Spring Knitting or Spring Hiking?

This was my dilemma as I sat down to write a new post, after three weeks of not doing so. Because I can't decide, I'm going to give you a little bit of both.

First the knitting: I've been working on socks, a shawl and a hat.  None are finished yet, but the socks and the shawl are getting close.  Here are one of the three pairs of socks I'm working on, Irishgirlieknits Honey Badger. I took the photo a few days ago, so I am almost to the heel now on the second sock.

I'm going to save a photo of the shawl for when it's done, but I will show you the hat I'm working on:

As you can see it's colorwork, Kate Gagnon Osborn's En Blekksprut Beret. I am currently much further along than the photo shows; I have finished the Fair Isle portion, and just started the stripes. The yarn, Fibre Company Canopy Fingering, is yummy.

I have one other BIG project that is off the needles, but not quite ready to be photographed. I'll give you a teaser photo for now, though.

On to hiking! There is a lot of snow in the mountains, so we have been hiking almost exclusively in the foothills, and, with one exception, we have gone to Cougar Mountain. In fact, we have hiked in Cougar Mountain four times in the last month. It has been a treat to watch spring advance a little each time we go there. Here is some of what we have seen:

The view of Lake Sammamish on a gray day, but with a bit of new green beginning to appear.

Beautiful blossoms, hidden in the forest.

Salmonberry blossoms, skunk cabbages and trilliums.

Tall trees, with new leaves silhouetted against a blue sky.

Yes, It's definitely spring!

Test Knitting

Remember that bit of mystery that I mentioned in my last knitting post? I couldn't tell you about it then, but I can now. Here's the story...

My dear friend and knitting mentor, Christina Buckman, has recently started putting her patterns up for sale on Ravelry. She started with some of the patterns that she designed for the late, lamented Village Yarn and Tea, like one of my favorites, the Bulky Rolled-Edge Hat, which I have knit twice:

A couple months ago, Christy came to knitting group jazzed about a new design she was working on, a 1920s-style hat, knit in gorgeous madelinetosh tosh merino. She worked on the design over the next few weeks, and when it was finished, and the pattern written, she asked me to test knit it for her. I had never done a test knit before, so I was incredibly honored to be asked. What a wonderful pattern! I didn't have any madelinetosh tosh merino in my stash, but I did have Malabrigo Merino Worsted, another single ply merino yarn, with the same gauge as the madelinetosh. Christy's pattern is really fun, interesting and very clearly written, and the finished object is so cute. Here's the Mossy Patch Ear Flap Cloche, which just went on sale in the Ravelry pattern store today:

 

 As you can see in the last photo, which is from the pattern itself, Christy included an optional knitted flower that can be sewn on just above the ear flap. It's so cute, and very vintage—I think I may have to add that to my hat, too!

You can check out this, and Christy's other great patterns on Ravelry.