Trading Gnomes

The wonderful artist and creator of RhagDolls has been a guest vendor at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for the past three years, including this year. She gets to spend a weekend or two selling her wonderful dolls. I have bought one every year. The first year, my doll was dressed in blue, and matched the outfit I wore that day. The second year, my doll was dressed in purple and green, my two favorite colors. This year, I bought a Wizard of Air.

She also made little Gnome dolls. They all had fluffy white beards, red or black pants, red or blue shirts, and a red hat. For my very first trade experience, we traded Gnomes! I made one to match her Gnome colors just for her.



Here they are together before my Gnome was delivered. Aren't they cute little brother Gnomes?!

I adore this doll maker and her beautiful and fun dolls. I'm so happy that my first trading experience was with this fantastic artist. I can't wait to see her back at the festival next year.

They're Here!

Gnomish Travel Baskets have arrived!

They're nice and big so there's plenty of room for a Gnome and all the things he finds on his travels. A seat belt is secured by a single button in the back. This strap can be twisted to make a tighter, more secure fit. A button on the right secures the hanging strap.

Your Gnome can travel in his basket . . .

. . . on your purse . . .

. . . on your belt . . .

. . . or from the mirror in your car!

I bet you can think of many more places to secure your Gnome in his Gnomish Travel Basket! Noam and I tested it thoroughly. He was tipped this way and that in his basket over the past week, and even fell out of a bag and rolled to the floor of my car (that's what I get for not securing him to the bag!). The whole time, he stayed secure and safe in his basket. We're certain your Gnome will love his Gnomish Travel Basket!

Gnomes fit snugly inside and are secured with a seat belt. There's plenty of room if your Gnome should be wearing his Gnomish Cape of Warmth, too!

The Gnomish Cape of Warmth is ready also. It's a simple cape that fastens around a Gnome's neck with a small loop and button. Keep your Gnome cozy and warm in the coming cold seasons!


Here is the Gnomish Travel Basket with a Gnomish Cape of Warmth. Both are available by special request. You're seeing a Gnomish Travel Basket in forest browns and greens and a Gnomish Cape of Warmth in camouflage browns. (You may have noticed that Noam's Gnomish Travel Basket is a nice, sage green.) Almost any color is available.

Maws and Shrooms

A couple weeks ago, a friend asked if I could crochet "the Maw," a blobby alien featured in an Xbox game. I don't have an Xbox and don't play the game, but I told my friend to send me a picture and I'd give it a try. After completing the first Maw, four other people said they wanted one too.

Run, sheep, run!!!

This was an exceptionally fun pattern to design. The head, body, eyeball, tongue, and collar are all made with acrylic yarn. The teeth are felt. These guys are stuffed with polyester fiber fill and polypropylene beads in the body for weight and support. One of these guys has a few random herbs in the head as well. I don't order them, I just make them!

Each Maw took about four hours to make. I'm actually very happy to say I'm done! Yay!

Another friend of mine had asked for a Garden Gnome. His Garden Gnome had to be special, though. It had to be holding a little mushroom. Now, my Gnomes don't have arms, so I figured a little mushroom (especially one at the scale of the Garden Gnomes) would be kind of difficult. I did suggest to my friend that I could make a significantly larger Gnome, based on a kokeshi-style pattern I have, and that would make little shrooms much easier. He never got back to me on which style he wanted me to work on, so I started with a traditional Gnome.

Gnome with shroom!

I've decided that I need to confirm if I can or cannot do something before I start suggesting alternatives. This Gnome, like all other Gnomes, is made from acrylic yarn, has safety eyes, and is stuffed with polyester fiber fill and polypropylene beads. The little mushroom was crocheted with a size 1 hook (almost too big) and cotton embroidery floss. It is stuffed with clippings from the Gnome's beard. The Garden Gnome took me about three hours to complete, as they tend to do. The arms and mushroom took an additional three hours to complete. Yikes! I must say, as fun as it was to crochet with embroidery floss, these guys will be very very rare. My fingers can't take too much of it!

I hope everyone likes what I made for them!