Woolly Hats and Warm Ears

I hate woolly hats. I love fashion hats but rarely wear them - being under 5 ft tall tends to provoke smart comments about mushrooms or "is there anybody under there" etc - sigh. Woolly hats I hate - have I said that already? BUT in Orkney when the wind chill factor nips the ears woolly hats are an essential item. And the current fashion in the UK is for the "yak hats" (see photo). You will NEVER see a photo of me wearing this - but I have to say it is soooooo cosy and warm!

I bought it at a shop in Stromness (Elaine Bentley's wool shop). I wanted to try one on knowing it would look very very silly......... However Elaine very patiently got out most of her stock and persuaded me to try on a variety of different designs, and I finally settled on this one as the least worst in terms of how I looked. But it had a pigtail on the top. Nope I said the chaps on the boat will keep grabbing the pigtail as I go past (you know what boys are.... and see comment above about being under 5ft). That's OK, she said, and offered to remove pigtail. OK but the pigtails at the bottom still look silly - "you'll be glad of them on a windy day to tie up to keep your hat on". This I knew to be true - having lost two hats this winter while collecting boxes on the pier. " OK" I say " so they get to stay, but PLEASE wrap it up - I shall only wear it on the island." "I want to see you wearing it IN TOWN", she says "EVERYONE wears them. Don't be silly - be practical and WARM". I still leave the shop clutching a plain brown paper bag. However it IS chilly in the town, so I summon up my courage, walk down the street and go into the cafe for a cup of tea wearing the hat.......... First off I end up with the pigtails in my coffee - sigh..... just as well I didn't buy the white hat then or it would have disgusting pigtails before long..... Then when leaving the cafe I see Amy (who works there) eyeing up my hat. "I hate these hats, I think they are really silly looking - do I look *that* bad in it" I say. Without missing a beat she replies "It would look better if you cut off the big label hanging from the top of it." and produces scissors. See- there goes my vanity *again*.

And this afternoon I was playing with my camera and of course Button had to come and investigate...... it's a cat thing.....