Here's advice someone gave me about writing stories: "Write about what you  know."   In The Hat I wrote about two things I knew about, knitting and hedgehogs.   Then I added something I wanted to know about, the country of Denmark.

      The idea for The Hat came to me after a curious incident with our pet hedgehog, Pudge.   We let Pudge romp around loose at night.  One morning, Joe and I realized she was missing.  We looked and looked for her.  Hedgehogs like small dark places so we searched everywhere, but to no avail.  Joe spotted a slipper sock on the floor.   It was puffier than usual.  It moved.  Pudge had gotten in but she couldn't get out.  Her prickles were stuck in the woolen stitches.  We rescued her carefully with a pair of scissors.  It was a close call but it gave me an idea....