The Gnome Book of Rugmaking & Embroidery was a 12 page book published by Patons & Baldwins Ltd, Alloa and Halifax around 1930. It appears to be the logical predecessor to Stitchcraft, P&B’s stitched rug equivalent of their latch-hooking pattern book, Rugcraft. The Gnome Book of Rugmaking and Embroidery came with a 4 page insert about making short-pile rugs with Patons Gnome Wool and an advert for stencilled canvases. The early issues of Rugcraft had included stitching instructions and contained charts suitable for latch-hooking with Patons Turkey or stitching with Gnome Rug Wool. I’m not sure if that section got expanded into a separate book, or whether the Gnome book got amalgamated with Rugcraft.

I found very few snippets about rug making with Gnome wool. From The Burra Record (South Australia), Weds June 26th, 1935: “Wool & Handicraft Exhibition ANOTHER FINE DISPLAY. Arranged by the Country Women's Association of Burra and District the fourth annual Wool and Handicraft Inhibition was held in the Institute on Friday last […] goes to prove that a man can find some useful work to do in his evenings be sides smoking a pipe or reading a book. This latter fact was also forcibly demonstrated when the very large and handsome gnome wool rug made by Mr. Dick Harris, met our gaze with another fine specimen made and shown by Mr. A. de Rose. Both are of exquisite workmanship and during the whole afternoon with similar exhibits, drew a crowd of admirers. A rug by Mrs. Sandland was also beautifully made as were some shown by Mr. And Mrs. Luke Day.”

Included with the Gnome Book was a 4 page leaflet about rug hooking with Turkey brand wool.

See Flickr where images and patterns can be downloaded at full resolution for your own use.