Project: Gnicki the Gnome

 

Project: Gnicki theGnome (mystery Gnome KAL)

I've mentioned this project before but as it is now finished I feel it should have a proper round up. As this was a summer gnome I picked colours that I felt resembled a mountain wild flower meadow or pasture. The sort of place Maria from The Sound Of Music would take all those kids, or where Heidi might take her goats so they make delicious cheese. I realised last night that I had no idea if the area I imagined Gnicki to live (Alpine meadows) even had gnome stories, which I refused to look up last night, but a quick check this morning reveals that of course they do, although there is a story of Swiss Gnomes that caused a landslide in 1618 because the town that benefited from their gold became corrupt, and to be honest, fair enough. 

Gnicki in her natural habitat.

 

Yarns:

4ply/fingering weight. Pattern calls for 20g mini skeins, but I used well under 20g of each colour.

Squeaking moth – Mothy and the Squid (5g used)

Wild flowers – Mothy and the Squid (10g used)

Rainbow speckles (can't remember exact name) – Belinda Harris

The forest began to Sing – Sparkleduck (no longer available)

Needles:

2.25mm DPN for picking up stitches

3mm DPN (pattern calls for 3.25mm but that seems to be the only DPNs I don't own)

Gauge:

The pattern does give a gauge but as it's a stuffed decorative item I didn't worry about it. As long as my stitches were tight enough to not show the stuffing then it was good, and I didn't have to worry about not having the right needle.

Difficulty

I found this to be a quite easy pattern, but then I've been knitting for quite a while and was familiar with the techniques used, but even then I managed to fuck up some where because the purl ridges which you use to pick up the front pocket were not underneath the centre of the hat, so there was a bit of fudging and my pocket is longer to make it symmetrical. There are short rows and picking up stitches, and working in the round can be a faff if it's not something you've done much of. The instructions are well written with diagrams and links to techniques.

It has pockets!

Worth repeating?

Maybe? I don't necessarily need another one for my self, but I could see myself making one for someone else. I'd have to get some plastic beans or something to weigh it down because mine is just stuffing and it's hard to get her to stand up. I might buy a different pattern to make one at Christmas, I did have a basic gnome pattern on Ravelry but I was checking through all the bits I downloaded before I deleted my account and I seem to have the German and Swedish versions but not the English *slaps forehead * Maybe I need to practice my German...

Anyway, I'm happy with the finished product which is always good with mystery knits.

 

 

Gardening:

Ok, I've still not done a lot of gardening, and you can tell because I found this fucking monster of a courgette hiding yesterday when I went to get form rain water for my Sundew, Errol the Engulfer. I need to get some jars and turn this into chutney. 

A weapon dealing D6 damage

We became the surprise guardians of a butterfly last, I was prepping some kale and found a chrysalis inside one leaf. I wasn't hopeful because it'd spent a week in the fridge, but a week or so on the window sill in a brown bag (I was told somewhere warm but out of direct sunlight) and yesterday I found it had hatched. Just in time really because not long after I found it it started walking about and when placed near an open window it flew away. No warm ups, no practice, just straight out of the window.

 Aint nature magic.

 

Our Smol Friend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baking:

Chocolate crinkle fudgebiscuits.  Make them, they're very easy and you can thank me later.