I have named my beret made from Shetland wool, Shetland Otter Beret because last Sunday - 11th January 2015, as I took a walk with my camera below our house to get some outside pictures of my latest project I quite by accident found a little otter at the water edge. I don’t know which one of us was the most surprised! I took 3 pictures of them, and only 2 are worth sharing as I honestly was fumbling with my camera in awe at the little creature. They looked around as if to say ‘where’s my mum?’, I stood still and did not go towards them, but simply watched them as they entered the sea and swam away from me. They are a common sight here but being so close with my camera is not usual for me. I usually unawares meet otters while walking along the coastline and we hear the call of the young otter for their mother often. A truly magical experience and on a day after one of the most severe storms here for some time with wind speeds over 100 mile per hour recorded in Shetland. A wild place to live, but it has many rewards!

The beret is made using a variety of blue shades along with a Shetland white from the jumper weight - 4 ply. I did not have anyone to model the hat for me, so instead it is worn by a buoy which it looks quite fine on! It is good to make use of the flotsam and jetsam. I took notes when I knitted it up, so I hope to release a second pattern in weeks to come, my first pattern being Heylor Gloves - and you can find these under my name - Emily Poleson Designs on Ravelry.