Notes on Shaping Gnome's Hat

I knitted the hat in the rounds from the bottom up. Next time I would start from the tail end and knit it in the rounds from the top down. Reasons? Because after knitting the 7 rows for the cuff I had to purl all the way up. Then it was very hard to stuff the tail end. I had to use long tweezers. So knitting from the top down means you could stuff the tail end as you go along and a lot less purl to do.

I used a 100% wool yarn for the hat. It didn't look right when it came off the needles. So I decided to wash it and to block it. After washing it by hands, I put it on a large plastic knitting needle that has been threaded through a funnel; you could see it on the left of this picture. I was waiting for it to dry.
After it's dried, I hand sewed the cuff to the hat by using a running stitch. Then using long tweezers I stuff the tail end very lightly. I don't use any hair spray on my hair so I don't have any. I have some heavy duty starch in the house for the laundry so I sprayed only the tail end of the hat with the starch, and tied it in zigzag shape with a small piece of yarn.

Waiting for the tail end to dry.
Once it's dried the zigzag shape holds quite well.

The hat is so much softer after the wash and it looks OK now to me. I found that the hat sits on the head very well on its own. So I decided not to attach the hat to the head as suggested by the pattern. Instead I give the little gnome eyes. This way he can have a little sleep with the hat down. Or look wide awake with the hat sits a little bit higher up. I thought it would be a nice feature and would be more fun that way.

Gnome's Mitten in the Rounds

Knitting Techniques used:
- the Thumb method Cast-On
- knitting in the rounds with two circular knitting needles (My needles are different colour, just easier for me to pick up the correct set to knit.)
- three needles bind-off

Crochet Technique used:
- Chain Stitch

I knitted as per instruction, with no reduction in stitches (see more detail notes on boots).

Place a slip knot with a long tail on the needle. Hold the tail in your left hand and wrap it around your thumb. Now, knit into the loop of the left thumb from front to back.
Knit 12 stitches. Move the stitches to the right side of the circular needle. Transfer 6 stitches to the second set of circular needle. Fold the stitches ... and start knitting in the rounds. I did only a few rows to show the arm. When you are ready to change color for the mitten, make sure you leave a long tail of the yarn used for the mitten, about 6 inches long. You have done 4 rows for the mitten and are ready to cast on 4 stitches at the beg of next 2 rows for thumb. Find the long tail yarn and fish it out from the inside and hold it above the mitten. Use a crochet hook 1mm size smaller than your knitting needles. My knitting needles were 3mm so I used a 2mm crochet hook. Place it in between the two knitting needles and push it through below the highest connecting yarn. (Double click on the picture to have a better view)Use the hook to grab the tail yarn and bring it through to the outside of the mitten.
Make 4 chain stitch and fasten off the tail yarn. Back to knitting. With the 4 crocheted chains on your left hand, use the knitting needle to pick up 4 stitches. You have cast on 4 stitches, one from each chain stitch.Now turn the work the other side and use the second set of knitting needles. Use the right side of the circular knitting needle to pick up 4 stitches from the other end of the crocheted chains. Knit across to the end of the grey needle and knit across the silver needle all the way including the extra 4 from the crocheted chains. You have cast on the thumb. Knit another round. This complete the cast on 4 stitches at the beg of next 2 rows for thumb.Carry on with the pattern knitting in the rounds. When you are ready to cast off 3 stitches at beg of next 2 rows, move the work to the wire and turn it inside out, and cast off 2 stitches using three needles cast off method. (Note: the mitten is small, so it is tricky to turn it inside out, needs patience)Now turn the work right side out, you should have 7 stitches each on the left needles and 1 stitch on the right needle. Transfer that 1 stitch from the right needle to the left needle that's further away from you. You should now have 7 stitches on the grey needle, 8 on the silver. Knit a round to the last 2 stitches and knit the two together. 14 stitches. Knit one more round. This completes the cast off 3 stitches at beg of next 2 rows. Continue knitting in the rounds until you are ready to cast off.Move the mitten to the wire, turn it inside out and use three needles cast off all the stitches and fasten off. Turn the mitten right side out and a cute little seamless mitten appears.

Gnome's Boot in the Rounds

I used the pattern for the smallest gnome to test knitting it in the rounds. My pattern is from the Bumper Book of Knitting.

Alan Dart’s pattern gives 1 stitch as seam allowance. So in theory, if I am knitting it in the rounds then I should reduce the number of stitches by the seam allowance. I decided not to do that for two reasons. First, I tested my gauge. I needed more stitches anyway to get the correct gauge. Secondly, even if my gauge is perfect, the seam allowance is only about 0.75cm or 0.30 inch; I don’t think it is going to distort the shape of the toy in any great manner. So I knitted as per instruction, with no reduction in stitches.

I will not be repeating the pattern here, copy right and all that. I just highlight the areas that enable me to knit the boot in one piece. Using chunky yarn and large knitting needles for the pictures here; they are not what was suggested by the pattern.

I stuffed all the pieces after I have finished knitting with the exception of the head & body.

Knitting Techniques used:
- the Turkish Cast-On
- knitting in the rounds with two circular knitting needles (My needles are different colour, silver and grey, just easier for me to pick up the correct set to work on.)
- three needles bind-off

The little gnome asks you to cast on 22 stitches for his little boot. With the Turkish cast-on method, you start knitting from the middle at the base of the boot and need to cast on half that number of stitches.

With two circular knitting needles of the same size, place a slip knot on the top needle. Wrap the yarn around both needles anti-close wise 11 times. Don't count the slip knot.
Pull the lower needle through so the wraps are sitting on the nylon wire. Using the other end of the grey needle, knit across the 11 wraps.When you come to the end, transfer the slip knot from the left needle...
...to the right needle.Now pull the grey needle through so the stitches are now sitting on the wire. Turn the piece so that the silver needles is above the grey set, and move the wraps to the needle tip. Pick up the other silver needle and knit across the remaining 11 wraps.You have casted on 22 stitches, 11 on either side. You can now drop off the slip knot from the needle all together.You are ready to work in the rounds, and starting from row 1 of the pattern, do all the increases, decreases as the pattern said. Here I just finished row 2 and placed a stitch marker near the end before I started knitting row 3. It's to show you this is the toe end, you don't have to use the marker.You have done 12 rows and are ready to cast off 6 stitches at the beg of next 2 rows.Move the boot to the wire and turn it inside out.

Do a three needles bind-off, cast off 5 stitches.

To double check, there should be 9 stitches on each left needles and 1 stitch on the right.

Now move the boot back on the wire to turn the right side out.

Transfer that 1 stitch on the right needle to the left needle that is further away from you. It is the silver one here on the picture. There should be 9 stitches on the grey needle and 10 on the silver one.

Knit a round to the last 2 stitches and knit the two together. (18 stitches)

Knit another round. You have now done the cast off 6 stitches at the beg of next 2 rows and can carry on knitting in the rounds for the leg.

Remember you need to do a purl row at top of boot before changing to a different color yarn.