Year of Gnomes 2025

We will be doing a Year of Gnomes again! It will be a very simple knitalong.

-if you knit one of my patterns in a month, you can enter for prizes

-if you enter a gnome in all 12 months, you are eligible for grand prizes

-there will be a few themes (like “Gnome for the Holidays” during July) and knitalongs based on The Gnomes of Grimblewood book that are optional but will be part of the planned fun

I want to celebrate making gnomes on your terms! As with all of my make-alongs, I’m keeping this simple and low-key. There are LOTS of ways for you to participate, with very few rules.

KNITTERS: right now I'm soliciting signups from dyers, bag makers, yarn shops and more so we can prepare fun surprises. More details for you will be coming soon!

More information below:

1️⃣ You can make any number of gnomes. From any of my patterns. In any yarn.

2️⃣ You can enter a maximum of 1 time time per month for a chance to win monthly prizes. Please cast on and finish in that month. No WIPs.

3️⃣ There’s a special prize category for people who make a gnome every month in 2025.

4️⃣ There are no more rules.

How to enter

Monthly Prizes

Each month will have a separate Ravelry thread in the Imagined Landscapes Group. You will post a picture of your finished gnome and link your project page there. That’s all you need to do to enter. Winners will be drawn quarterly and contacted via Ravelry message.

Year-Long Prizes

To enter for the 12 Gnomes in 12 Months grand prizes, there will also be a Ravelry thread created exclusively for that on December 1 and closing Jan 4. In that thread you will link to all 12 of the posts you made in the other threads, thereby confirming that you made the gnomes over the course of the year, and you will fill out a Google form linking your Ravelry username to an email so that I can contact you with your special celebration gift. And contact you if you win a grand prize, of course.

The Year of Gnomes 2025 will be an open-ended and fun knitalong. You can participate however you like. You don’t even have to make more than one gnome

However, if you are participating, you’ll probably want to know what my plans are, so that you can have them in mind in case they change your plans.

I will host monthly Zoom chats for my Patreons on the last Saturday of each month at noon, Central timezone. Join us on Patreon.

Prizes will be handed out 4 times over the year. You will enter each month you complete a gnome, and I’ll draw the prizes quarterly. If you complete all 12 months, you’ll get a special celebration gift from me, as well as having a chance to win a special set of grand prizes.

My gnome plans:

(Reminder, these are just my plans, you can participate on your own terms.)

January

February - publish a smaller version of Someone To Write Gnome About

March - Savour the Gnoment pattern rights revert to me, pattern available

April - mushroom-inspired mystery gnome

May - knitalong for Gnoddy The Earflap Gnome from the book

June

July - Gnome for the Holidays knitalong (I’ll be knitting up some advent gnomes and thought people might like to join in with their own seasonal fun, whatever special day it is)

August

September - Mod Along (a knitalong where you modify a gnome, knit a mix & match gnome from the book, and otherwise mess around with your creativity and my patterns)

October - pumpkin-inspired mystery gnome

November

December - mystery gnome

January 2026 - announce grand prizes

It is my hope to make this as easy and fun as possible. I don’t want to have a lot of requirements for me or you.

Here’s how I see this working:

You decide how you’d like to participate.

Once signed up, you will have access to the logo for the Year of Gnomes to use in publicizing things and making yarn tags.

Ways you might participate:

Offering a subscription for sets of yarn minis (gnomes contain 3-4 colours usually, and most of my patterns use 20g skeins of fingering weight as their yarn. Consult pattern listings on Ravelry if you want more details.)
Offering larger sets of yarn, eg 100g skeins in 6 colours for a cohesive look through the year
Putting up listings as the inspiration moves you
Or something you come up with, I’m not limiting you to my brainstorming

Dyers who have signed up will be contacted about being participating dyers for the 3 mystery gnome knitalongs I have planned for 2025.

You do not need my approval of your approach, but if you are participating, I ask that you link to this landing page here. I also ask that you sign up, so I know who is all participating.

I also ask that you offer a prize to help me make this as fun as possible for participants.

I currently have two businesses who have been given permission to use my gnome art for exclusive merchandise like bags and stitch markers. If you have a cool idea for something you’d like to offer, email me a proposal.

It is my hope to make this as easy and fun as possible. I don’t want to have a lot of requirements for me or you.

Here’s how I see this working:

You decide how you’d like to participate. Once signed up, you will have access to the logo for the Year of Gnomes to use in publicizing things.

Ways you might participate:

-Have a knitalong

-Teach a class (I have resources related to The Gnomes of Grimblewood book designed to help shops and guilds host classes based on the book)

-Have me teach a class or give a talk (online or in-person)

-Or something you come up with, I’m not limiting you to my brainstorming

All entries just on Ravelry this time?

Yes. It's different than last time, but it is the only way that I can run it in a way that works with my tech knowledge and the time I have.

If a pattern has more than one gnome, do I have to knit all of them to count?

Nope. Just one gnome per month is the requirement to enter the prize draw for that month.

What if I want to play around?

Modifications are ok as long as I can tell you started with one of my patterns. Gnomes are all about YES.

What was that Patreon link again? I want to join the Zoom chats this month.

Patreon

MKALS and dates and such

I will make sure that the MKALs have all their clues and a bit of extra time within a calendar month. The KAL might extend beyond that, since I like to give people extra time. But as long as you finish your gnome in the month you start, you're good.