New year, new blog!
Happy New Year! I hope 2019 brings you health happiness and of course lots of crochet.
This new year I am starting on a new adventure in crochet – writing this blog. I hope to share with you photos of my work, patterns and just my general joy about crochet.
My first pattern shows you how to recycle left over corks (which you may have from New Year’s parties) into cute crochet gnomes. I designed it as a mini bee gnome, mainly because my partner is a massive bee fan.
Materials
One cork (you can recycle corks from drinks bottles or if you are not a big drinker, it is possible to purchase bags of recycled corks.)
Double knit yarn in cream, yellow and black/grey (I used Stylecraft Batik in old gold, Stylecraft Special DK in Graphite, and Stylecraf Wondersoft Star dust in Cream)
Bodkin
You can purchase yarn at lovecrochet and supplies from Amazon. (Using these links does not cost you any extra but I will earn a small commission, will help me keep posting free patterns like this).
The pattern has been written using UK crochet terms. Click here for a conversion to USA terminology.
Body
Using grey chain 20 and join with a slip stitch. At this stage, check if it fits around the lower part of the cork. If it is too large or too small pull out or add a stitch or two.
Once the chain stitches are joined to make the foundation round, chain 1 and then 1 dc in every chain stitch to complete the round.
Using yellow, attach yarn. Dc in every stitch to complete the first yellow round. For second row of yellow, chain 1, then 1 dc in every stitch to complete the round.
Change to grey and repeat as described for yellow above for two rows. Finish off and sew in ends.
Hat
Using grey, chain 25 stitches. Check that the chain will fit the head part of the cork and adjust as necessary.
Once you have joined the chain stitches to make a foundation round, chain 1 and then 1 dc in every chain.
Join yellow. 1 dc in every stitch to complete the round. Crochet a second round in yellow.
Work a third round in yellow, but this time add four decrease stitches over two dc. Spread the decreases evenly around the hat.
Join grey using dc. Work as above for the third yellow round with 4 decreases spread evenly over the hat.
For second round in grey, dc in every stitch.
Work third round in grey with 4 decreases spread evenly over the hat.
For the next 5 rounds, work 1 dc in every stitch.
For the tip of the hat, work decreases over all stitches, until you have created a point.
Fasten off and sew in ends.
At this stage, you can sew the hat to the body at the back. I only put a few stitches in, so it possible to adjust the hat on his head.
Wings
Make 2.
Using cream, make a magic circle so that there are 7 stitches in the round.
1 dc in first stitch, then 1 treble in each of next 4 stitches. 2 dc in next 2 stitches.
2 dc in next stitch, 2 trebles into the next 4 stitches, dc in the next 3 stitches.
Fasten off and sew in ends. Position wings on back of bee and attach.
I really hope you have fun crocheting these cute bee gnomes.
As with all my free patterns, please feel free to make and sell the crochet items, however, please credit me as the designer where possible and do not sell the pattern itself.
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Just click on image to be taken to free crochet gnome pattern.
6 Comments
Anne
That bee’s got me proper buzzing!!
Crochet Cloudberry
Aww, so glad you like!
Diana
He’s absolutely adorable!! I need to find a cork!!
Crochet Cloudberry
Happy hunting! I found the shape of the cork from a sekt/champagne style drink works best. You sometimes get corks like that on cider bottles too.
Kay
What a brilliant idea for the left-over corks from Christmas. I look forward to seeing if you produce any other types of gnomes. There could be a whole series of them. Wouldn’t they look great!
Crochet Cloudberry
Thank you. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, so watch this space!