Gnoodles the Gnome # 4 - 12 January 2025

I've finally finished Gnoodles the Gnome. The rest of the making process went fine and I learnt three main techniques :

The Base

The base turned out very neat. You might be able to detect above that the knitting was divided into three sections. The designer has clearly tried and tested this section so that whoever wants to make it can follow the instructions to the letter and come with a neat finish. I’m pleased with that section.

The finishing instructions also suggest the addition of 'heavier beads' to make the gnome stable. Mine is just rounded but it can still stand.

The Fringe Beard

_{Knitted piece and what it looks like when unravelled.}

Above you can see two stages of the fringe beard making process. I wasn't making a beard though I was using this technique to come up with some long 'hair' to plait and a small fringe.

_{Plaiting was hard because of the round shape of the gnome.}

The instructions in the book and on the You Tube tutorial below are designed to make a fringe beard. I thought that if I put the piece on the back, add a few stitches and then plait them, I’d make make and a small fringe on the front.

_{I learnt a lot from the tutorial and I’m sure I’ll be able to apply this technique in the future.}

The Small Nose

You might recall I’d knitted the nose of the Gnome I made as part of the beard here. I don’t think I invented that technique but that’s what I came up with at the time. To make the small nose for Gnoodles the gnome I used an i-cord of more stitches that I’ve normally used and it worked fine.

Here’s a You Tube tutorial on how to knit an i-cord :

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The instructions in the book are designed to make a small nose. I actually still prefer my method because it saves having to sew small parts which is exactly what I struggled to do. It would help to have a much smaller needle.

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Future Gnomes

All in all I was happy I was able to make Gnoodles the gnome. I was not so happy with the final result of my work though. I feel I should have stuck with the pattern and not added the plaits to make the gnome simpler.

I felt that adding the piece with the plaits got in the way of the very small hat brim and the small nose. Had I known that would happen, I’d have clearly made the brim wider and I’d have cast on more loosely. Currently the hat brim is too small and too tight to cover the beginning of the ‘hair’.

_{Gnoodles loves Snowflakes.}

Although I'm disappointed about the final result it was good to give it a go. I also learnt new techniques in the process.

Thank you for reading !