This knitted gnome was based on the dwarf design of Jean Greenhowe in Knitted Toys. I enjoyed making the Gnomes and tried something different for each one. For this one, a personality emerged as I worked on it. There is a character in fairy lore called Red Cap which I was thinking of when I started to knit him. This fairy is a rather malevolent one whose red cap was dyed red from the blood of the victims which he murdered.
I don't conceptualize the gnomes as strictly benevolent creatures and this one took on some aspects of the dark side. I originally named him Louie Red-cap since I knit him while on a weekend visit to family in Louisville, KY but since he was knitted with full anatomical equipment, my wife suggested that Willy was a better name. (Perhaps my Brit friends would call him John Thomas Red-cap...)
The kilt was an interesting innovation which was directly attached to the waist as it was knitted. A knitting technique called short-rows was used to create the flair in the kilt. The kilt yarn is a variegated acrylic yarn from Paton's that produced a vaguely tartan-like effect that I was rather pleased with. The hooked nose is a bit of knitted I-cord.
Ironically, Willy's anatomical aspect resulted from me originally choosing the wrong color yarn while under the influence of Maker's Mark Whisky. Seeing his bare flesh-colored legs, prompted folks to ask me if I intended to add his 'equipment' which of course led me to do so and that then led to the need for the kilt...
Willy corresponds to the Norse deity, Thor.