merry christmas!

From my house to yours!

 Merry Christmas &

a Happy (Better) New Year!

I don't know about you, but its been a good but challenging year this 2020. I am ready to move on though, to something not so pandemic, I think. I just wanted to take a moment and wish all of you a blessed Christmas season and hoping your holiday is cozy and full of knitting and movies!

I have many new pattern ideas in store: more Woodland Pals critters and clothes, 6 more pincushion ideas to finish off a whole year of them, knit-only patterns for snowmen and snowbaby and possibly a new ornament idea and knit-only pumpkin. Seems like enough for one year. Don't want to put too much pressure on myself, cause sometimes just letting the creative juices flow is also just as fun.

In addition, watch my website (mariemayhew.com) for Zoom classes on needle felting and even some of my patterns, like the Woolly Snowman. Live classes, taught in the comfort of your own home! Let me know what you would like to learn. I can do personal classes too with only a few of your favorite friends.

Thank you always for your wonderful support and encouragement with my creativity and patterns. You have made my job very fun and playful.

Happy knitting!

woolly santa ornament

woolly gnome & mushroom pattern

I created this santa gnome ornament over the holidays and just love him!

I used the same Woolly Gnome & Mushroom pattern. As you can see he is smaller than my usual gnome, a perfect size for the tree or wreath. I hung him along with my matroyshka doll ornament on my dining room chandelier -- decked with pine boughs, little glass pine cones and ball ornaments.

This gnome santa is made using Cascade 220 fingering weight red yarn and size 5 dps. I needle felted a bigger nose and used embroidery thread for the eyes. I knit the gnome’s hat’s brim with the cream yarn and once felted, needle felted a decorative trim on to give the brim a fur-like look. The beard is needle felted wool roving. No feet on this gnome.

I also stuffed him with woolly stuffing so it would hold its shape longer. Plus the stuffing allowed me to needle felt it afterwards into desired shape. I love woolly stuffing for that little trick alone!

It would be cute with a white jingle bell on top too.

Happy Knitting!