I can't decide if this looks more like snowflakes or an alpine knitted sweater. Maybe like snowflakes knitted into an alpine sweater. So how did I get to snowflakes and knitted sweaters? Almeirim, Portugal is considered the home and capital of Stone Soup. For those who didn't learn about this in elementary school, the legend goes that a traveling monk found himself in Almeirim with nothing other than an empty soup pot. Upon arriving in the village the monk discovered that no one from the village was willing to share their food with him. Without concern, the monk went to the river, filled his pot with water and tossed in a stone that he picked up. As the villagers ask what he is doing, the monk says he's making stone soup, but it's missing a bit of flavor. One by one the villagers add a carrot, bit of herb or other small item and soon a post of delicious soup is bubbling away.

So. Soup makes me think of cold weather. And cold weather makes me think of skiing. And skiing makes me think of sweaters. And that's how today's pattern evolved.