When the snow melts in the Sierra mountains of California, the John Muir Trail becomes like a maiden blushing with the sweetest colors in nature, and from the frozen snow emerges delicate beauty to inspire this design. A classic springtime tam, with garlands of alpine wildflower motifs encircling a single wound-yarn button.

Snowmelt Mitts to go with tam

Knit in-the-round in a concentric-decreased design. Shetland yarn is ideal, for its fusing quality of the long floats to back of the colorwork. Experience in stranding suggested for managing up to 3 strands in knitting, a few rounds with long floats. Pattern uses original colorwork charts. A single wound-yarn (Dorset style) button for flourish. Duplicate stitching on the flowers at finish.

For Large/XL tam & toque use sport-weight yarn aiming for 6-6.5 sts = 1”.

In recent update I increased number of stitches in the crown of the toque (ski hat) so that it is a little more roomy around the thead and first colorwork chart (shown is the original).

Most recent update: July 17, 2015 If you are working from a pdf which is dated earlier, you have an out-dated pattern

Tutorials for Snowmelt on my website : for Button and for Duplicate Stitch

Colorway for Snowmelt Tam:

(As greenery on tam prototype is very dark, I lightened them with the following colors, as used on the toque (ski hat)

Main Color = Natural white 104
Light Green (C1)= Granny Smith 1140
Medium Green (C2) = Moss 147
Light Blue (C3) = Cloud Medium 764
Med Blue (C4) = Teviot 136
Light pink (C5)= Blossom 555
(plus various bits of colors I had in my stash, for accents in duplicate stitch: Sorbet 570, Peony 581, Cardinal Red 323.)

Blogged HERE

I invite Any & All who are knitting Snowmelt to bring questions, comments, and
otherwise general Snowmelt-related chattiness to my Jenjoyce Group which exists just for knitters of Jenjoyce Design. Look for the thread for Snowmelt Tam & Toque. The kettle is on… see you there ! :)