Spinning

 Historically for me, Sundays have been for spinning.  But my power supply for my Hansen Mini Spinner arrived today so...

This is the beginning of a big project.  I've taken strips of roving, stripped down to slightly less than a finger-width.  So far there's this:

Which is a pound of assorted fibers.  It's some unknown fiber that a friend and I dyed with food coloring, then I think a Spunky Eclectic(?) or two roving (I used to belong to the club about 10 years ago or so), and a Gale's Art "Potluck" roving.  I will add these three rovings to it:

The two on the left are both Gale's Art rovings in "Potluck" and "Random" and I don't know about the one on the right.  Maybe another old Spunky Eclectic club roving.  All the rovings have some color or colors in common.  I separate off random-ish lengths (around a yard or so), then strip them and wrap them into little nests for spinning.  When I'm done I'll have singles with shorter bits of color which is why I strip the rovings.  About 1 3/4 lbs of fiber, which I hope when I make a 3-ply will be at a sport to a DK weight.  Definitely a sweater's worth.  

Randomly

 1. Yesterday I saw Barbie's Dream Plane flying over.  I mean in real life.  A Barbie pink jet.  I wish I had been quick enough to get a picture.

2. Which leads me to - Who would buy/commission a plane like that?

3. I managed to get more Pumpkin Spice creamer at the grocery yesterday.

4. I also bought an actual pumpkin pie.

5. I have washed the Decade Socks and will put them to dry tonight. 

6.  Unfortunately, no one here wants the socks.  Neither my Younger Son for whom I originally knit them, nor my Older Son who I offered them up to.

7. I have still not received any of the parts for my spinning wheels, although I did get emails saying they have both been shipped to me.  Maybe tomorrow?

8. I forgot when I said I was going to knit Shakespeare in Love next that I already have yarn to knit Petra.  I didn't remember until I was putting the new spinning fiber into the latest stash pile and spotted it there.

9. Now I think I might be developing Alzheimer's.

10. I texted my friend and asked her when her birthday was.  I was close, but a few days off.

11. I tend to just make up birthdays for people.  Usually it's close.  I have no idea why, but once I do, I can't switch, even if I've been corrected many times.  I did this with my mother, I could never remember if her birthday was May 22nd, or May 23rd.  Still can't.

  

It Was 4 Stitches

 I was up in the middle of the night last night knitting.  I was working on the gusset on the second striped sock.  Apparently, I'm on this "Second Sleep" cycle now.  I've decided to work on something productive while I'm up instead of tossing and turning for a couple of hours.  I think Dave is happier for that also.  Enter my sock knitting.  Anyway, I got up this morning (late) and decided to go to the grocery store.  As I was leaving I had a moment that I decided I needed to take my knitting to pass the time waiting in the store.  I've gotten out of the habit of carrying a purse.  I started with my purse, but it was just too...big.  I looked for a smaller bag.  Several minutes later I finally found this bag.  

A makeup bag freebie I got probably for purchasing some perfume (I have a weakness for perfume.)  Anyway, the chance that I would ever need a make up bag is zero.  But this bag was perfect for my sock in progress.  I could also fit my phone and car key.  Perfect.  (Aside from the bold and blatant advertising.) 

So I'm good to go.  I'm at the store and get in line to check out, whip out my knitting and start working.  I got all of 4 stitches in before I had to stop and actually check out.  Whatever.

  

Yesterday

 Yesterday was my Blogiversary -- 15 years (minus that decade in the middle).  It was weird that I looked this morning, I was thinking it was in early September. I have really nothing to show here.  I rescued my Inox needles from the attic, but I'm waiting to wash the Decade Socks to take pictures.  (They were filthy, it's dirty in the attic).  Also, they had moth munchies (or carpet beetle bites) taken out of them. (What?  I said it was filthy up there.)  I darned them, effectively but not very prettily.  The big blanket continues apace.  I'm working on repeat 16 out of a possible 24 or 25, so more than half way.  I haven't used up half the yarn, so it looks like I'm good.  The Star Fighter socks are at the heel of the second sock.  So for my (belated) Blogiversary here's a yarn flower. 

Really Rosie

I dyed this one to look like a rose when it was caked up like this.

Spun Out

Something came over me the other day and I ordered almost 2 lbs of spinning fiber from Inglenook Fibers.  It arrived yesterday.

Very exciting.  Here's everything in the package. 

I got a pound and a half of batts in "Hobbit Garden" and 3 oz of silk in "Lagoon".  The silk is intended to be a luxurious cowl/shawl something for my friend Traci.  It's the same color as the afghan I'm making her because it's her favorite color.  But the other batts, I figure that's enough for me to make a sweater for me.  I have some pictures of it.  

OH YEAH, Baby.  Do you want a close up?  You know you do.

So I decided to dig out the spinning wheel.  Well.  Let's just say it's been awhile since I spun anything (it was when I owned the shop, we had wheels there and I would demo occasionally).  I went to the hoarder house (or the big house as we call it [I own two houses]) where the spinning wheel is.  It's a mess.  Really.  We're trying to get it cleaned up to remodel and...Well.  It's just a mess.  The spinning wheel is there, in the dining room.  I go to drag it out and -- no flyer.  Completely gone.  W.T.F.  It has to be in that room somewhere.  (Seriously, where else could it be?)  I dug around in there - when we decided to host Thanksgiving here at the Little House the guys moved the dining room table from there to here and apparently got a group of drunken monkeys to help them because stuff was just strewn all over the place.  There were bins with some stuff (I found my kate and extra bobbins) and some yarn (another Wee Skeins kit, and some handspun), but no flyer.  Well, I have a Hansen Crafts mini-spinner.  Oh yeah, lost the power supply for that.  (The last time I know for sure I had it was at Rhinebeck 2011 when I took a workshop with Abby Franquemont.  Probably left it there.)  To add insult to injury, while I was searching for my flyer I lost my balance amid the clutter and fell.  It was scary on the way down, but I didn't get hurt.  After that I lost it and went upstairs and ordered a replacement flyer for the Kiwi and a new power supply.  They should be here within the week.  

Second Verse, Same As The First

 I was knitting along on Cumberland Gap and suddenly things weren't right. Something weird had happened in the previous row (an interminably long cable row.) I had more stitches than I should have(by one). There was no solution but to 

drop back and redo the row.

First I reseated all my stiches and laddered back up a few that had dropped down further.

Then I reheld the stitches for the cable (being careful to cross it correctly) and reknit.

But wait! There's more. Continuing on I found that I had somehow completely twisted a cable. Like 180 degrees. Yeah. Drop it back, reknit.  I did that twice. What the #^$$& was I thinking?

 Finally all fixed.

Sock It to Me

 I finished the first sock!  

Seen here about to get its toe grafted.  I've cast on for the second and am just past the ribbing.  I did the unthinkable (for me) and actually discarded part of a yarn repeat so that I could start the second sock in the same place as the first.  Just because they are gift socks.  I, personally, love the idea of mismatched socks.  Even when I wear purchased socks I get the socks in packs with multiple colors and wear whatever two I happen to pick out of my drawer.  (It's always a disappointment to me if they do actually match). 

Here's the proof I actually discarded the rest of the stripe pattern.  No worries, I think I'm going to make a Scrap Blanket with the leftovers. 

No pattern*, just started with 64 sts, did 2x2 rib for 15 rows, then straight to the heel.  A traditional slip stitch heel flap on half the stitches, turned it then picked up stitches for the gusset and decreased them away.  I had a bit of an existential crisis for the toe.  I'd been liking a star toe shape, but wanted more of a wedge for this.  So I decreased every other row 6 times, then every row until there were 12 stitches left, and then kitchenered those together.  I like it; roundish, but not too pointy either.

*Sadly, the Percent Sock pattern I wrote and posted in the old r.c.t.y. Usenet group that Barbara Breitner (I can't believe I remembered her name) put up on the net (with my permission) is no longer out there -- or at least I couldn't find it by Googling.  I know alot of knitters used it in the "0s" because I came across it in several lists of "my favorite sock patterns online".  Ah well.  Anyway, I think this pair is a bit too big around (the length is dead on for the shoe size, though).  Next pair I'll do with 60 stitches.

You're Driving Me Crazy

 I had to take my car to get inspected today. I asked Dave to make the appointment, and he said it was for today.  He is working out of town in New York state, though, and leaving this morning.  I told him we could drop the car off Sunday night then.  He said OK, or maybe in the morning.  Now, I like to start my day early (7:00 AM) so that I can be done early and knit or watch TV or whatever in the evening.  I'm the kind of person who when I have to work I get up, get ready and get to work so that all the work is done and out of the way with and I can get on with my day.  Anyway, all day yesterday Dave never mentioned the car or dropping it off.  In fact, I forgot about it until I was walking home.  I mentally shrugged and assumed we would do it in the morning.  NO. Dave (who is a night owl) calls me after I was asleep (NOT a night owl see 7:00 AM) at 10:30 last night. 

Dave: We have to take your car.

Me (sleepily):  Huh?

Dave: We have to take your car for inspection.

Me: We will have to go in the morning.  I can guarantee you I'm not walking down there in my nightgown. 

Dave: Where is your owner's card?  Your insurance?

Me: I don't know.  Go online.

A pause while I hang up and just drift back to sleep,  Dave called again.  

Dave: I can't find the registration.  Go look for it.  

Well, I did find an old one (several years out of date) stuffed in an old wallet but it was enough for him to get everything together.  Sheesh.  

Older Son asked today (he was here for the frantic search). Why do you always rush around like that?  Why don't you just keep stuff yourself.  I told him it was the division of labor.  I cook and do the laundry.  Dave does yard work and car stuff.  I don't want to go crossing the lines.  That way leads to pink underwear for everyone and just hunks of meat and starch for dinner.

Long and short of it though we got up early and dropped the car off.  I was back here and logged in and working at 7:06.

The socks may be ready for toes tomorrow.  

I'm thinking next up some Halloween socks.  I found some Vesper yarn while I was poking around looking for sock yarn last week in "Spooky" and "Hocus Pocus".  I'm thinking I'll combine them and do a stripe repeat of each (kind of like a Wee Skeins, but not really).  At first I thought I would make Little Sock Arms for Gracie but then I got a grip.  She's EIGHT.  That's a lot of work for a sweater she'd wear what? Twice? If I'm lucky.  I'll knit some Halloween socks for her and for my friend Michelle.  The sad part (or great, depending on how you look at it)?  Michelle's socks will be smaller than Gracie's.  

The Next Big Thing

While I'm slogging away on Cumberland Gap

- Nothing much new to see there, I started a new ball of yarn (12 more to go) and I'm about to cable again - I've been debating about what my next big thing will be. My sit on the couch and knit while watching tv or reading thing. Right now I think it's going to be Shakespeare in Love.  I've had a serious crush on this pattern since it was published and I even have the yarn in my stash to make it.  I'll make it in white, of  course.  It's my favorite color, and that's what I have.  I struggled with letting go of my original intention for the yarn, which was to dye it.  But seriously, I haven't fired up a dye pot in six years, so what're the chances that's going to happen any time soon?  Runner up was Risen.  My niece got me the e-book Texture Is the New Black for my birthday and told me to "make something nice for yourself, you deserve it."  In that mindset I decided to make Risen and use Mad Tosh Tosh Merino Light.  I've never knit with it (I know) and thought it would be the perfect treat for myself.  But I don't know what's up at the website.  There are only a couple of colorways available for TML and they're, well, not me.  The color I'd really like is Couquette-Deux but apparently I can't get that in just plain TML, I'd have to get it in TML+Glitter, or Holo or something else sparkly.  Not that I'm against sparkle per se, but not what I was hoping for for this project.  I wonder if they can't get the base?  Is it discontinued?  It's just weird because they say they'll dye to order but there's no way to order a specific color that I could figure out.  Maybe I have to go further in to the ordering process than I did, I admit it was just a quick drive-by.  

In other knitting news, last night I turned the heel on my Star Fighter sock and I'm working on decreasing away the gusset stiches.

  

Denied

.

 Yesterday I ventured out to the grocery store.  Since the pandemic started, I've been working from home (I know I'm very lucky) and until very recently doing my shopping from home too -- I'd order online and go pick up at the store.  Someone would bring the groceries out and load into my car and I wouldn't have contact with anyone.  But on occasion I had to go into the store.  Such was the case when I found my beloved Pumpkin Spice creamer.  So I went back into the store again yesterday (the Pumpkin Spice isn't available online).  Imagine my horror when I saw this:

AN EMPTY SHELF where the Pumpkin Spice creamer should be.  The kid stocking the shelves looked at me like I was a lunatic when I took the picture.  And no, there was no Pumpkin Spice creamers on his little stocking cart (I looked).  I knew I needed to get more when I saw it (I'm on my last bottle right now.)  

Fortunately the ninjas at Amazon (really, I'm sitting right here less than 3 feet away from my front door which you can see daylight through so it's not like it's a barrier to sound and I never hear them drop anything on my porch.  They're ninjas, I tell you) brought this:

Pumpkin Spice coffee syrup.  I'm hoping it will be enough to tide me over. 

Knitting continues apace, sort of.  Yesterday I did almost an entire interminable row of cables crossing the wrong way.  Yeah.  I tinked back.  I debated ripping it out, but stuck with the tinking.  I'm not knitting to any deadline and slower just felt...right to me.  I'm reworking the cable row now.  Just a tiny bit of knitting on the striped socks last night, I was pretty tired.  I fell asleep and slept (mostly) 12 hours straight.  So I guess I was a little tired.  Must have been the shock of not finding Pumpkin Spice creamer at the store.  

Long Lamented

Since I'm knitting socks again for the first time in about a decade or so, I'm feeling the need for some more size 1 double pointed needles.  My favorite dpns are the long lamented Inox needles (I spent way too long searching for them on the internet today, they're now considered "vintage").  They were fabulous.  Some kind of coated metal (aluminum?  Steel?) that met all my perfect sock needle requirements. They were:

1. Metal.  Don't even get me started on the whole broken needle thing.  Especially in the small sizes like this, if I could snap it like a toothpick?  Then it's a toothpick, not a knitting needle.
2. Coated with something that gave them just enough grip.  This is a hard thing to quantify, but stitches moved along smoothly and quickly without sliding off unexpectedly.
3. Long enough.  I can't abide 6" dpns.  That length is just long enough that the point ends up digging uncomfortably into the meaty part of my hand (at least the way I hold my needles).  My beloved Inox needles were 10".
4. Pointy.  OK, maybe too pointy (they would dig a little hole in my finger if I used them too much).  But the rounded points (I'm looking at you, Addi Turbos) drive me nuts.

They were becoming scarce 5-6 years ago (the last set I got was from Kathy's Kreations and they looked like they'd been there since the '70s).  I noticed then that they were also sold under the Pym brand name, but that didn't turn up anything either.  I'm sure my old set are around some where, probably with a sock hanging off them.  (Wait, I think I did see them in the attic recently.  I think they still had this pair hanging off them.)

Just a random picture from the internet.  Look, there they are on the left. Too bad I can't buy them... 

I ordered some Knitter's Pride Carbonz and Hiya Hiya steel needles to test drive.  They should be here Sunday.

PS - I'm making the heel flap on my stiped socks and am not quite at an interminably long cabling row on the blanket.

Old Favorites

 The blandness of my current knitting leaves me with no pictures (I completed another cable row in the afghan, I knit another couple stripes on my striped socks.  Whoopee.)  So I will share a couple of pictures of favorite yarn colorways I dyed.

I called this colorway "Bell Bottom Blues" it is all shades of denim blues from palest acid-washed to darkest navy.  Some technical stuff- it's a monochromatic colorway, but wildly tonal; and randomly dyed.  There's five shades of blue there, as I said, in lots of depth of shade (dark/light) and it was dyed using the cold pour method (I mixed the dyes and poured them cold onto a skein of yarn) then steamed to set the colors.  Love, love, love this colorway.  Also I randomly poured around the skein, in no particular pattern and short (3-4 inch) lengths of each color.  I also dyed this colorway as a gradient, with the color shading in blocks from dark to light (or light to dark, depending on how you wound the ball).  I have no picture of the gradient right now (actually, since Dave took all my yarn pictures I'm sure he has it stashed away somewhere on one of his computers, but I have no access to it right now) but I do have a shot of some roving dyed in this colorway.

Another favorite colorway was "Primarily"

This was an experiment in hot bath ("kettle dyed") resist dyeing.  I wanted to see what would happen when I did three overdyed/resist dips using primary colors ("Primarily", get it?)  I started with a twisted skein and dyed it yellow until the bath exhausted, then re-tied the skein in knots and added red to the pot, then retied it again and added blue to the to the bath.  The whole time it was dyeing I kept thinking "I'm just going to get a lot of mud."  But when it was all over and the skeins were untied you could see all the colors.  Loved.It.   

Still Making Mistakes

Late last night I picked up my blanket in the middle of a long, 1x1 rib row and obviously in some confused state started knitting in the wrong direction.  

I turned in the middle of a row.   

At least I had enough wits about me to realize what had happened when I came back to it on the next (interminably long) row.  I tried to get it and I don't know if you can see it here but the loop on the left needle just winds back to the right instead of continuing on to the left.  In my defense, I had to work most of the night last night, I was pretty tired.  Anyway I ripped out the partial row, picked up the almost 250 raveled stitches and continued on.  I debated (and even started) tinking back, but this is just 1x1 rib, nothing complicated, and I was far enough past the cable row that I didn't have to worry about unraveling and having to cope with that.  So rip I did.  Then I picked up, reknitted and then placed my markers back on the next row.  Took about 10 minutes to get sorted.  

Once I was all straightened out I took a little break to knit on my stripey socks.  (Vesper Yarn in a [I'm pretty sure] long discontinued colorway "Star Fighter")

For the record, I try really, really hard not to put aside a project when it's having difficulties, as that way leads to UFOs.

Yarn Barf

 Big News on the knitted blanket front.  Not only did I get to perform an interminably long cabled row (#9 in the pattern chart) but I got to start a new ball of yarn!  Unfortunately, finding the end resulted in a fair sized yarn barf.

No worries, though -- it's all used up now and I'm slogging along as usual.  Only 13 (I think) more balls of yarn to go until I'm done with this thing.

I did start (for the first time in almost a decade) a pair of socks last night.  I had to order sock needles (size 1) because I had no idea where mine were.  I'm using some Vesper Sock Yarn in the colorway "Star Fighter" from the stash.  I'm not sure whether this was a club yarn or one I bought from Julia.  I was a club member way back when and also bought tons of her yarns.  I'm sure this is one I got to make socks for the boys.  But they don't wear hand knit socks anymore so I think I'll knit these for my BFF Michelle (who has teeny tiny [size5!] feet.)

Finished

 The Pumpkin Spice Cowl is finished -- here you see it reclining at leisure on the Decisively Pumpkin Scoop (I'll try to get a photo shoot tomorrow if I can wrangle a boy into taking pictures).  

I fumbled the kitchenering, and it's not as slick as I'd like.  As of right now I'm not inclined to rip the join back -- the recipient won't care (and would, I'm sure, be expecting a seam anyway.)

I'm back to the mind-numbing monotony that is Cumberland Gap.  (Knit Picks Brava in Marina).  I'm almost to a cable row.  Woot!  

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul

 Yesterday afternoon I was knitting on my cowl and I looked over and saw this:

My knitting is dark, the yarn is mostly dark.  But like the first green shoots of spring, you can see, if you peer closely at the center of the ball the bright yellow peeping out.  The things that keep a knitter going.

One other thing that came up in the blog break decade was that I developed Type 2 Diabetes. (When I turned 50, along with a couple of other chronic health issues.  It was like my warranty expired.)  I'm struggling to keep it under control, and am somewhat frustrated by my PA's reluctance to refer me to an endocrinologist.  Anyway, what is working for me now is 1) I changed the time of day I give myself my insulin shot.  It used to be in the evening, per the PA's instruction.  Now I do it in the morning and my numbers are much better.  2) I've started only eating once a day.  Yeah, that's a bummer.  I have coffee (with my Pumpkin Spice creamer - Yum!) in the morning, and at 1:00 or so I test my blood sugar.  If it's too high [which it has been], I just have a cup of tea.  Then I eat a (modest) dinner with the guys.

Do you like my mug?  My sister Jane and I buy each other mugs with our initials on them.  Sometimes we send them to each other (she has the "J" version of this mug at her house.)  Sometimes not (I have an "L" mug to use when I'm there visiting -- also my Evil Twin, who is also an "L" and she lives just around the corner from Jane.)

Color Choices

 One of the things that I did during the blog lapse was dye yarn professionally.  I was a part owner of a yarn shop, and I dyed yarn to be sold in the shop. 

I often heard from customers buying yarn that they didn't "know how to pick colors".  I would then tell them it was easy enough -- and give a little lecture while I pulled yarn for their project.  I'm using the example of my "Pumpkin Nice" cowl pictured above (it's coming along nicely, the skein join is not even noticeable as the color change matched perfectly [see the ends sticking out to the left in the yellow?]).  

Now, there's a lot about color theory which you can find and read if you're interested (which I am) but for someone who is just wondering what colors go together for their project -- here's a tip.  Let a professional do the work for you.  Find a multicolored object (and we'll use this yarn) and copy their colors.  That simple.  

You want a Fairisle yoke sweater?  Make the body that deep blue-violet and your yoke colors orange, yellow, and violet.  You want to pick colors for an afghan for your sister and her favorite color is orange?  Chose the rest of the colors in this combination to go with it.  Lay them out side by side and see if you like them.  

And you don't have to stick with just yarn for inspiration.  Look at wallpaper (they pay colorists to pick those colors) or art, or...anything.  One of the fun color games I've played in the past is to go to Pinterest  and just type in a color and search.  "Pink", "Aquamarine", "White".  Fabulous, inspiring images that you can pull the colors out of.  Just saying.   

Again With the Pumpkin Spice

Did you know that Pumpkin Spice items are available in the grocery now?  Maybe you did, but I don't get out much (or at all) anymore.  I think last year the guys were ready to stage and intervention for me and the Pumpkin Spice creamer (but it is so delicious and creamy!). I usually do my shopping online and pickup groceries curbside, but I had to go make an emergency milk run earlier this week and I found the Pumpkin Spice creamer and some Pumpkin Spice coffee.  Mmmm.  (The Pumpkin Pie Kit-Kats are ok as long as you're not expecting them to taste like a Kit Kat, because they don't.)  I went back to the store yesterday (because I needed ground coriander for dinner -- Don't look at me like that, I'm not making excuses) and got more Pumpkin Spice coffee and creamer (not pictured above is the box of Pumpkin Spice K-Cups which is almost empty and the first Pumpkin Spice creamer which is empty and in the recycling bin.)  What?  I live in dread of running out.  Younger Son was putting away the groceries and was all "Do we really need this much coffee creamer?"  Yes.  Yes we do.  

--Mom, step away from the creamer.

--No! It's my precious!  My preeeciousssss.

 

My current project is kinda Pumpkin Spice (Pumpkin Nice?  I like it!) as well.  Chroma yarn from Knit Picks in Sedona, 1x1 rib.  You can see the crochet provisional cast-on to the right.  I'll kitchener the ends together when I'm done.  This is not quite one ball (and gosh, that ball put-up is the worst) and it's a good length.  For awhile there last night it seemed that the ball was not being used up, it was like The Yarn Ball of Requirement.  The yarn itself is on the thin side to be called worsted, I'd generously call it a light worsted, but I think you might be able to get away with using it as a DK.  Also see the gradation blip?  I couldn't exactly throw away half the skein.  There was no knot in the yarn it looked like the spinning just didn't get the color.  There was a weird join -- like a spinner's join, not a knot.  Oh well, I won't have to worry about when I make the skein switch in the knitting.  It's not like it could show worse than that.

Also, on a personal note, my "Quarantine Fifteen" has been negative.  Yep, I've lost 15 pounds since the beginning of quarantine.  Do you think that says something about my cooking?😀

I'm Back! And Why

 I'm back to blogging.  Why?  Well, I realized as I was walking home yesterday that I still think of things like I have a blog.  All these years later.  So I thought I should be blogging again.  Also, I feel like there are things I want to say that I really can't say out loud.  Or maybe I just need to organize them like this.  Lots and lots of stuff has happened in the intervening decade (!).  We'll try to catch up in the next little bit.  But since this was a knitting blog, some knitting.  

Last night I started a cowl for my bff Michelle, since (I think) it's a big birthday for her in a month or so.  I made her a Decisiveness Scoop (picture later, but the color is named "Pumpkin") and I had gotten some Knit Picks Chroma (in the colorway "Sedona") for the cowl.  Michelle is a red head, these are her colors.  I thought and thought about what pattern to use in the cowl.  I knew I wanted the colors to stripe in chunks around the cowl, not on top of each other, so I knew I was going to knit flat and kitchener the ends together.  Here's my swatch:

Notice my YOs.  I swatched (since Chroma is a worsted weight) with a 7, 8, and 9 needle.  The YOs mark the transition of the needles.  My personal preference is for a reversible fabric for cowls (because the inside does show), so this is a 1x1 rib.  I know.  But I wanted something simple, and yesterday it just hit me that 1x1 that looks like stockinette on both sides was what I wanted to show off the color gradations.  But wait, the craziness doesn't end there (not at all) because the other project I have on the needles is this:

That's Cumberland Gap.  And I made it extra wide too.  Miles of 1x1 rib (it's reversible too) with the occasional interminable row of cabling.  This is a gift for another fabulous friend, Traci (we've been friends since Junior High).  I made no promise of when it would be done, I've been working on it for months now and I'm not even half way.

Re-Launch

I'm attempting a relaunch. Just a test to see if this is still working. I seem to have it. Next up to see if I can get back here tomorrow.