Whispering Willow Gnome Free Pattern – Crochet a Forest Spirit Companion

Bring a touch of woodland magic to your shelf with this adorable crochet gnome, complete with a fluffy beard and a pointed hat. Perfect for gifting or adding whimsy to your home decor, this beginner-friendly amigurumi project creates a charming forest spirit that measures about 6 inches tall. With its plump, pear-shaped body, jaunty rust-orange hat, and soft cream beard, this little gnome will become a treasured handmade companion. Let's gather your supplies and start crocheting!

Materials Needed

Before you begin, ensure you have all the necessary supplies. This project uses simple materials and is perfect for using up scrap yarn from your stash.

• Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in three colors:
  • Forest green (for body and arms)
  • Cream (for head, beard, and nose)
  • Rust orange (for hat)
  • Small amount of black yarn (for embroidering eyes)
• Crochet Hook: 3.5mm (E-4) crochet hook
• Other Supplies: Yarn needle for sewing pieces together, scissors, and polyester fiberfill stuffing

Gauge: Not critical for this project; aim for a tight tension to prevent stuffing from showing through your stitches.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these detailed instructions carefully. Work in continuous rounds (spiral) unless otherwise noted. Use a stitch marker to keep track of your rounds.

Head

Worked with cream yarn.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 single crochet (sc) into the ring. Pull tight to close. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Work 2 sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: *Sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: *Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Round 5: *Sc in next 3 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (30 stitches)
6. Rounds 6-10: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches) – Work 5 rounds even.
7. Round 11: *Sc in next 3 stitches, sc2tog (single crochet 2 together)*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (24 stitches)
8. Round 12: *Sc in next 2 stitches, sc2tog*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
9. Stuff the head firmly with fiberfill, shaping it into a round ball.
10. Round 13: *Sc in next stitch, sc2tog*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (12 stitches)
11. Round 14: Sc2tog around. (6 stitches)
12. Fasten off, leaving a tail. Weave the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the end securely.

Body

Worked with forest green yarn.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: *Sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: *Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Rounds 5-8: Sc in each stitch around. (24 stitches) – Work 4 rounds even.
6. Round 9: *Sc in next 2 stitches, sc2tog*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
7. Round 10: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches)
8. Stuff the body firmly, shaping it into a plump pear-like form. Leave a small opening to attach to the head.
9. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the body to the head.

Hat

Worked with rust orange yarn.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches)
3. Round 3: *Sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
4. Round 4: *Sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (24 stitches)
5. Rounds 5-7: Sc in each stitch around. (24 stitches) – Work 3 rounds even.
6. Round 8: *Sc in next 2 stitches, sc2tog*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (18 stitches)
7. Rounds 9-10: Sc in each stitch around. (18 stitches) – Work 2 rounds even.
8. Round 11: *Sc in next stitch, sc2tog*; repeat from * to * 6 times. (12 stitches)
9. Rounds 12-13: Sc in each stitch around. (12 stitches) – Work 2 rounds even.
10. Round 14: Sc2tog around. (6 stitches)
11. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Fold the hat slightly to one side and sew it onto the head at a jaunty angle. Weave in the end.

Beard

Worked with cream yarn. This creates a fluffy, looped beard.

1. Attach cream yarn to the front of the head, just below where the hat will sit.
2. Chain 10, then single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. Fasten off.
3. Repeat this process 5-6 times across the face, positioning each strand slightly overlapping the previous one to create a full, fluffy beard. Weave in all ends.

Arms (Make 2)

Worked with forest green yarn.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 stitches)
2. Rounds 2-4: Sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches) – Work 3 rounds even.
3. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff the arms; they should be small and slightly flat. Sew the arms to the sides of the body.

Nose

Worked with cream yarn.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. (6 stitches)
2. Round 2: Sc in each stitch around. (6 stitches)
3. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Sew the nose to the center of the face, just above the beard. Weave in the end.

Eyes

1. Using the black yarn and a yarn needle, embroider two small French knots or sew on two small black buttons above the nose, spaced evenly apart.

Assembly

1. Sew the head to the body: Using the long tail left on the body, sew the head securely to the top of the body, ensuring the seam is hidden.
2. Sew the hat to the head: Position the hat at a jaunty angle and sew it securely to the top of the head using the long tail left on the hat.
3. Attach the beard: Ensure the beard strands are evenly distributed across the lower half of the face.
4. Attach the arms: Sew the arms to the sides of the body, slightly below the neck seam.
5. Attach the nose: Sew the nose to the center of the face, just above the beard.
6. Final touches: Weave in all remaining ends. Gently shape the gnome, ensuring the hat flops to one side and the beard is fluffy.

Your Whispering Willow Gnome is now complete! This charming forest spirit makes a wonderful gift or a delightful addition to your own home. Enjoy your new handmade companion!