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BrisStyle indie Twilight Market, King George Square Brisbane

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BrisStyle indie Twilight Market, King George Square Brisbane Australia.

They came, they saw and they experienced, what an amazing night was had at the last brisStyle Indie Twilight Market of the year. Such a dense array of shoppers, but all had one common theme uniting them, a smile of joy as they discover new treasures at each and every stall.

 

Over 100 stallholders braved the impending rain to be rewarded by a clear starry night worthy of Van Gogh himself-just perfect for marketing! Set against the backdrop of the spectacular Brisbane City Council Christmas Tree in King George Square.

It was a handmade, art and craft extravaganza, I saw jewellery and heard jazz, cards and cushions, buttons and bags, bunting and brooches, prints and pincushions, and even, yes you guessed it a partridge in a pear tree!

 

BrisStyle, a not for profit incorporated association representing over 150 Brisbane handmadies and artists has played an important role in the growth and promotion of Brisbane’s burgeoning handmade scene. Stallholders at these markets are made up entirely of the very talented brisStyle members. With this in mind the talented folk at brisStyle always manage to put on a knockout array of stalls with a focus on handmade quality and variety.

 

These markets are totally everyone friendly, families, kids, prams and even dogs. With plenty of room to spread out and enjoy King George Square these markets can get pretty busy with browsing market goers and kids happily running around, creating a real sense of community, something that I believe plays an important part of what handmade means.

 

If you love hunting down the latest trends, general handmade goodness and supporting Indie business then you have to make it your mission to get to the next brisStyle Market, the 2012 dates have already been set and it all kicks off again on Friday the 24th of February.

You can find all of next years market dates and out more about brisStyle at www.bris-style.com .

Story by Guest Editor  – Emmaline Lamond

www.emmalinelamond.com.au

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Gonk Gnome Knitting Patterns

Sometimes I find interesting things in the terms that people are searching on the website. Most of the time them make sense, but other times I’m scratching my head. When “gonk gnomes” turned up, I had to search it to learn that gonks aren’t really gnomes. They’re from Nordic and Scandinavian mythology and are kind of a mix of a gnome and a hobgoblin.

So I don’t know if these gnome knitting patterns really all qualify as gonk gnomes, but I assume it’s the personality that you give them that will decide that.

First of course I have to share this knitting gnome from Sharon Mooney, which you can find on Ravelry. It uses DK weight yarn and while it’s a small project (5.5 inches or 14 cm tall without the hat) there are a lot of techniques packed in, including cables (on the scarf the gnome is knitting), increasing and decreasing, stranded colorwork, knitting flat and in the round, making bobbles (its nose) and I-cord (the legs).

Hélène Magnússon’s Kertasnikiris more specifically a Yule Lad in the Icelandic tradition, who traditionally comes to your house on Dec. 24 and tries to steal your candles (his name means “Candle beggar”). I love all the details on this one, too. His little colorwork boots are the best! A variety of yarns are used for all the different parts, and this one measures 16 inches/40 cm tall. You can find it on Ravelry.

Lots of gonk gnome knitting patterns are seasonal, whether Christmas or some other holiday. You’ll find autumn gonk gnomes from Tanya Oakley Designs on Etsy, and she also has more spring and summer versions decorated with flowers.

January Knits’ rainbow gnomes aren’t necessarily seasonal, but in their pastel colors as shown they’d be lovely for spring, or you could make a set in jewel tones for fall.

I also feel like if you knit gnomes you have to give them a story. Like what are the gnomies by Huggable Bears doing? They look like a bunch a friends headed to the park or something.

If you don’t want to come up with the story on your own, try knitting up Someone to Write Gnome About from Imagined Land Knits. This one’s name is Gnock, and her favorite thing is reading in her hammock.

Or how about Gnana by Sarah Schira? This gnome reminds me of Baba Yaga and looks like she’s cooking up something interesting. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and includes colorwork on the body and a removable cloak (it’s not safe in the kitchen with a cloak on!). The pattern includes a recipe, coloring page, decorative envelope and storybook file so you can learn all about your new gnome. This one is available from Ravelry.