Blumenstecker - Gartenzwerg mit Pilz in Schachenmayr Catania - S8458

Blumenstecker – Gartenzwerg mit Pilz in Schachenmayr Catania (S8458)

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for crocheting a charming garden gnome flower stake (Blumenstecker Gartenzwerg) complete with a decorative mushroom. Standing approximately 16 cm tall, with the mushroom measuring around 4.5 cm, this miniature amigurumi-style decoration is designed to be inserted into a plant pot or garden bed using a skewer, making it a delightful handmade accent for indoor plants or outdoor gardens. The pattern is part of a broader Blumenstecker series, meaning the materials listed are shared across multiple flower stake designs in the collection.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a small, three-dimensional crocheted garden gnome with an integrated mushroom companion, intended as a decorative plant stake. The gnome features a rounded stuffed head in a skin tone, a colourful shirt, and contrasting trousers with a belt detail. The design is worked almost entirely in the round, with the head, shirt, and trousers crocheted in one continuous piece from top to bottom, making construction straightforward and seamless.

Techniques Used

• Crocheting in the round (Runden häkeln): The gnome's head, body, and clothing sections are all worked in continuous rounds, a core technique in amigurumi and three-dimensional crochet decoration making.
• Magic ring start: Each rounded section begins by working 6 single crochet stitches into the second chain from the hook, creating a tight, closed centre — the standard starting method for spherical shapes.
• Increasing rounds: Stitches are systematically doubled at regular intervals across multiple rounds to expand the fabric outward and create the rounded head and body shapes.
• Decreasing rounds: Stitches are worked together in pairs at regular intervals to taper and close sections, shaping the neck, waist, and base of the gnome.
• Colour changing: Multiple colour changes are worked throughout, with the new colour introduced at the designated round. Colours include skin tone for the head, green for the shirt, brown for the belt, and blue for the trousers.
• Working into front loops only and back loops only: Round 28 is worked into the front loop only, and Round 29 is worked into the back loops of Round 27, a technique used to create a visual ridge or separation — here used to define the trouser waistband and belt detail.
• Stuffing (Ausstopfen): The head is filled with toy stuffing (Füllwatte) before continuing to crochet the body, giving the gnome its three-dimensional, rounded form.

Stitches Used

• Feste Maschen (single crochet / sc): The entire pattern is worked in single crochet stitches, described as the Grundmuster (basic stitch pattern). This stitch creates a firm, dense fabric well suited to amigurumi and small decorative figures.
• Luftmaschen (chain stitches / ch): Used at the very beginning to set up the starting ring, and at the beginning of each round as a turning/standing chain.
• Kettmaschen (slip stitches / sl st): Used at the end of each round to join back to the starting chain, closing each round neatly.
• Zunahmen (increases): Two single crochet stitches worked into the same stitch to increase the stitch count.
• Abnahmen (decreases): Two stitches worked together to reduce the stitch count and shape the figure.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Schachenmayr Catania, a popular sport weight 100% mercerised cotton yarn, well known for its smooth finish, vibrant colour range, and suitability for detailed crochet work. Because this gnome pattern is part of the wider Blumenstecker series, the materials listed cover all designs in the collection. The colours specified are:

• Natur (colour 00105)