Distracted

I remain on hiatus from the miter square blanket. No, I have not fallen out of love, but I was yearning for something that could actually be finished before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Enter the Chevron Scarf. She is finished after about two weeks of very inconsistent knitting. (Pics will follow.)

I needed to cast on for something else immediately and I chose a handtowel inspired by those in Mason-Dixon. I love the waxy feeling of the linen although it is requiring frequent breaks for the sake of my hands and--oddly--my elbows. In fact, I've now put it down because my elbows are throbbing. Strange.

Tonight I started Bonne Marie's Sitcom Chic. This one has been calling to me for a while and its time had come. I'm making it in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Violet. This is my first project using CE. I like how it is knitting up but I am reserving final judgement until it is done and has seen some wear. I know that there are a lot of passionate CE fans out there and I am willing to be pulled into the fold should it meet expectations. While I like the new color palette (the colors are very "adult"), I wish they would incorporate some brights, especially since this yarn is great for kids' things. I stockpiled some of the old colors when CE was discontinued but I'm longing for a really good green, for example.

Now, for some non-knitting content. In my workplace, we "hire" unpaid interns for the summer, and occasionally also during the school year. One of our interns from a few years ago happened to be in town and we went out to lunch with her today. She was a great summer intern: intelligent, engaged, responsible, enthusiastic. She was also still in college and was finding her way in the workplace. Fast-forward three years. She graduated and went to work for a PR firm in New York. Now, she is a professional with lots of interesting, diverse job experience under her belt. She is still that same young person we met and worked with three years ago, but now she has a new skill set and a really great air of confidence about her. The fact that she still makes it a point to get in touch when she is in Chicago tells me that she valued the experience of working with us, and I take satisfaction in knowing that we have contributed something to her professional development.

Alas, the universe has a way of making sure things balance out. Also today, I tried to educate a departing employee about behaviors that burn bridges. It would have been far easier to let this person go without addressing the issues, but then I wouldn't have been doing my job to mentor. I hope that the advice will be taken to heart and that it will help him make different choices in his next workplace. I don't know if my words will be accepted it in the spirit in which it they were intended, but I had to try for his sake as well as mine.