Three starry-hat gnomes in red, green and blue dangle their long legs from keychain rings, ready to hang on the tree or clip onto a bag. It is a complete amigurumi crochet kit for beginners: you crochet the pieces, stuff them and stitch them together into a little keepsake you made yourself.
In Scandinavian folklore the tomte and the nisse are little bearded gnomes who watch over the farm, and families still leave them a bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve. Every amigurumi starts with a magic ring and a spiral of single crochet stitches; once you know those two things you can make almost any shape.
Why this kit: a small project you can finish in an evening or two; keychain rings included, so it can ride along on keys, a backpack or a bag; and practice yarn and video tutorials for complete beginners.
Kit includes: red, green, blue, cream, pale pink and brown yarn, practice yarn, a crochet hook, a yarn needle, stitch markers, fiberfill, three keychain rings, a hot-melt glue stick, packaging bags, a basic brochure and illustrated crocheting instructions. Video tutorials are available to follow along. Not included: scissors.
Start with the video tutorials and practice the basic stitches on the practice yarn, then follow the pattern one piece at a time: crochet each part in rounds, mark the start of every round with a stitch marker, stuff it with fiberfill and sew the parts together with the yarn needle. The finished pieces are decorations for adults and teens, not toys for young children, as small parts can be a choking hazard.
It is a natural fit for a mantel, a tiered tray or a holiday table, and makes a thoughtful gift for a Christmas lover, a teacher or a gnome collector.
