Suzi was inspired by my sweet Suzi, my cousin, the wonderful person who encouraged me to start crocheting, almost ten years ago. For over 30 years, she crocheted, knitted, weaved, spun, and did anything she could with yarn or fiber. I always called Suzi, my OG crocheter, which tickled her when told what OG meant. She also inspired the character "Suzi" in my Crochet Song.
She lived states away but with the help of the internet, that didn't matter. She became my teacher, confidant, close friend and fellow hooker. I remember the first time she called me a hooker, I almost fell off my bed. New to the crochet community, I had never heard crocheters called that and I thought it was hilarious.
A couple of years ago, she came to visit me on my birthday and we had the best day, plus to top it off, she gave me her amazing spinning wheel. A few weeks later she died suddenly and she left me her loom. I have not been able to sit down at her loom or spinning wheel yet, but I think I"m almost ready and it did inspire the Rumpelstilskein character from Alex In Yarnder Land. She will continue to inspire me as I keep her memory safe in my heart.
She was my biggest fan and supporter and was always thrilled when I created a new crochet design.
Suzi has perfectly curled hair and she wears a dark red dress with an apron that is decorated with mushrooms and her favorite flower, the Blue Bonnet. I even gave her a tall blue hat which would delight her because its a blue bonnet! Read the story below for a sneak peek into one of our inside jokes!
She also has an optional Ugly Holiday Sweater which makes her the perfect gift, already wrapped in a bow!
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The Yarn
I love using Universal Yarn Uptown Worsted for my Alex In Yarnder Land Designs. The colors are perfect and I had so much fun using these beautiful colors for Suzette Gnomette!
Colors:
2nd Row: Silver Gray, Hunter Green, Iron
Bottom: Cranberry
Disclaimer: Universal Yarn sent the yarn support for this pattern. There may be affiliate links in this post. This means that if a purchase is made through my link, I will get a small percentage but the price does not change for the customer.
The Hook
I used my Clover Amour Crochet Hook in size G 4.00 mm for Suzette Gnomette aka Suzi.
Special Stitch
Get Suzette Gnomette's free pattern on the Clover Blog, HERE!
Suzi's Intro Story
Story Seven
The Fates vanished as the baby started to cry and her mother walked into the room. The woman was tall with curly red hair and she wore a yellow straw hat. A smaller woman, a gnomette with curly gray hair and a tall blue hat, stepped out from behind the mother.
“Thank you so much for coming to see us and for understanding why we can’t go back to Yarnder Land, Suzi. You have always been my best friend and I will miss you more than you will ever know.”
“The important thing is that you are both safe.” replied Suzi to her friend as she walked over to the newborn baby in the crib. She rubbed her chubby hands together and her cheeks grew rosy as she smiled and saw how precious the baby was. “I give her the gift of Yarnder Land magic and it will trickle down to her daughters.” Suzi waved her hands over the now happy baby and stardust floated around her like snowflakes. “It is done.” The woman hugged her friend with tears in her eyes and they said goodbye before Suzi shook her hips, slid to the left and disappeared leaving a cloud of snowflakes in her absence.
One evening, Suzi and Alex sat at Suzi’s round kitchen table surrounded by dozens of small mirrors, as they held white cotton thread and tiny steel hooks in their hands.
“I can’t wait to start seeing blue bonnets everywhere. They are my absolute favorite.” Suzi said as she crocheted a snowflake that resembled a star.
“What does that kind of crocheted hat look like? I’ve never seen one.” replied Alex absentmindedly while she worked on her own snowflake and Suzi snorted, “They are a type of flower, sweet silly girl!” Alex erupted into laughter as Suzi continued to giggle quietly while they finished their snowflakes and then wove in the ends. Suzi and Alex held their finished snowflakes in front of the mirrors, each one reflecting back their delicate snowflakes, and they whispered,
“Multiple this snowflake into a collection,
but first make the object with perfection.
Next, seek the desired item’s true reflection,
and then pluck each snowflake with affection.”
As Suzi and Alex finished saying the last word they plucked snowflake after perfect snowflake out of the mirrors and Alex cheered happily, stood up and danced around the room as Suzi hummed one of her favorite songs. Suzi looked out the window as she took off her apron that was decorated with mushrooms and her favorite flower, and watched as the sun set behind the snow covered trees and smiled, “I think it’s time.” Alex looked questioningly at Suzi as she piled knit and crochet scarves and hats into Alex’s arms creating a rainbow mountain that blocked most of Alex’s view. Suzi remained silent and she grinned mischievously as she led her through the door and out into the crisp night air and into the sparkling white fluff.
Snowmen, snowwomen and snowchildren dotted the clearing, each unique with their own expressions and personalities. The frosty elves, gnomes, sprites, goblins and other creatures looked as if they were ready for combat, lined in a circle toward each other. Small child gnomes and gnomettes chose accessories for their designs and started decorating their snow creations with Suzi’s crocheted and knit pieces but they also used carrots, rocks and other odds and ends they thought would add a nice touch. Alex watched a particularly small gnome adjust his own tall blue hat as he tried unsuccessfully to put one of Suzi’s elf hats on a rather tall and round snowman. The snowman looked friendly and jolly and Alex thought the boy had chosen the perfect combo for him, a bright red scarf with a matching hat that had a long tail and a white pom pom that dangled off the end. Alex smiled and kindly took the hat from the child but was just as unsuccessful at putting the hat on the really rather tall snowman. A gnomette with a cranberry colored hat and long brunette braids appeared with a ladder and Alex thanked her before she climbed carefully up it to put the hat on the merry snowman.
Blue watched from the distance with worry in his eyes but only took one tentative step forward until another gnome shoved Blue in Alex’s direction and two other gnomettes each took his hands and dragged him through the glistening snow to her. He held the bottom of the ladder and the children disappeared as Alex turned around and looked down at Blue surprised but with a smile that quickly lit her face and made her eyes sparkle.
“You know this ladder is real but you still think I’ll fall?” asked Alex playfully as Blue looked up at her and snowflakes that resembled crystalline diamonds started to fall around them.
“Well, the last one was made of magic and this one isn’t but…” replied Blue as Alex held out her arms and Blue tenderly lifted Alex into the air as she looked down into his eyes and interrupted him, “Isn’t it?” She winked at him and his breath caught in his throat as he set her softly down onto the frozen ground. Blue looked down at his feet and then up at Alex as he fidgeted under the pale, moon light.
“Dude.” Blue blurted out and his cheeks turned scarlet as he quickly added, “I meant do you, would you…” but Poppy suddenly appeared, bright eyed and excited as she jumped up and down, her blonde braids bouncing up and down along with her.
“They have declared war! Watch out!” she said quickly before she ran off, disappearing into the forest as snowballs flew through the air around Alex and Blue.
Suzi appeared abruptly in a cloud of snowflakes as snowballs continued to pelt the ground around Alex, bursting into small explosions of ice and crystals.
“Run!” Suzi yelled and she slid to the left before disappearing in another cloud of white stardust before popping up behind a large glacial rock. She motioned for them to join her and Blue grabbed Alex’s hand as they dodged the falling icy missiles that seemed to be aimed directly and only at Alex. Suddenly, hundreds of snowballs rained down on them and Blue put his arms around Alex as their golden string circled protectively around them and they vanished.
Blue and Alex appeared beneath long and cascading tree limbs under the tallest and oldest willow tree in Yarnder Land. An ice covered mushroom staircase led to a swing that hung from one of the willow tree’s highest branches. Blue took Alex’s hand as he helped her climb the slippery mushrooms, the first one small, the next a little larger, and then growing until they reached the bottom of the swing. Alex sat down on the old wood, her pink dress flowed around her feet and Blue sat next to her as she realized how close they were. He placed one arm around her and they both held onto the ropes. Blue looked at Alex as she gazed up at him through the falling snow and the forest grew quiet, as if it waited, listening and watching them.
“Ready?” Blue asked as Alex leaned closer to Blue and nodded but gasped as they swung out and up, into the night sky and then almost as high as the moon, a single white pearl against a sea of darkness and gray clouds. Alex reached her toe out to touch the moon as they swung higher and higher and she leaned even closer to the man in the moon. He wrapped his arm tighter around Alex as they reached the swing’s highest point and two clouds burst into silver fireworks, surrounding them with glitter and barking of dogs. Alex yelped, startled as her heart raced and she fell into Blue, his body warm and comforting against hers, and the swing swung back down and away from the beautiful chaos as he said, “Moon Dogs, here for the snow.” The swing continued to swing away from the Moon Dogs and he pointed at the two shimmering sterling clouds on each side of the moon and he explained that his Moon Dogs only visited when it snowed but still only rarely. Alex leaned forward, distracted and mesmerized by the celestial hounds while Blue leaned forward, distracted as he looked at Alex, bewitched by her alluring beauty. He lost his balance and the swing swung abruptly to the side, jolted backward and then spun, round and round as Alex clung to Blue until it finally stopped. Their breath floated between them as their string twinkled around them. The fear left them both as they looked into each other's eyes and they burst into laughter as the swing dangled high above the snowy forest floor.
Suzi and Poppy peeked through thorn covered limbs of the bush they hid behind as they watched Alex and Blue. The children gnomes and gnomettes surrounded them as they looked at each other, smiled and high-fived. Alex and Blue’s laughs echoed through the forest, and birds chirped while rabbits played, elves danced, and children giggled as everything seemed to be as it should be, finally at last.
The end for now….
Until next time,
bye!
Happy crocheting
and reading!
