Cupcakes or Gnomes? Answer and win!

ETA: The voting is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Strawberry socks are going to be finished today (and the pattern will be released very, very soon,) but one vital question remains:

Who would win in a fair fight..?

Cupcakes......or gnomes??I'm turning both mitten patterns into sock patterns (yup, you heard me!) and I'm trying to decide which to work first, but I just can't choose. I'm going to need your help on this one!

So! Leave your response to the question "Who would win in a fair fight -- cupcakes or gnomes" (and the creative reasoning behind your decision, if you like) below in the comments and I'll randomly select a commenter to win a copy of both sock patterns as soon as they are released (remember that each pattern retails for $6 USD.) The polls will close on Saturday, 24 July at 8 a.m. EST.

Who will it be? Cupcakes or gnomes?

133 comments:

Bonnie said...

Sadly, I can tell that these particular gnomes are hypoglycemic, and as they cannot resist the temptation of cupcakes, they will be defeated. However, the cupcakes, being eaten, certainly aren't winners in this fight either. The lesson, children, is that fighters never win.

Nicole said...

Cupcakes win, hands down. They are tasty, gnomes are not.

Jenny said...

Gnomes. Always the gnomes.

redsoxgal5 said...

Choose??...I want both!!!!!!!!! I love your patterns! Ok, cupcakes first..then get to work on those little gnomes!

JelliDonut said...

Pu-leeze. Even my cat was able to answer this one--gnomes win, hands down. Opposable thumbs. Gnomes have them, cupcakes don't.

Heather said...

Gnomes, for several reasons:

1. Cupcakes have more natural predators than gnomes do. They are far more likely to lose warriors due to untimely consumption.

2. Who knows what's under those hats? The gnomes could be storing missiles and planning for a coordinated strike on the cupcakes, and no one would ever suspect until it was too late.

3. Gnomes are mobile, while cupcakes are not. This gives them an obvious advantage in both traditional AND guerrilla warfare.

4. From the looks of things, while the cupcakes have superior numbers, the gnomes are much bigger than they are. Depending on the type of fight this is, this could be an advantage for either side. I'm guessing it's more like a sibling battle, so size is in the gnomes favor.

5. Gnomes have better camouflage. You wouldn't think twice if you saw a gnome in someone's garden, but a cupcake would totally stand out.

Stephanie said...

Gnomes. Gnomes. Gnoooooomes!

Mrs said...

Cupcakes. They'd make fabolous socks :)

Anonymous said...

Cupcakes! The cake and icing flavor - erm, color - combinations are endless! The gnomes? They're adorable but I doubt they taste too good... ;)

Jeanne said...

Gnomes - small, creative little souls that would eat all the cupcakes in a flash!

Anonymous said...

Cupcakes, because they are yummy and awesome.

YarnTraveler said...

No contest! The gnomes eat cupcakes for breakfast!

Anonymous said...

Definitely cupcakes! A large pile of delicious looking tasty treats would stop any group of attacking gnomes in their tracks. Thousands of calories ingested into such small bodies means instant heart attack & cupcake victory - with a few casualties, of course :)

Rachael said...

I think the gnomes would sit down for dessert and get into a disagreement over which potential sock pattern would be better. This would lead to a cupcake fight, leading to a very messy win by the cupcakes, who were really plotting this all along.

Anonymous said...

Gnomes. Cupcakes are too sweet to win a fight *unless it was a food fight....*

Jennifer said...

Everyone know gnomes are hollow! So you could cram a good 10 cupcakes in each one therefore I think the gnomes would win!

Kristine said...

Goodness! This is tough. I adore cupcakes. But in this case, I think the Gnomes might take the cake! Plus, I can imagine how thrilled my girlfriend would be to get a pair of socks with gnomes on them.

Genevieve said...

Cupcakes would defeat the Gnomes. It seems unlikely that gnomes would have the ability to digest dairy so either they would avoid the cupcakes or eat them and get sick.

Ms. Kimba said...

Cupcakes!!!!! They can smash themselves into the Gnomes faces and smother them with the ever so sweet icing. so of course they would win, everyone knows that :)

Knit and Purl Mama said...

Gnomes all the way! They are sooooo cute.

When I was on a trip to Israel back in 2004, I brought a little Canadian Gnome with me and photographed him ALL over Israel! It was too funny. I got strange looks from a lot of people, but it was soooo fun!

Unknown said...

Oh my! Those are just delicious - both of them!

I'm going to have to go for the gnomes! Plus, Gnomes can eat cupcakes, so (like rock paper scissors), gnomes trump cupcakes! Ha!

Great patterns again Spillyjane!

Sunflowerfairy said...

Cupcakes!!YUM!

Anonymous said...

clearly, clearly the gnomes. they're world travelers!

Ella Wong said...

I have to say gnomes- I think their beards give them some kind of special fighting power!

Anonymous said...

Oh those cakes look so scrumptious, I'd love to have those on my feet.

They are so pretty even the gnomes would be dazzled.

Susan

Cate said...

cupcaaaaaaaakes!

no reason, except cupcakes are awesome.

Anonymous said...

The cuteness alone of the cupcakes could induce a massive sugar high in any gnome that can leave them running in circles for hours. However once they crash from the sugar the gnomes will need a pick me up and the cupcakes will be left defenseless. Gnomes pionty hats and hunger will overcome the cupcakes.

Marianne said...

Its all about the Gnomes on this one even thou I love love love the cupcake mits I made!

Panhandle Jane said...

Cupcakes, definitely. I don't have a creative reason, other than that's the one I want to knit first!

sockknitter54 said...

Gnomesssss.

Unknown said...

Gnomes. Devious little things that can't be trusted. I bet they'd fight dirty, for sure.

Anonymous said...

There is no such thing as a fair fight between cupcakes and gnomes! Gnomes would win with their hands tied behind their backs. It's the pointy hats and beards, you see.

ElectricMo said...

Gnomes of course! Gnomes would eat the cupcakes first of all, because the gnomes would be VERY hungry after a hard day's work at the mines so they would eat them. And while cupcakes are cute, do you put them in your garden? No. You put gnomes there. I rest my case.

Anonymous said...

cupcakes win. a gourmet cupcake would knock a gnome right out with the sugar coma of death.

(though i love the simple "[cupcakes] are tasty, gnomes are not." reasoning, above, too!)

coco said...

The cupcakes are cute but I gotta go with gnomes. An homage to the pair that poke their heads through the bushes in my front yard. ;)

Lynda said...

cupcakes this time I think! must be eaten to be fully appreciated!

Jean Ashley said...

Decisions, decisions. Let's see...
Cupcake Advantages:
1) more popular than gnomes
2) sweeter than Gnomes, both taste-wise and appearance-wise (I have seen some creepy Gnomes)
3) more numerous than the Gnomes
4) icing is usually sticky which could delay a gnome advance

Gnome Advantages:
1) opposable thumbs
2) mouths (to eat cupcakes)
3) hollow cavity (to eat cupcakes)
4) height/weight advantage
5) good at traveling to distant, potentially dangerous territories (if Travelocity's roaming Gnome is any indication)

I give the edge to Gnomes, by a sculpted hair :-)

Twisted Knitter said...

Cupcakes of course!

Rhian Drinkwater said...

Cupcakes, definitely. They would distract the gnomes with tastiness and sneak past.

Pinneguri said...

Impossible to choose, it's like the tale of how to split a baby into two! They are great both of them, perfect together.Together they must stand.

Maybe you could make spezial packet of patternz for perzons like me? 2 patterns for the prize of a little less than for both together?
(But I already have both ... )
It's really not that I can't choose - there really isn't anything here to choose away!

yarn whisperer said...

silly, cupcakes would win. Everyone knows that gnomes don't have a mouth, just a big old beard ;)

Cupcakes would smother gnomes in a flash.

Long live cupcakes!

jlr said...

Definitely the cupcakes. Gnomes don't play fair. Ever.

Anonymous said...

CUPCAKES, CUPCAKES, CUPCAKES!!!!! Especially if they're Red Velvet. :)

Sarah said...

Gnomes would win, easily! Cupcakes are delicious and would be eaten by combatants (gnomes) and bystanders alike.

Bonney said...

I love them both but if I HAVE to pick one it will have to be the cupcakes because they're so perfect for everything!!! Especially breakfast..

Maryanne & Duke said...

OMG!! They are both so cute, but I must have cupcakes socks right NOW!

meredith said...

The cupcakes will win! The gnomes' fists will sink into the cupcakes' bodies with every punch thrown, resulting in inevitable fatigue and defeat.

Allison said...

I love cupcakes, but I think the gnomes would win!

Frida said...

The cupcakes would win easily, there are so many more of them and they would lure the gnomes with there deceptive deliciousness.

Yuliana said...

Definitely cupcakes will win, they're lots of them
and they will capture the gnomes, and force feed them cupcakes til their stomachs burst :))

bubbygigi said...

I think that the gnomes will win. Every gnome I've ever seen is chubby and therefore to continue the tradition, the gnomes will eat up all the cupcakes and be the winners. Both patterns are adorable!!! Gita

joz said...

Gnomes, without a doubt. Gnomes are ancient, wise, magic and live a long, long time. Cupcakes are just cute baby cakes with an extremely low life expectancy...

Lori said...

Gnomes! In the spirit of rock paper scissors, gnomes eat cupcakes. :)

Claudi said...

I choose the cupcakes. Why? I´m a woman and I have a daughter, we are "MƤdchen" . but the gnomes are very nice as well.

Anonymous said...

Gnomes, clearly! Mainly on the grounds that physics doesn't exist, it's all gnomes. Can't believe nobody has cited this in argument yet!

Deepa said...

Oooh, what a toughie. My 3 year old would say "Hands down, cupcakes." I, alas, am older than 3. And while I love them, I think gnomes win in this case. They somehow come across as more graphic and high contrast to me...the colors are more vivid. So there you have it, gnomes by a very slim margin.

easily distracted said...

Cupcakes. Definitely cupcakes.

French Press Knits said...

Blame it on the pregnancy- but something I can eat must win...cupcakes it is!

BertandFelix said...

Have to go with the gnomes....nothing like roaming with the gnomes (socks that is).

killerlashes said...

Cupcakes. They are deceptively innocent. Oh, sure, gnomes can spear you in the ankles with their tiny little gardening implements, but can they spontaneously appear on your ass when you're trying to zip up your skinny jeans?! I DON'T THINK SO. Advantage: cupcakes.

5elementknitr said...

opposable thumbs? teeth for eating? Gnomes have the upper (opposably thumbed) hand!

Erin B said...

Cupcakes. Gnomes couldn't resist a cupcake which could be laced with something nasty.

Sharon said...

Gnomes would clearly vanquish cupcakes. Through magic or gnawing hunger, gnomes win hands down.

Ali P said...

Cupcakes are more sock friendly, in my opinion. You ever try to put a gnome on your foot?

krisknit79 said...

Cupcakes for sure!

Elizabet said...

Gnomes win.

They win because they ate all the cupcakes :-)

Jason said...

Gnomes. They could just eat the cupcakes.

Stickweaver said...

I thought I was going to say gnomes, hands down, but no! It's cupcakes to win! Sure the gnomes can eat the cupcakes but those delicate little treats would swarm all over the slower gnomes and coat them in their sugary goodness. Now Gnomes *wearing* cupcake socks, that's another story!

astoriaAnn said...

gnomes gnomes gnomes gnomes gnomes ... please gnomes please

pumpkinjelly said...

Cupcakes - my favourite of all your patterns!

daziegirl said...

How about doing both in one pair of socks. You could alternate gnomes and cupcakes. In fact, I'll bet you are clever enough to design a sock where the gnomes are actually holding the cupcakes in their hands going clear around the socks. It could look like the gnomes are dancing in a circle holding the cupcakes between them. How cute would that be? Come on Spillyjane, I know you can do it !!!! :-)

naiadkitty said...

I am completely in love with your cupcake pattern and have been waiting for the socks, but my sister adores your gnome pattern and can't wait for the sock pattern. Since her birthday is next week, I'll have to tell the truth... I don't think the cupcakes would last a minute around hungry gnomes!

Mimi F said...

Cupcakes! Cupcakes! Cupcakes!!!

Sittin said...

I think gnomes will win : )

Kort og SĆøm said...

Cupcakes, so cute! :O)
Fredrikke

Yarn IT! said...

Gnomes!!! They can devour all the cupcakes.

Melissa said...

Gnomes, of course! They'd eat cupcakes for breakfast and come back for lunch too. ;)

Rachel said...

Cupcakes, definitely!

Shirley said...

Cupcakes all the way. It's not even close!

deirdre said...

Gnomes eat cupcakes -

that said, I've made the cupcake mittens and think they'd be adorable socks

no help at all, right??

Kathleen said...

Love the gnomes! They would make such fun socks!

Trixie said...

Ggggggnnnnoooommmmeeessss!

beck said...

GNOMES!!!! Hands down!

Anonymous said...

gnomes can travel the world, eating cupcakes at every stop. gnomes. deffo.

kimz said...

If the gnomes are like me, the cupcakes will always always always win. Especially if the cupcakes are chocolate with chocolate chips. And cream cheese frosting. Then the cupcakes don't just win, they completely annihilate the gnomes.

Anonymous said...

Cupcakes, of course! You could probably eat both in a pinch, but the Gnomes would stick in your teeth.

And that's just obnoxious.

Trust me.

Maryse said...

Cupcakes! It's because of the Gnome mittens that I discovered your blog. For sure, one day, I will have a pair of Gnome mittens. For some reason, I like Cupcakes better for socks. Maybe because the cupcakes are smaller, and too me, it's better soothed for socks! In any case, should I randomly win or buy the patterns, I'll be happy to knit both!

Sara said...

I can understand why this is such a hard choice. But I think the cupcakes would win. They are super cute!

hannah said...

Gnomes! Since it's the season to be in the garden...

Alittlebitsheepish said...

Gnomes definately, sneaky little critters that hide in the garden and sneak up on you. How much sneaking can a cupcake really do?

Kucki68 said...

Gnomes! Cupcakes are closer to our mouth, gnomes are closer to the ground, so they would make it onto socks first.

Ruth said...

The gnomes would win. Cupcakes, being without limbs, would not be able to escape and could be defeated in a number of ways: They could be (1) eaten,
(2) stepped on,
(3) hidden under the pointy hats and their existence denied.

Also, gnomes are cool and can be left out in the garden to annoy your dad. Cupcakes left in the garden make no one happy!

Mette said...

Although I loooove cupcakes, I would have to say that the gnomes make for a great wintersock. So I have to go with the gnomes.

Elly said...

Gnomes!

jen said...

Definitely the cupcakes. There's nothing a cupcake can't do.

Ardosa said...

I bet the gnomes would stand over the cupcakes and win the battle evermore! :)

CelticCastOn said...

Gnomes Gnomes! What better travelling project than travelling gnomes!!!

Leebot said...

Gnomes! The gnomes are just begging to be made into socks first. The sweet little cupcakes can patiently wait their turn. (LOVE the strawberry socks with the brown background. You have a great color sense.)

HeidiMonkey said...

Ooh gnomes gnomes gnomies please!!

Karyn said...

Gnomes, of course! Everyone knows that Gnomes love to eat cupcakes. Besides, gnome socks would make wonderful Christmas gifts (it's never too early to get started on holiday knitting).

Jennifer said...

Gnomes would win hands down. Cupcakes are too yummy. They would be devoured in no time flat! :)

Who knows said...

The cupcakes of course, they look so tasty, but hide a secret hidden poison filling inside.

The Bon said...

GNOMES!

MaryjoO said...

Gnomes for sure! The socks would be such fun multi-generation prezzies, too!

Laura said...

If we're talking fight--the gnomes. Why? Because they have both arms AND legs, meaning they can wield various forms of weaponry. Also, they didn't get that old without being plenty smart. Otherwise, the dragons would have eaten them.

But imagine, if the gnomes ate their prey, the cupcakes, leaving none. What would happen? The gnomes would grow heavy with their victory--obese, in fact. And we all know, obesity results in...DEATH.

So the diabetic, arthritic, sleep apnea-atic gnomes are in fact...the LOSERS, not the victors as they once thought.

This means that the evil plan laid in place by the cupcakes before their frosting had even set has come to pass. The cupcakes win.

(You asked for reasoning. You didn't say it had to be reasonable.)

Laura said...

@Jeanne: Clearly you have never tasted gnome.

k.thedoula said...

GNOMES... cause they'll eat all the cupcakes before you even finish the first row!

arts-tart said...

GNOMES
GNOMES
GNOMES!

I LOVE your patterns - thank you for sharing your creativity, whimsy and humour. :)

grammynan said...

the tasty cupcakes!!

peneloped said...

I vote for the cupcakes. This is mainly because my granddaughter would love to have a pair. I have knit one Mystery & Manners mitten so far, Christmas Gift for my daughter, they are beautiful!

Unknown said...

Cupcakes, and this in spite of the fact that I intend to knit my sister the gnome socks for Christmas.

Anonymous said...

The cupcakes win. Gnomes are notorious for the extremely sweet tooth. The cupcake queen sends out her sweetest minions to tempt the gnomes. They eat the minions until they are so sick that they cannot stand and all fall into food comas. The queen's cupcake army then ransack the gnomes for all their riches. The gnomes are left so poor that they are forced into servitude for the queen, baking the sweetest minions in order to tempt their gnomes brothers.

Jackie said...

cupcakes

Donna said...

I feel like the gnomes would literally crush the cupcakes, but I'm still rooting for sweets!

Zenitude said...

Oh they are both so cute! But with my big feet I think I will choose the cupcakes to help make them look dainty!

Mandy said...

Clearly, gnomes.

KD said...

Gnomes. They are crafty and will burrow up beneath the cupcakes to eat out their centers. The cupcakes will sit there and take it. Plus you can't beat David the Gnome.

Anonymous said...

Gnomes, of course. The cupcakes have cunning, I'll grant them that, but in the end, the gnomes' guerrilla tactics will win out against the cupcakes' stacked ranks.

The Irrelevant Mouse said...

Cupcakes! Only because you can eat them and you can't eat gnomes (as far as I know...).

Unknown said...

Definitely the gnomes... the cupcakes that were not consumed on sight would be crushed under their tiny shoes and magic canes.

Besides, the gnomes are just awesome.

HippieDiva said...

Gnomes! My mother passed away two years ago, before she got to meet my two youngest children, and she absolutely loved gnomes. I had given her a pair (my second pair ever) of hand-knit socks shortly before she passed. I'd love to make her some gnome socks to leave at her gravesite. I know she wouldn't get them, but I feel I still need to make her little gifts.

Siricat said...

GNOMES!!! I usually don't write in all caps, but for gnomes, it is so worth it. I scream for GNOMES!!!

Melissa B said...

Hmm, good question. I think I'll go with cupcakes, though - I bet they're way tougher than they look!!

Missy said...

Cupcakes! No, Gnomes! Ugh...ok, I officially vote for cupcakes, they are so sweet : )

Anonymous said...

Gnomes gnomes gnomes please!!!

I've got the cupcake mittens pattern but never have chance to make them mainly because it is VERY VERY difficult to get all the yarn of right colours in the UK! We get no Knitpicks Palette here. It's really hard to find the colours similar to the ones specified in your cupcake pattern.

Gnomes will be a lot easier. I am pretty sure that the Gnomes will still look super cute even if we use other colours!

Thea_Midnight said...

When has a cupcake ever been a major character in a movie? "Amelie" proves that point! And I really prefer pie, so it is gnomes gnomes gnomes for me.
TheaMidnight

Anonymous said...

The gnomes shall triumph over all that is baked and frosted. They shall smite their sickly sweet foe with the same strength of will and trickster energies that have bested the trolls since time immortal. Plus, the pointy hats rock

tack said...

gnomes!!!

u8gi6gi6 said...

i'm sure the obvious answer would be gnomes (e.g. gnomes will eat the cupcakes), but i still think the cupcakes would win, especially in a food fight (since they themselves can be ammunition!)

TerryMoran said...

Gnomes would win. They are not losers.

Maggisen said...

The gnomes of course! They will eat all the cupcakes and grow and prosper :)

TJacobson said...

I love the cupcake ones!

knitsandtails said...

I missed the vote but it doesn't matter which one comes first. They both ROCK! You clearly have super powers.

Laura