Wonderful news, we have another fantastic Knitting Pattern for you! This charming guest post comes from Kaz Kew, who has generously shared her knitting creations with us before (take a look at her delightful Knitted Rubber Duck). This time, she teaches us how to create the most adorable Nordic Gnome Knitting Pattern – her wonderfully named Gnorman! What a joy! Who could resist a brilliant DIY Gnome! (If crochet is more your thing.. you can also explore this Crochet Gnome!).
About Kaz Kew
Kaz is a wonderfully enthusiastic knitter whom I “met” through the Random Acts of Kinding Knitting & Crochet group. It is a lovely community of (mostly) knitters and (a few) crocheters who enjoy creating items for members of the public to discover. How sweet is that? Kaz also regularly posts on her own Kaz Kew Blog!
Knitting brings Kaz great joy, and she enjoys encouraging others to try it too! Today, she has kindly allowed me to share her Duck Knitting Pattern with you, dear Red Ted Art readers! Hurray!
If you decide to make this little duck, please DO send us some photographs—we would be delighted to see them!
Materials/equipment
DK in all 6 shades:
- Colour Change wool for the main body
- 2 coordinating colours for the hat, (I also used one of these shades for the belt and shoes).
- Skin tone (of your choice) for the hands, nose and head
- Cream for the shirt
- Red for the heart
- Cream or white Eyelash wool for the beard (tinsel and faux fur wool are suitable alternatives) (if you don’t have fluffy wool for the beard – you can also try this “strands of yarn” beard, which looks lovely on this gnome – you could even “brush” the wool to make it fluffy!).
Additional supplies:
- 3mm needles throughout
- Toy filling
- Yarn needle
Abbreviations used in this pattern
- k = Knit
- p = Purl
- k2t = Knit 2 together
- p2t = Purl 2 together
- inc = increase (Knit into front and Back(KFB), or use your preferred method)
- st = stitches
- ss = stocking stitch
- (–) x? = repeat the instruction inside the brackets the stated number of times {e,g x2 = twice}
- Turn = knit the stated number of stitches, then turn without wrapping
- W+T = wrap and turn, after knitting the required number of stitches wrap wool around the next stitch without knitting, then turn the work
- PSSO = pass the slipped stitch over the last knitted stitch
- Sl 1 = slip the next stitch without knitting
- Mc = main colour
- Cc = contrasting colour
How to Knit a Gnome – Gnorman!
Knit the Gnok’s Body & Head
Main body and head section, begun at the base. I used colour change wool.
- Cast on 8st (8st)
- inc in all (16st)
- p 1 row
- (inc k1) x 8 (24st)
- p 1 row
- (k2, inc) x8 (32st)
- p 1 row
- (k3, inc) x8 (40st)
- p 1 row
- (k4, inc) x8 (48st)
- p 1 row
- (k5, inc) x8 (56st)
- p 1 row
- (k6, inc) x8 (64st)
- p 1 row
- (k7, inc) x8 (72st)
- p 1 row
- (k8, inc) x8 (80st)
- ss 5 rows beginning with p
- (k6 k2t)x10 (70st)
- ss 4 rows beginning with p
- (p2t,p5)x10 (60st)
- ss 4 rows beginning with k
- (k4, k2t)x10 (50st)
cut wool, leaving a long tail for sewing once finished - belt change colour, ss 2 rows beginning with p
- shirt change colour, ss 2 rows beginning with p
- (p2t, p3)x10 (40st)
- ss4 rows beginning with k
- (k2, k2t)x10 (30st)
- ss 4 rows beginning with p
- (p2t)x15 (15st)
- Change to skin tone ss 2 rows k then p
- k1 (inc, k1) x7 (22st)
- p 1 row
- inc in all st (44st)
- ss 11 rows beginning with p
- k4 (k2t, k3) x8 (36st)
- p1 row
- (k1 k2t)x 12 (24st)
- p 1 row
- k2t x12 (12st)
- p 1 row
Cut the wool, leaving a lengthy tail, then bind off by passing the wool through the remaining stitches and using it to close the back seam. Stop at the belt.
Fill the head at this stage. Switch to the long tail from no.24 and continue sewing, pausing to add stuffing before closing it completely
Knit Gonk’s Hat
Using TWO colours:
- Main colour(mc) and
- Contrasting Colour (cc)
- mc Cast on 54st (54st)
- ss 8 rows beginning with k
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p7, p2t) x6 (48st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p6, p2t) x6 (42st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p5, p2t) x6 (36st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p4, p2t) x6 (30st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p3, p2t) x6 (24st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p2, p2t) x6 (18st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- (p1, p2t) x6 (12st)
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows beginning with k
- p2t x6 6st
- cc k2 rows
- mc ss 3 rows
Cut the wool, leaving a long tail. Bind off by threading the wool through the stitches on the needle and stitching the row ends together.
Knit the Beard
NOTE: if you don’t have fluffy wool for the beard – you can also try this “strands of yarn” beard, which looks lovely on this gnome – you could even “brush” the wool to make it fluffy!
Beard made with white eyelash wool/fluffy wool
- Cast on (35st)
- k 1 row
- p2t, p to end
- k2t, k to end
Continue repeating the last 2 rows until 3 stitches remain. Cast off all 3 stitches.
Knit the Nose
Nose in your chosen skin-tone shade
- Cast on 9st (9st)
- increase in every stitch (18st)
- stocking stitch for 5 rows
- k2t x9 (9st)
Snip the wool, leaving a lengthy tail, then cast off by passing the wool through the stitches left on the needle. Use the tail to stitch the row ends together. Fill the nose and sew it onto the head, positioning the bottom level with the first row of
skin tone on the head and on the side opposite the back seam.
At this stage, I stitched the beard into position, followed by the hat, ensuring both were held securely on either side of the nose.
Knit 2 Arms
Arms (x2), beginning with the hands in your selected skin tone
- Cast on 6st (6st)
- (k1 inc) x3 (9st)
- purl 1 row
- (k2, inc) x3 (12st)
- stocking stitch for 3 rows, beginning with purl
- k6 cast ON 6st k6 (18st)
- purl 1 row
- k6 cast OFF 6st k5 (12st)
- stocking stitch for 2 rows, beginning with purl
- p2t p8 p2t (10st)
- k3 (k2t)x2 k3 (8st)
cut the wool, leaving a long tail for stitching the hand’s row ends together once the arm is finished. - Switch to shirt-coloured wool and purl 1 row
- inc x8 (knit) (16st)
- knit 1 row (cuff reverse stocking stitch)
- purl 1 row (end of reverse stocking stitch)
- purl 1 row (16st)
- k2t, k12, k2t (14st)
- stocking stitch for 19 rows, beginning with purl
- k2t, k3, (k2t)x2, k3, k2t 10st
- p2t,p1, (p2t)x2 p1, p2t 6st
Trim the wool, keeping a long tail, and cast off by drawing it through the remaining stitches. Use it to join the row ends later. Make the second arm in the same way.
Assembling the arms:
Take the long skin-tone tail from the hand and stitch the hand’s row ends together before stuffing it.
Return to the top of the arm and cast off the stitches. Use this yarn to sew the row ends together down toward the hand, leaving an opening for stuffing. Fill the arm, then stitch the final opening closed.
Now sew the arms onto the body. I position mine near the neck, aligned with the beard.
Knit the Gnome’s Shoe
Shoe (x2), worked from the toe end.
- cast on 3 (3st)
- stocking stitch for 4 rows, beginning with knit
- increase in every stitch (6st)
- purl 1 row
- (k1, inc) x3 (9st)
- purl 1 row
- k2, inc, k3, inc, k2 11st
- stocking stitch for 8 rows, beginning with purl
- p2t x5, p1 (6st)
- knit 1 row
- p2t , p2, p2t (4st)
- k2t x2 (2st)
Cut the wool, retaining a long tail, and cast off by passing it through the remaining stitch. Use it to stitch the row
ends together, pausing halfway to add a small amount of stuffing to one half of the shoe.
Keep sewing the seam ends until you reach the cast-on edge. At the cast-ON end, the shoe will be very slim; this creates the curl. Move all the stuffing into the toe, taking care NOT to STUFF THIS NARROW SECTION.
With the remaining long tail, sew through one stitch roughly five rows from the end, then draw the cast
on edge backward to create the CURL.
Stitch it to the base of the main piece, and Gnorman is complete!
How to knit a heart for Gnorman
Heart worked in red, with a long tail left at the beginning.
- cast on 3st (3st)
- increase in every stitch (6st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k1, inc)x2 (10st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k3, inc)x2 (14st)
- purl 1 row
- (k6 inc) x2 (16st)
- purl 1 row
- (k7 inc) x2 (18st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k7, inc) x2 (22st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k9, inc) x2 (26st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k11, inc) x2 (30st)
- purl 1 row
- (inc, k13, inc) x2 (34st)
- stocking stitch for 3 rows, beginning with purl
- short row k2t, k15 turn now working only on these 16st
- p7,p2t, p7 (15st)
- k2t, k11, k2t. (13st)
- p5, sl1 p2t PSSO, P5 (11st)
- k2t, k7, k2t (9st)
- p3 sl 1 k2t PSSO p3 (7st)
- k2t, k3, k2t, (5st)
Cast off by pulling the wool through the stitches that remain; only a short tail is needed for securing.
Attach the wool again to the remaining 17 st
- k15 k2t (16st)
- p7,p2t, p7 (15st)
- k2t, k11, k2t. (13st)
- p5, sl1 p2t PSSO, P5 (11st)
- k2t, k7, k2t (9st)
- p3 sl 1 k2t PSSO p3 (7st)
- k2t, k3, k2t, (5st)
Cast off by drawing the wool through the stitches left on the needle; a short tail is enough to secure it.
Using the long cast-on tail, join the row ends to create the back seam.
Isn’t Gnorman fantastic? Many thanks to Kaz Kew for generously sharing her wonderful knitting patterns!
Discover more delightful DIY Gnomes, along with additional fabulous FREE Knitting Patterns here:
