Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with gnomes

Really large chess piece ideas? For large backyard chessboard.

Quarter Pincher — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:36:16 -0800

I am constructing a large backyard chessboard, but can't decide from what to create the pieces. Ideas? I thought about using lawn gnomes for at least the pawns, and painting them all special in black/white schemes, but it turns up they seem a bit expensive (unless you know of a good place to find hollow plastic lawn gnomes en masse). I'd rather not mess with resin.

The workable area is appx 20 ft x 20 ft, meaning room enough for 29" squares, but that may be a skosh large depending on what I use for the pieces. It's gotta be something light enough for a preteen to move, but not fall over in the wind. The tiles will be flat/level concrete (tinted in a checkerboard pattern, of course).

I'd ideally like to have each group (pawns, knights, etc) all be the same item but colored differently (which I can do myself) but doesn't necessarily have to be a specific scheme between groups (such as all being some kind lawn ornament).

I'm not positive where the picture comes from that I was inspired by to make this board, possibly the back cover of a Monkees or Beatles album, but I just always thought it would be cool to make one, and I've got the space for it (and lots of friends who play chess, incidentally).

gnome kids playing tug-of-war

MiG — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 21:01:39 -0800

Help me identify the location of this photo. So far I know it's in Finland, and it's an annual traditional event. It's a photo of 6 kids dressed as gnomes, taking part if a tug-of-war.

Name of children's TV show?

PenDevil — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 01:48:58 -0800

Back in the early/mid 80's here in S. Africa the local TV station broadcast a live action children's series about two minitaure elves(I think they were elves) who lived amongst normal size folk in the modern day. What was it called? They lived in a teapot and their arch nemesis was an evil gnome like guy who would cause mischief for us humans which they would then fix. I remember one particular episode they helped a new policeman get out of trouble (caused by the gnome of course). They were never seen by normal humans managing to always hide themselves in time. I have a strong suspicion it was a british series (the majority of our children's television was) but I can't be sure.

I'm also pretty sure there was a narrator who explained what was happening and the characters themselves never talked an understandable language, rather making talking like noises. Any ideas? Because this has been bugging me for years!