Project introduction
This overview introduces the Crochet Soccer Gnome by Winding Road Crochet, a small amigurumi project with a sporty theme. It is not a full tutorial: the complete pattern lives on the Original designer’s pattern and instructions. The gnome wears a tall white hat with black felt pentagons, holds a tiny soccer ball, and the source also covers a female soccer gnome.
Crochet Soccer Gnome Ready to Play
The designer describes this Soccer Gnome as a fun design and shared plans for a monthly sports gnome series. It is a cheerful handmade gift for sports fans and a good start to a themed collection.
How to Customize your Crochet Soccer Gnome
This is your gnome, so make it personal. The source suggests team colored outfits, adjusted skin tones, or a different beard color, and includes instructions for braids for a girl gnome. For skin tones, the designer likes Red Heart Super Saver colors Aran for fair skin, buff for medium tones, cafe latte for dark tones, and coffee for very dark tones.
The Premium Printable PDF Pattern Overview
The pattern is free on the designer’s website, and a large font PDF version is also sold on Etsy and Ravelry for crocheters who prefer a printout. These are separate formats, so check the designer’s page for current details.
Crochet Soccer Gnome
Readers can pin the pattern to Pinterest or save it to Ravelry Favorites to keep it handy. A premium PDF version is also sold on Etsy for anyone who prefers a printable copy.
Stitches and Abbreviations
The pattern uses basic amigurumi stitches with standard US crochet abbreviations:
| CH | chain |
| SC | single crochet |
| SC2TOG | single crochet two stitches together |
| SLST | slip stitch |
| ST(s) | stitch(es) |
| MC | magic circle |
Gauge and Size
The source lists a gauge of 5 single crochet by 6 rows equal to 1 inch, and the finished gnome stands about 7 inches tall. Matching gauge keeps your gnome close to the sample proportions.
Helpful Video Tutorials
A five episode video series walks through the basic gnome from start to finish: the body, nose, arms and feet, beard and braids, hat, and assembly:
- Episode 2: Nose, Arms, Feet
- Episode 3: Beard and Braids
- Episode 4: Gnome Hat
- Episode 5: Assembling your Gnome
- Easy way to make a Magic Circle
- How to Change Colors in Crochet
Special Stitches
The only special technique is the decrease. SC2TOG means working into the next stitch, yarning over and pulling up a loop, repeating in the following stitch so three loops sit on the hook, then yarning over and pulling through all three loops.
Crochet Soccer Gnome
The work is done in a continuous round in US terms, with a stitch marker tracking your rows. Gather these supplies before you start:
- Yarn in green or your main team color, plus soft white, charcoal, buff or skin tone, coffee (dark brown), and gold for the girl gnome braids
- Stitch marker, yarn needle, scissors, and fiberfill stuffing
- Black felt for 8 to 10 pentagons, the printable placement template, and a black marker or paint pen for the details
- Hot glue as an optional alternative to sewing, and a water mister for styling the beard
The retained source material does not list a specific hook size, so choose one that gives your yarn a firm amigurumi fabric with no stuffing showing through.
Soccer Gnome Body
The body starts at the base in green or the main team color from a magic circle, widening through increase rounds to its full width. Even rounds build the lower half, then the color changes to soft white for the upper section. Decrease rounds shape the top, slip stitches smooth the edge, and the ends are woven in. A player’s number can optionally be embroidered on the back.
Soccer Gnome Hat
The hat is worked in soft white from 3 single crochet in a magic circle, growing through gradual increase rounds into a tall cone finished with slip stitches. To suggest a soccer ball, 8 to 10 black felt pentagons are cut, positioned with a printable template, glued on, and joined with marker or paint pen lines to form hexagons.
Arms (Make 2)
Each arm starts in buff or another skin tone with 6 single crochet in a magic circle. A few straight rounds form the hand before the color switches to green or the main team color for the sleeve. Fasten off leaving a 10 inch tail for sewing to the body, and make two identical pieces.
Feet (Make 2)
The charcoal feet start with 6 single crochet in a magic circle, widen through one increase round, and grow through even rounds into rounded shapes. Each fastens off with a long tail, is lightly stuffed, and is sewn to the front of the body.
Soccer Ball
The tiny ball is worked in soft white from a magic circle, increasing steadily, then worked even for a couple of rounds to make a sphere. It is stuffed before the decrease rounds close it, with a gathering stitch cinching the final opening. Black pentagons drawn with a marker or paint pen finish the soccer look.
Larger Gnome Nose
The nose uses buff or a skin tone yarn from 6 single crochet in a magic circle. An increase round widens it, a straight round holds the shape, and a decrease round closes it into a ball. It finishes with a 10 inch sewing tail and sits over the beard on the male gnome.
Crochet Gnome Beard (Male Gnome)
The beard begins with a short base: chain 12 in coffee (dark brown) and single crochet back across for 11 stitches. Then 21 eight inch strands are cut, grouped in threes, and attached to the 7 center stitches like scarf fringe. The beard is sewn on in a U shape before stuffing, leaving room for the nose with the ends tucked where the hat hides them. It can be braided, trimmed, misted with water and styled, and untwisting the strands gives finer texture.
Braids (Make 2) (For Female Gnome)
The girl gnome wears two braids instead of a beard. Each braid starts with chain 7 in any hair color, worked back across for 6 single crochet. Twelve 10 inch strands of gold yarn are cut for the pair, one per single crochet like fringe, then gathered into three groups of four, braided, and tied off with yarn. Both braids are sewn on before stuffing.
Crochet Soccer Gnome Assembly Construction Overview
Pieces can be sewn with a yarn needle in the order below, or hot glued if the gnome will not be played with by kids. Stuff the body, then stuff and sew on the feet. Sew the beard in a U shape, style and trim it, and sew the nose on top (for the girl gnome, center the nose with a braid on each side). Sew the ball to one arm, attach both arms, then lightly stuff and sew on the hat.
The written pattern, tutorials, photos, graphs, and PDFs are copyright Windingroadcrochet.com; share the link rather than reprinting the content.
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