Christmas gnomes are having a ‘gnome-ment’
Courtesy of G Barnett
G Barnett of Chartiers Township holds the gnome crocheted for her by Lacie McDonald. Barnett, who works at Target, loves gnomes, and the TikTok video of McDonald presenting Barnett with the gnome, 无毛视频淒onnie,无毛视频� has earned more than 225,000 views.
Courtesy of G Barnett
Some of the gnomes that G Barnett has on display at her Chartiers Township home.
Photos: Karen Mansfield
The popularity of gnomes has exploded in recent years. At Shop 无毛视频楴 Save in Washington, a variety of gnome-related Christmas items are being swooped up by gnome enthusiasts.
Gnomes have become popular as Christmas-themed decor.
Courtesy of Lacie McDonald
Lennon McDonald, 7, is all smiles as she cradles gnomes handcrafted by her fiber artist mother, Lacie McDonald. Lacie has crocheted every day since Dec. 26, 2021, and has created several sets of gnome twins (according to folklore, gnomes only have twins) at her daughter无毛视频檚 request.
Courtesy of Lacie McDonald
When Lacie McDonald, of South Strabane, shared G Barnett receiving this green gnome to TikTok, she never dreamed more than one million people would view the video. McDonald delivered the little creature to her favorite gnome-loving Target employee recently, and was delighted to bring joy to Barnett during the holiday season.
Courtesy of Lacie McDonald
Lacie McDonald began crocheting last year, and her first project was a gnome (left). Since crafting that first gnome, she无毛视频檚 made dozens and dozens, including sets of little gnome twins.
Courtesy of Lacie McDonald
Lacie McDonald stitches her next gnome crochet project at her South Strabane home. McDonald, who has loved gnomes for years, crochets live on TikTok and hosts a stitch club at Well Oiled in Canonsburg.
There无毛视频檚 无毛视频済nome无毛视频� doubt about it, those friendly, white-bearded characters in conical hats have taken over the season无毛视频檚 holiday decor.
Holiday gnomes are popping up everywhere this Christmas season, from bedding and pillows, serving ware, and Christmas ornaments and figurines, to sweaters (human and canine), garden flags, and inflatables.
无毛视频淐hristmas gnome decor无毛视频� has seen a 1,350% spike in searches of the past five years, according to Google.
At Shop 无毛视频楴 Save in Washington, a large variety of gnomes are on display at the floral department.
无毛视频淭hey are just taking over. They took over snowmen. They took over Santa Claus. They无毛视频檙e everywhere. They even out-did the (Christmas) truck,无毛视频� said Jamie Bedillion, manager at Shop 无毛视频楴 Save. 无毛视频淧eople can无毛视频檛 get enough of them.无毛视频�
Gnomes have long been a part of the Scandinavian Christmas tradition. Much like the American Santa Claus, the Christmas gnome (known as 无毛视频渢omte无毛视频� in Sweden and 无毛视频渘isse无毛视频� in Norway) visits the home of good children on Christmas Eve. Children leave a bowl of porridge for the gnome, and in return, the gnome brings presents to their front door.
Bedillion acknowledges gnomes are cute, but isn无毛视频檛 sure why the diminutive supernatural creatures have captured people无毛视频檚 attention.
But G Barnett, of Chartiers Township, an employee at Target, knows exactly why she loves gnomes.
无毛视频淛ust looking at them makes you smile. They无毛视频檙e just so comforting and so beautiful. I just fell in love with them,无毛视频� said Barnett, who is enjoying TikTok fame after a clip of a Target guest presenting her with a crocheted gnome garnered more than one million views as of Friday.
The guest, Lacie McDonald, who crochets, visited Target in South Strabane Township recently and presented the gnome 无毛视频� named Donnie 无毛视频� to a surprised Barnett, who exclaimed excitedly after she unwrapped him, 无毛视频淥h! He无毛视频檚 so cute, look at him! Thank you!无毛视频� and gave McDonald a hug.
Barnett said she was surprised by the gift, adding, 无毛视频淚 think I appreciate it so much because I have no artistic ability, and what really impresses me is people like Lacie, and the way they can make such beautiful things.无毛视频�
McDonald, of South Strabane, started crocheting last year, after her mother fell in love with a rather pricey gnome for sale at a store.
无毛视频淢y mom actually loves gnomes, and has her whole life. She saw this cute gnome that was knitted by a machine. I said, 无毛视频業 can probably make something like that,'无毛视频� said McDonald, who in 2015 dressed her family as gnomes for Halloween. 无毛视频淲ell, I was in for a surprise when I found out how hard it was. Reading a pattern in crochet was a different language.无毛视频�
But McDonald persevered, learning the craft through YouTube tutorials and online research. She finished her first gnome in January, and when her daughter requested a wife and children for that gnome, McDonald was able to practice and perfect her amigurumi (creature crochet pattern) technique. She also amassed a large TikTok following at @crochetinthesky, where she often crochets live both solo and alongside other fiber artists.
McDonald also attends a monthly stitch club at Well Oiled in Canonsburg.
The stay-at-home mom said crafting a free-hand gnome for Barnett was special.
无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 wonderful. It无毛视频檚 not very common for someone to create some sort of art and actually get to see the recipient无毛视频檚 joy,无毛视频� McDonald said. 无毛视频淭hat really meant a lot to me.无毛视频�
It meant a lot to Barnett, too, who has been asked to pose with fans who saw her on TikTok and visited Target for a photo op. Barnett said she became smitten with gnomes at the start of the pandemic, when she walked into Target one day and saw them on display.
无毛视频淚 have gnomes for everything 无毛视频� Christmas, Thanksgiving, other holidays. I have so many of them. The first time I saw them, I fell in love with them.无毛视频�
Even Barnett无毛视频檚 fingernails are adorned with gnome decals.
Barnett said she finds herself trying to resist the urge to buy more gnomes for her growing collection.
无毛视频淚f a guest brings a gnome up to the checkout, I无毛视频檒l ask, 无毛视频業s there another one back there?无毛视频� and I hope there isn无毛视频檛 because it无毛视频檚 hard for me not to buy it,无毛视频� she said with a laugh. 无毛视频淚 have to tell myself no, but sometimes it无毛视频檚 hard because I love my gnomes.无毛视频�