Did someone want to see my “backside”? 
Well, here you go, with a look at the body as a bonus:
You don’t see floats on the backside because I wove in the unused strand every other stitch. (Edit: well, they are little floats?) Can you still call this “stranding”? What else can you call it? I really do prefer doing it this way.
The body will be mostly covered by the cuff when the hat is completed. Why bother doing a design on it I wonder? But it was good to practice. Now I contemplate on how to block the hat. It definitely needs blocking because the plain knitting parts of the hat are curling. Just lay it flat? Do stuff it!
This is the Merino/Angelina that I blended at The Fabulous Fiber Fest. You have to click on the photos to see the sparkles better. The second one shows the color of the light. Well. Sort of. Now that I remember what I bought the fiber for, I am glad that I didn’t put in too much Angelina. I’ll be using it to knit a cabled hat once it is spun. The Merino is Ashland Bay top in Denim. Angelina is Crystal Amethyst.
Oh, I want a drum carder. Maybe a Strauch Petite with the brush attachment? I am dealing with a client from hell. I can see it going on for weeks. Carding would help to relieve stress, no? 
