Still Zagging

My contract requires me to return to work on September 1, but mentally it is nightmare to return so close to when the students return. I need time to pull a few thing together. For example, one of my very first days back at work is the day I coordinate the training of our student employees. So, today was our planning day for the fall semester. All staff, including three of us who aren't officially back to work yet, were there and we chewed our way through topics such as which days which person will cover our drop-in hours to meatier topics such as our new intake system for counseling appointments and the fall slate of workshops and events.

I wish I could knit during these meetings, but realized after the day ended how very much like knitting the meetings are. Several of us have worked together for 16+ years and we've developed a style of coming to consensus on many items that other staffs would simply have decided for them by the Director or by others. We slowly knit together the plans, sometimes unraveling a bit, sometimes knitting in a little decorative design, other times plodding along in garter stitch, but always getting to the point of having a serviceable and even quite good-looking piece of work.

But, it is more tiring than a day of knitting with yarn, I can tell you!

ON MY NEEDLES
I cast on and got through 2 repeats of the feather and fan pattern for my lace scarf. Maybe this will get me interested in picking up the much more complex lace scarf I started about 8 years ago when I was sitting through several ballet classes each week.

I've ordered some new circular needles for sock-making and hope to start a second pair of 2 socks on 2 circs when they arrive. For my first attempt, I happily invested in a pair of Crystal Palace bamboo circulars, which are lovely but have a terribly catchy joint between the needle and the cable. They were a large part of the difficulty I had with my first cast-on socks but are working fine at this point. But, I won't be using them again for socks!

READING LIST
I'm currently reading a lovely book in the Cottage Tails of Beatrix Potter Mystery Series, given to me by a friend. I love to read books that I can describe the reading experience as being like wrapping up in a warm blanket. I think this series qualifies. Plus I've been reading articles in the two latest Spin Off magazines. I subscribed many years ago and am thinking about subscribing again as I get out my wheel and dust it off.