea Cull. The yarn is Kremke Soul Wool. I started this in March of this year and have been working on it off and on ever since.

I am so grateful for this husband of mine. Not only does he look good in sweaters, but he is also always willing to help edit my pattern text, listen to me talk on (and on and on and on) about yarn. He gives great hugs and he challenges me to be a better person all the time. He is definitely very, very knitworthy.

Where does that have me in my many, many projects?

Progress Report

• 4 shawls

• 1 sweater 5 sweaters/tops

• 3 pairs of socks

• 1 hat 3 hats

• 1 gnome 2 gnomes

• Done! 1 Christmas stocking

• 1 Christmas gift 2Christmas gifts (Okay…I added one at the last minute here, and it’s almost done, so that’s fine and very on brand for me.)

• Done! 1 hood

• 1 cowl done, 1 cowl frogged. 2 cowls

So that’s where we are right now. I am off to run some Holiday Errands. We need a couple of blank tote bags. I hope your December is festive and fun.

Warmly,