August was the big birthday month in my household (my husband and both our daughters) but September is MY birthday month!

From September 1 – 14, 2021 you can get 40% off everything in my Etsy shop and Ravelry store by using code “YARNFUND“ (expires 11:59 pm CST September 14, 2021). Happy birthday to me!

Now, before anyone starts thinking I’m doing 40% off because I’m 40 – I am only 34! I was going to do 30% off but it just didn’t seem like a good enough gift to you all. You are all my new friends and I have LOVED having each of you in my life (in whatever small capacity it might be) so this is my birthday gift to you!

Anyway, I have always loved the back-to-school season: the cooler weather, the excitement of seeing my friends again after summer break, getting new pencils and notebooks and squeaky sneakers. And then it’s my birthday with all this fresh excitement in the air!

Here in Canada school usually starts up in the last week of August or the first week of September. Farmers are trying to get their crops brought in from the fields before the snow comes and I think that might affect the timing of school. Historically, farm kids are workers. Family farms need everyone to pitch in and do their part. I was very old before I learned that schools start at different times in other places – like, only this year I learned that some places start school in June! Seems very strange to me.

So, I tried to draw a back-to-school gnome. It did not go well. I will not show the disaster.

This harvest gnome is much better! He has his shiny apple and his hat has a leaf instead of a fluffy pom-pom. The background is sort of like the cross hatching on a woven basket in my mind, but perhaps it doesn’t need to look like anything to be a nice background.

Mosaic Crochet by CarolinevdB

And, I am not sure if you noticed, but the monthly gnomes are moving from the left side, to the middle, to the right side, then back to the middle. It looks pretty good when you put all the gnomes together. We only have a few more months to go before I will create that all-in-one blanket pattern!

I also made a pattern with just the background design because I think it would work nicely for a lot of things. Color choice could make this simple design match a lot of things. I crocheted it twice; once in wicker-basket-colors and once with a bit of POP! I call it “Harvest Basket 40” (the “40” refers to how many windows you begin with when you use the interlocking crochet technique; it is the same size as these gnome squares).

When using the interlocking crochet method, the wrong side produces a new design! This fun box design makes this square reversible! Mosaic crochet will produce stripes on the back side.
“Harvest Basket” on Ravelry
“Harvest Basket” on Etsy

Like always, both of these new squares (Harvest Basket and September Gnome) include written line-by-line instructions for both the interlocking crochet technique and the overlay mosaic crochet technique. Each file includes a chart as well. Simple black and white boxes for interlocking; X’s to mark the dropped double crochets for mosaic.

If you have already bought the eBook “A Year of Gnomes” on Ravelry then you will see “September Gnome” has been added and the eBook has been updated. As a surprise bonus, you can download my new “Harvest Basket” square for FREE – just add it to your cart and Ravelry will automatically detect if you’ve purchased the eBook! Offer ends December 31, 2021, valid on Ravelry only.

“September Gnome” on Ravelry
“A Year of Gnomes” on Ravelry
“September Gnome” on Etsy
“A Year of Gnomes” on Etsy

The eBook is a great value! Ravelry has a great system for updating patterns; Etsy requires that I email you each month with the updated pattern.

And, of course, our master list of gnomes that keeps getting updated:

Thank you for reading this far! I hope you have a wonderful September! We are nearly at the half-way mark of the Summer Direction CAL and I have a fun shawl pattern that is nearly ready for release as well as ANOTHER ocean-themed eBook of baby blankets. These blankets will be the same size as the ones in the “Baby Ocean and Others” eBook but they have less of a baby style. They are a bit more grown-up in their styling. I hope you’ll love them, they’ll be ready soon!