Laying down the double running outlines for the latest strip, with the intent of going back and filling in the Montenegrin cross stitch spines along them in a second pass:
I’ll probably do the long straight runs first, while waiting for the Montenegrin stitch book to arrive. I don’t particularly like the way I handled the bent spines and am hoping that Autopsy of the Montenegrin Stitch will help.
In other news, I spent the weekend knitting a hat. An outrageous black earflap cap, encrusted with a lime green crest. Bespoken, of course:
I started with Interweave Knits Army Girl Earflap cap – unisex despite its name (available in the IKE 7 Free Knitted Hats booklet). I added a bit more height just above the forehead, before the crown decreases because the recipient is a tall guy with a slightly longer head than average. I’m using Brown Sheep Lambs’ Pride Bulky. If you want to make this hat as published, one skein of it is more than enough for the whole thing. My green crest adds about half of a second skein, in that screaming color.
I’ve got some more of the ruff to add, then I have to snip it back, barbering it from floppy/sloppy to a uniform and threatening length. But all is on schedule for a hat-ETA of later this week.
String-Or-Nothing 
Boy, you *can* count! I just put a reply to your comment in my blog, if you’d care to read it. I could do with a ‘counted thread’ perspective (see the comment for further explanation) 🙂 Thankyou so much for the comment.
Best,
What is the purpose of the crest?
The hat with the crest is just for fun. My friend is a snowboarder, and among that community wearing outrageous or silly hats is part of the winter on the snow culture. The colors have no significance other than matching his new ski jacket. So you have to image a 6’1" guy surfing down the mountainside in a lime green jacket and this hat. (I’ll ask him to provide pix, provided he doesn’t develop a latent case of shyness.) -k.