Gnome Mason Jar Covers

Gnome Mason Jar Covers by Heather Kumpf

What is Being Made

Gnome Mason Jar Covers are decorative knitted covers designed to fit standard canning jars, specifically Ball Mason jars in 8 oz and 12 oz regular mouth sizes. These covers feature a complete gnome design with a distinctive pointed hat, facial features including a beard and nose, and a body that wraps around the jar. The finished covers measure approximately 2.5 inches in diameter, with the 8 oz jar covers standing 4 inches tall and the 12 oz jar covers reaching 5.25 inches tall.

Techniques Used

The Gnome Mason Jar Covers employ a combination of knitting techniques to create the three-dimensional gnome structure. Most of the gnome is worked in the round using double-pointed needles, which creates the seamless cylindrical body and hat. The beard and nose portions are worked flat to allow for shaping and dimensional detail. A magic ring cast on method is utilized, requiring a crochet hook to establish the initial stitches. Polyfiber filling is incorporated into the nose to add stuffed dimension to the facial feature.

Stitches Used

While specific stitch names are not detailed in the pattern documentation, the construction relies on fundamental circular knitting techniques appropriate for the advanced beginner difficulty level. The pattern employs standard knit and purl stitches worked on double-pointed needles to create the seamless in-the-round sections, combined with flat knitting techniques for the beard and nose components.

Materials and Tools

The pattern calls for medium weight yarn, classified as weight category 4 (Aran). Multiple yarn colors are required to create the gnome design:

• Jar cover color: 0.5 to 1 ounce
• Hat color: 1.5 ounces
• Skin tone: scrap amount

Specific yarn recommendations include Hobby Lobby I Love this Yarn in Brown or Toasted Almond for the jar covers, and Red Heart Super Saver in Carrot for the hat color option. Dark Olive is also suggested as an alternative hat color.

Essential tools and notions include US 5 (3.75 mm) double-pointed needles for the main knitting, a 3 mm crochet hook for the magic ring cast on method, a tapestry needle for finishing, polyfiber filling for the nose, and stitch markers for tracking rounds. The covers are designed to fit standard Ball Mason jars in regular mouth style, available in 8 oz and 12 oz sizes.