Fish Hats, Fish Hats!

Over a year ago I came across the Dead Fish Hat pattern on Knitty. My husband, the fisherman, saw the pictures and immediately wanted one. At the time, I was still brushing up on my skills so I was a little intimidated. I was also not clear on short rows so I put that project off for a little bit.
By the time we moved to Ohio, my frilly scarves were getting quite a bit of attention. I started getting requests for them so I opened my Etsy shop. This led to other items being requested and I got pretty busy knitting custom orders. On top of this, I was also working on my wedding shrug.
Needless to say, there was quite a lot going on and the fish hat was not at the top of the priority list. Finally, as Christmas was approaching, I decided to face my insecurities and figure out short rows. My plan was to make the fish hat by Christmas and possibly make one for Hubby's friend, too...Well, that didn't happen. I started working a part time seasonal job at a retailer. Being pregnant, the job really took a toll on me. I was sleeping often. Still in my first trimester, the morning sickness was relentless. Sadly, not much knitting took place. I only knitted the things that people were ordering from me. I barely had energy.
Once I regained my energy after the holidays, I decided to get busy with the fish hat. My goal was to get it done by Valentine's Day. Again, I got some additional Etsy orders so I had to prioritize. By the end of February, I was determined to get this hat made! So, I started it March 8. The fish hat was finally completed on March 22.
My husband loves it! Too bad we had an unseasonably warm winter. He wore it anyway. He wore it with pride to his captain's classes. He plans to wear it fishing in cold weather.

The experience was a good one. Short rows aren't as bad as I'd feared. This was a very fun project! I then made another hat for my stepdaughter. She hasn't seen it yet. It will be a birthday present for her this summer.
It's a good thing I enjoy this project so much. My husband has since informed me that he wants a fish hat collection. He wants to have a fish hat to match each species that we fish. He wants Lake Erie perch, walleye, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. I've got my work cut out for me!