Hello, lovelies! If there’s one thing I absolutely adore, it’s Christmas! The festive season is a time of joy, magic, and of course, crochet. This year, I had the pleasure of sharing something extra special at The Crochet Sanctuary – my Gnome Sweet Gnome Advent. It’s a delightful crochet advent project filled with festive fun, and I’m so excited to tell you all about it!

For those of you unfamiliar with The Crochet Sanctuary, let me fill you in! It’s a luxurious crochet retreat set in the stunning Cranage Hall in Cheshire. The hosts, Lisa and Lynda-Rose, always plan the most amazing weekends for their guests, and when it’s the weekend near to Christmastime, they take things up a festive notch.

I was so thrilled to be asked to lead a workshop again; the Crochet Sanctuary is one of my favourite places, and the people I’ve met there over the years have become such wonderful friends. As before Lisa and Lynda had given me carte blanche to do what I wanted for the design, all they knew was that it was going to be some sort of crochet advent calendar.

I always like to try and do something a little different, and initially had lots of ideas of what I could do but finally settle on the Gnome Sweet Gnome Advent Calendar. Picture this: a cosy, charming gnome hanging in your home, ready to count down the days to Christmas with you. Each day, a pocket holds a little surprise, making it a fun and interactive way to celebrate the holiday season. Not only is it a wonderful decoration, but it also makes for a fantastic family tradition.

I wanted my advent to not be too overtly ‘Christmassy’ for those that didn’t really celebrate the season, so I picked what I thought were the Scandi type colours of grey and red – and I thought who wouldn’t like to start the day with a little treat throughout December.

To make my calendar I used a 3.5mm hook (US size E/4), for the ‘calendar’ part of the wall hanging I used Sidar Stories DK in a lovely bright red (shade date night 808), Sidar Stories DK is a lovely cotton rich blended yarn that I’ve used before; it’s a 60% cotton and 40% acrylic. It comes in 50g balls (140m) and is a soft yarn which holds it’s stitches well. Then for the gnome I used Sidar Happy Cotton DK which comes in sweet little 20g balls (43m) and is available in 50 different shades and I used four different colours; 774 Stomp, 789 Lippy, 773 Sandcastle and 761 Dolly.

Then the only other things you would need are some stitch markers, a tapestry needle, some toy stuffing, a 30cm dowel rod, some string and some advent buttons or beads to mark the days. I used these Wooden Advent Buttons from Etsy, but there are other options available from places like Amazon like these Wooden gift tags or these advent pin badges, or these from Craftwood Creations.

The pattern is a nice one to do with a fairly simple pattern repeat once you get into the swing of things and you can choose to make the pockets as you go or add them all at the end. Then the only other techniques incorporated are increases and decrease placed at strategic points to create the gnome features. I would say that this pattern is suitable for adventurous beginner crocheters, offering an exciting opportunity to explore new stitches and techniques while creating a fun piece of Christmas decor.

It was such a pleasure to see everyone’s gnomes come to life at the sanctuary. The workshop was filled with chatter, laughter, and a whole lot of yarn. By the end of the weekend, the room was bursting with festive cheer and some incredibly cute gnomes were underway! And of course, what’s Christmas without a little gnome punning fun? They were totally sleigh-ing it!

There were gnome-where near enough hours in the day to crochet all the festive cuteness we wanted, including the wonderful pair of festive socks and a wonderfully cute light up Christmas tree that we also had as projects. But I love that everyone walked away with their own unique creation and a bit of gnome magic to add to their holiday décor.

So if you’re looking for a project that’s full of festive spirit, the Gnome Sweet Gnome Advent will bring a smile to your face every day in December. It’s the perfect way to add a handmade touch to the most wonderful time of the year. You can find the full pattern available in my pattern stores – it’s the ultimate countdown to Christmas with a gnome-filled twist.

❤️ SAVE GNOME SWEET GNOME ADVENT ON RAVELRY ❤️

The Gnome Sweet Gnome Crochet Advent Calendar in now available for purchase from usual pattern platforms.

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I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! 

Here’s to December, may it be a season full of crochet, cosy moments, and a very merry Gnome Sweet Gnome Advent! Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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