Improvising

One of my friends decided that she liked the Victoria mittens I made from the Louisa Harding book, Knitting Little Luxuries. She asked me to make her a pair ages ago, and since her birthday is next month it's time to oblige. Thought it would be cheesy to just do the mittens, so I was going to make a cap I'd already made, then I thought I'd add the picot edge from the mitts, then add a cable to the mitts, and I though wait, why don't I start from scratch on a hat.

So I've spent the better part of today adapting the mittens pattern into a new hat. I've frogged it a few times because I didn't like the proportions, but I think I've got it going how I want it now. It's been an interesting process. I guess it's a lot easier coming up with a hat pattern than anything else - a sweater would have been overwhelming. I'm making notes as I'm making changes so that I can write up instructions to share once it's done to my satisfaction. I'm thinking that it's an 8-hour project, if that. Already planning on making more in other colors for other friends for Christmas.

Amazingly enough, I've had a miserable headache all day, and I've manged to be productive even with the headache. I wonder what I could accomplish, design-wise, if I didn't feel like I was dragging?