gnome me up, Scotty

When I pulled out my gnomes again this year, I needed to make a few adjustments. My infamous inability to handle basic estimates of size meant I needed to cull from twelve to eight. Like a normal person, I have all my gnomes listed in a spreadsheet, sorted by folder and height, and colour coded by position. It’s a work of art.

I did manage to muck up one of the replacements, allocating “right two” without checking it’s height. In the end I think it’s short li’l hat looks cute there, in the almost middle. After right two came left three. After left three came right three, and with it, the fatal flaw in my spreadsheet.

I didn’t factor in width in my spreadsheet, and well. Look at that chonky boi.

I think Santa’s been enjoying a few too many cookies during his stopovers. He’s one of the widest gnomes on the list, it turns out. Once I’d laid out my fabric, I realised left four and right four weren’t going to work, so with a bit of a scramble, I’ve replaced left four with “gnome with pudding“**, who is not only absolutely adorable, but is also blessed in girth. I’m thinking it should make a good counterpoint to right three.

I do have a bit of a plan for right four. I think. It will be a decision I’ll make once I get this one done and I can see how the colour placements and the size of the gnomes. Changing plans and well nourished gnomes not withstanding, I am so excited by this project, and even more excited to be on the penultimate gnome! Then comes the hardest decision of all – do I frame it now, or store it and frame next year when we have Christmas in our new house, when I can choose the mat to suit both the stitching and the decor.

It would be fun to see it framed this year, though…

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