Back to the Garden is finished!

I did it!  Sixteen or so months after starting this shawl, I bound it off the needles this past Sunday evening.  Tuesday evening I wove in my ends, soaked it & then laid it out to clock it.  I looked it up, I was about 1 month into working on this shawl when I developed the issues with my right hand that I believe are tendonitis.  Which is getting way better!  This week I was even able to pick up a yarn needle off the table without issues.  I still don't know if I would easily be able to pick up a sewing needle or a straight pin, but it is getting better day by day.  Just amazing how long something that developed overnight can take to heal.

Thanksgiving here in the US is this next Thursday.  I haven't made any plans yet!  For some reason, I am just not much in the mood, but I know I need to get there.  I believe my oldest daughter's family will be going to his family's gathering that day, my youngest daughter & her dh are in Chicago area.  My son & his gf weren't sure they would be in the area Thursday, but now it seems that they will.  So still undecided whether to plan something for Thursday or wait until the weekend.  And then whether with everyone's busy work schedules, etc., if I should try cooking & having them in here at home or just going out to eat.  Going out would probably be the cheaper option!  And maybe the least stressful option as well!  But it just doesn't seem like Thanksgiving to do that!  Of course, this year, instead of having a 4 day weekend like I had for several years, it will be 1 day, work 1 day, then off 2 days.  So if I spend a lot of time cooking, etc. on Thursday, then I will probably be exhausted come Friday!  But if we did everything on Saturday, I could have Sunday to recover!  Decisions, decisions!

I have been fighting with a cut on the tip of my left index finger that I got somehow while putting the dogs onto their cables a week or so ago.  Trying to work on the granddaughter's socks the bamboo needle keeps irritating that fingertip, so Friday night I decided to take a break - I started on a pair of the Amazing Siberian Slippers for my mil from Henya's website - I am making them in Cascade Pacific in # 47 with #53 as the 2nd color.  I have even taking a bit out when I found that I had messed up and had an extra line of yarn on the front instead of hidden on the back.  I almost have the 1st one ready to stop the contrast color and start shaping for the sides and bottom of the foot.

I received the certificate this past week for the testing I did on November 8th - I received the Gold Certificate as I thought I would after being given my results.

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time! 

Testing and shawl done, except for the blocking

Well, it's been a while since I have posted!  We've re-elected President Obama for another 4 years here in the USA, there have been a lot of strong feelings on that and we had Sandy hit the east coast.

Here in my little area, I had to put my knitting to the side to do more studying, I think, than I ever did when I was in school oh so many years ago!  When I was hired for my job, it was a conditional hire relying on me taking what is called Work Keys tests - 3 tests given over a course of about 3 hours - 55 minutes allowed for each test.  They were over Locating Information, Reading for Information and Applied Math.  I was given a practice test that I had 3 times I could go through it & I spent many, many hours doing this.  You would take a pre-test in each subject and then it would determine whether to skip you past some areas based on how you scored on that.  I was skipped to Level 7 (highest) on the Reading for Information, skipped to Level 6 on the Locating Information and to Level 5 on the Applied Math.  But when in school, while I did take algebra, I never understood it.  I think that was because my mother, contrary to most parents, always told us that she didn't have to do homework when she was in school, so neither were we to do it.  So what little I did was usually done while sitting in the closet with a flashlight after everyone went to bed at night & I barely scrapped by that class.  That was when I was 14 years old - a long time ago!

So I worried over it, over & over!  I studied it, I ignored my phone, my knitting, my dh, etc. to study!  I took the test last Thursday evening and I needed to have at least a Level 4 on everything to keep my job.  I didn't want being tired after working all day, etc. to keep me from being able to get a good enough score.  I ended up with a Level 5 on the Locating Information (there were 38 questions on this one and I ran out of time without answering the last 2 questions - don't know if I was feeling overly confident & so spent too much time on other questions or what, but I didn't get it finished like I should have).  I got a Level 6 on Reading for Information - which was the highest you could get.  And a Level 7 on the Applied Math.  A Level 6 certificate is the highest certificate you can get on it, so I am thinking they will average things out for my final certificate and if that is so, I probably got the Platinum - the highest, Level 6 certificate.  But if they just go by the lowest level, then I got the Gold Certificate, which is OK, I only needed the Silver, which is the next lower level!  But I am so glad that is over with and for my own knowledge, I am intending to buy an Algebra I textbook and prove to myself that I really can understand it!

So, Friday I picked my knitting back up!  I was about 8 rows from being done with my Back to the Garden shawl.  I finished it last night!  All except weaving in the 2 ends and blocking it!  I did take a pre-blocking picture.  I think people will be surprised at what a difference there is in this kind of knitting between the pre-blocking & the blocked pictures!  I plan to get it on the blocking wires & pins within the next couple of days.  I do have to go over our insurance options first to make sure if we need to make any changes there before time runs out on doing that and I have a chiropractor's appointment tonight.  Been having some issues with my left arm tingling and a spot on my left hip kind of hurting.  So went back in - he agrees with me, I have a pinched nerve from my neck shifting again!  So probably twice a week again for a bit.

Going to cut this short since I need to get ready for work!  Hope everyone has a great day!

Have fun & Happy Crafting until the next time!