I wish my town had a crafting day. That would be so fun.
We had beautiful weather today so I worked on potting up cuttings that I rooted in water. I also worked on cleaning and winterizing my potting bench. I know this warm weather won’t last long.
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We had a fun day at my house! I spent most of the day cleaning out cabinets and rearranging stuff. I’ve been trying to go through everything in my kitchen and get rid of stuff I don’t need in anticipation of my brother’s planned floor and partial cabinet replacement over his Christmas break. I was just about done for the day when the whole house shook and it felt like the roof was going to come down on top of me! It had been really windy all day and a branch from our 100+ year old pecan tree broke off and landed on the roof right above the kitchen. The branch wasn’t as big as it sounded when it hit and there doesn’t appear to be any damage to the roof, but by the time my brother got home, it was dark so he couldn’t investigate further. Our poor little dog was out in the backyard when it fell and it took us a while to convince him it was safe to come out from under the sawhorse he’d hidden under and back into the house with us.
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@Char
Did the crafting day went well. ?
I made a stop by a thrift store, resisted he bags of yarn and bought myself a new jacket for this winter. The name on the label was from a store that sells to us larger ladies, so I was excited to try it on. It fit perfectly, so I bought it for $9. Later, that evening, I discovered they sell for over $100 new. (the style is still in fashion too…woo hoo) I bought a couple more things I have been needing before I go tent camping this November. If anyone else needs hoodies or hiking shoes there are a few stores with them on clearance right now.
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Often the twisting is alleviated by starting at the other end of the skein. It usually occurs because your knitting style is making it twist more. Does that make sense?
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Wow. Glad it wasnt a bigger branch.
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I love a good deal!!!
I tension my yarn by wrapping it around my index finger so I get twisting from time to time. It seems to get bad when I hold the yarn too tightly and make it twist more as I knit. I’ve found that some yarns are plied in the opposite direction from most and those yarns twist as I’m knitting with them REALLY badly and it gets extremely annoying. 
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I’m glad it didn’t break through the roof! You might want to get the roof checked. When we had hail, inspections were free - they are hoping for your business. My husband went up on the roof and he thought it looked fine. The roofing inspectors said the roof needed to be replaced and the insurance inspector agreed. When the shingles get damaged, it doesn’t take much for them to start leaking.
One thing I learned from that experience is to get an inspection before saying anything to your insurance company. If you even mention possible damage to them, they note it in your file as a claim. If it turns out to not be a claim, it stays listed on your account as a claim and of course, that affects your rates.
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My brother went up and looked at the roof today and it looks like a couple of shingles may need to be replaced, but he’s going to get an inspector in to check everything over next week. Fortunately, the current storm we’ve got is just wind with no sign of rain so far and we’re just hoping it stays that way until we make sure the roof is sound! We also found that either another branch or part of the same one broke off and crashed into the wall around the side of the house. We didn’t even think to look around the corner once we saw the branch on the roof. My brother happened across it when he was outside right around the same time my son went into the laundry room (right next to where the second branch hit) and found that a bunch of stuff had gotten knocked off the shelf. There is actually a scratch on the laundry room window that we are pretty sure was caused by the branch, but no real damage otherwise. 
We’re starting to get a little worried about our old pecan tree. My great-great-grandfather planted it sometime around the 1890s and it is starting to lose more branches than usual. We’re going to call in the tree guy and have him take a look at it soon just to make sure there are no major problems with it. Fingers crossed because I LOVE that old tree, both because it is pretty and because I get free pecans! 
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@hereami crafting day was great. :). My QFK friend finished laying out her blocks on her quilt, a new sewist was making baby burp cloths, and I showed one young lady how to make friendship bracelets. Your jacket sounds like quite the find
Today I finally decided on binding for the quilt that will go on my bed, and finished it just before dinner. I will try to recruit my husband and son to get a picture tomorrow, or maybe put it on my swing outside for a picture. Then to wash it, which is always nerve racking. I always fear it will fall apart. Which is crazy -
I have yet to have to have one fall apart. 
@Nyssareen hopefully your tree issue is going to turn out ok. So - you are able to eat the pecans from your tree? I love pecans. 
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We had a big Birch tree that had multiple trunks. One section started getting lower and lower over my flower garden. I called a tree guy thinking I would like to trim it up. He told me to NOT walk underneath it and showed me this huge crack. Hubby did go under to move my handmade mosaic birdbath out of harm’s way! Then we stayed away from it until they could remove it.
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@Hellokitten and @Nyssareen Thank you. Both of you helped me a lot.
My grip was tighter because I was trying to cast on a hat on dpn and it was …scary… lol.
I am knitting in the back loop. Working yarn held in my left hand, not wrapped for tension. Maybe, that will help.
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Wow… so, don’t say anything, until you Know you need them?
So far we haven’t needed them. We just keep paying and hope they will be there when we do need them.
However, my cousin who has had to evac because of fires numerous times in the last few years has great insurance. They pay for her evac needs each and every time. Good hotel, food, etc.
(she lives close-ish to the SF Bay area, but is surrounded by hills and most of those fires were caused by dry lightening)
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I hope the tree is okay. Please keep us posted.
If it has to be taken down, Maybe you can repurpose the wood.
Carved Bears or Lots of crochet hooks and needles.
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posting this because maybe it will help others. I taught myself to knit. Using the internet and lots of trial and error. I do not know the name of the technique I am using. All I know is it works for me.
The problem I had with the current yarn was that it was twisting so much it was beginning to drive me crazy. I just kept on going. At this point I am not noticing the twist as much. So, either I have gotten used to it or I have subconsciously modified my technique.
The pictures are from the view …as if you are sitting in front of me looking at my knitting. This shows how I tension my yarn and also the fact that I knit weird. I am doing a knit stitch in the photo. I always go in the back loop and from the direction I am going. The purl stitch is equally ‘wrong’ but my technique get the desired effect without any repercussions or errors in the pattern.
My question is. If the twisting was due to my technique. Was it my tension? or the way I was holding everything?
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Hello,
I was wondering if anyone else is doing the mosaic knit a long with Double The Stitches ? She is doing this on her website and on facebook. the website is here for more information.
I cast on the pre-instructions last night, and part 1 was emailed to me today, so I’ll do that tonight, but it looks like fun.
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It looks as if you are wrapping your yarn the opposite way to “normal”. Most stitches have the leading leg in front of the needle, yours is in back. You are compensating nicely by knitting into the leg in back of the needle which is actually the leading leg. I don’t think this would cause all the twist. My purl stitches used to end up like this until I learned to purl a different way. I knit continental however ( yarn held and tensioned in left hand.)
I think someone else mentioned that it might be that if you pulled from the other end of the ball it might not twist as much. I does make a difference with some yarns. Is this a single? Those can be more problematic.
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You learn interesting things when you chat with your insurance agent. We’ve actually made three homeowner’s claims. Twice for lightening damage (two different houses) and once for hail. The second lightening strike (this house) didn’t even hit the house. It hit right outside with a huge bang and a huge light flash. I was sitting by a window on the side of the house where it hit and it was like a bomb was dropped. The damage was caused by the electromagnetic wave.
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Oh!! This looks like so much fun. I love the colors you chose. It is going to be a wonderful cowl. Please post lots of pictures.
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As long as you are doing both the knits and the purls through the back loop, your stockinette will come out okay. The problem will occur when you start trying to do other stitches that are much more difficult to do through the back loop, so I would probably recommend trying to teach yourself to knit and purl through the front so that you don’t have to relearn knits and purls when you try to expand your knit stitch knowledge. As for the twisting, I think it probably comes from how you are holding the yarn. I would suggest trying the suggestion of pulling from the other end of the skein and seeing if that helps. Knitting through the front instead of the back might help with the twisting, but I don’t think that’s the basis of the issue.
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