Pocket Eider Goes Cousteau! A New Free Pattern Launches at CommOCEAN 2026

Our Pocket Eider has a new look. For CommOCEAN 2026 in Bergen, designer Dominika Katwak / @hekla.cwist gave the tiny bird its own red knitted beanie. A playful nod to ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau and his iconic red cap.

The Pocket Eider began as a way to let the story of Vega’s eiders travel. Around the Vega Archipelago, people and wild eider ducks have lived alongside each other for generations. Bird tenders build nesting shelters, protect the ducks during the breeding season and, once the birds have safely left, collect the precious eiderdown from their nests. Today, these eiders are in serious decline.

The new Pocket Eider Goes Cousteau edition launched during Knit for Wildlife’s workshop at CommOCEAN, where we explored how knitting can become a tool for ocean literacy and communication. Small enough to hang from a bag, backpack or keyring, the eider is designed to take that conversation beyond the conference.

The pattern is free to download, quick to knit and perfect for scrap yarn. Knit one, clip it on and let this little ocean explorer take the story somewhere new. Check the “shop” for free download of pattern.