Bodach and Cailleach Gnome:

I often get asked what inspires me to design knitting patterns. I usually just say “Scotland!” Here’s the part of Scotland that inspired Bodach and Cailleach Gnome:

In 2020, The Guardian ran a report about ancient stones in the Highlands of Scotland which are moved twice a year by local people, according to a winter ritual. The stones are found in Glen Lyon in Perthshire and are not like the huge standing stones found in other parts of Scotland. These are small stones, under a foot in height. At Meall Daill, near Pitlochry, the figures of the Cailleach, the Bodach and their children lie deep in the hills and are accessible only on foot after a considerable hike. They have been known to archaeologists and folklore experts for some time. One of them represents the Cailleach (old woman) and others are said to represent the Bodach (old man), who is her husband, and her children. In the warmer months, these stone figures live in a small stone house, known locally as either the Tigh Nam Bodach (house of the old man) or Tigh Nan Cailleach (house of the old woman). At Samhain, however, their guardians take them up to a shieling (a shepherd’s hut), studded with quartz, which lies elsewhere in the hills.

The Cailleach herself is traditionally a seasonal goddess, emerging with the gradual dying of the light and the first cold winds of winter. These winds are known in Scotland as the breath of the Cailleach Bheaur…the blue hag of winter. In Scottish folklore, the Cailleach wakes every Samhain, and it is she who is responsible for bringing gales, snow, and cold weather before turning to stone every Imbolc (an ancient Celtic festival which celebrates the beginning of spring and is held on or around 1 February). Her name means ‘older wise woman’ in Gaelic, and she is a formidable figure in Scottish and Irish folklore.

In the Highlands, ‘Cailleach’ as a period of time comes in the first week of April and is represented as a wild hag with a venomous temper, cutting about her with her wand, and keeping down new growth. When, however, the sunlight, the growing crops, and the fragrant rain overcomes the ‘Cailleach,’ she flies into a temper, flings her wand into the root of a whin bush, then disappears in a fury before returning around Samhain.

Bodach and Cailleach’s pointed hats are knitted from the brim up and feature traditional motifs that could just as easily adorn any colour work hats. There are only 2 colours in each row and they are knitted in the round on a set of double-pointed knitting needles or circular needles, if preferred. The stitches for their heads/bodies are picked up from under the narrow brim of their hats and knitted down to finish under them. Their white hair is woven through the stitches under their hat brims and they are completed with a big pink nose peeping through their hair and a tassel suspended from the top of their hats.

There are some long floats to the rear of the patterned hat, but these become trapped inside Bodach and Cailleach once they are filled with toy stuffing, so do not need to be caught up. Some experience of fair isle or stranded colour work would be useful for this pattern, although full instructions are given for the construction methods used.

I do hope you enjoy knitting Bodach and Cailleach and watching them come to life.

Materials:
4 ply / Fingering cotton or equivalent:
Actual amounts used are listed below, but please use this as a rough guide only, given that different brands may differ slightly. The yardage of the cotton yarn used: 140m/153yds per 50g.
Grey: 44g Pink: 52g White: 88g (Note: These values are for 1 gnome)
You will also need a small amount of contrasting yarn to use as waste yarn.

Knitting Needles:
One set of double-pointed 3.00 mm / US 2.5 knitting needles are suggested for knitting Bodach and Cailleach. Alternatively, you may use a circular knitting needle of the same size and of various lengths, if preferred.

A small crochet hook is used for attaching Bodach and Cailleach’s hair.

Toy Filling:
You will need Toy Filling of your choice to stuff Bodach and Cailleach with.

Measurements of completed Bodach and Cailleach Gnome:
Bodach and Cailleach stand 24 ins high (60cm), are 10 ins wide (25cm) and 9 ins deep (23cm), though this will depend on how firmly you stuff your finished gnomes.

Tension:
Approximately 28 stitches and 32 rows to 10cm over the pattern (unstretched).
Your tension is not crucial for knitting Bodach and Cailleach, though it is still a good idea to check and adjust your needle size accordingly so that your tension is not too loose for stuffing them.