The first three flowers for Nicky Epstein's Anniversary Scarf, shown on the cover of the Fall 2007 Vogue Knitting magazine. I am using Golden Chai and Golden Siam 100% silk tussah (thick and thin) yarn from Artfibers. The colors will look familiar to those who saw this scarf.
I am also using the colors on the rolls above. Only 22 more flowers to go.Two of them were knitted today on the way to attend an off-site satellite meeting. While I was sitting, I thought about the differences between Craft, Mass and Lean production as explained in The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos. According to the authors, satellites are the most complex craft product. As we sat around the table, determining what to do next, those words haunted me.
I am really too busy for new projects right now. But I am too scattered not to have a piece of relaxing knitting for a few moments of zen. In the last week, I rushed a proposal, two abstracts and another project out the door. I am also working on multiple satellite projects.
I sent one document off to a project manager last night at 20:30. He sent me back a 3 word reply, "Grace, stop working."
Satellites don't fall out of the sky because one person stopped working late to put their child to sleep. I hope. But you have to wonder when you read stories like this.
Aside:
Did anyone hear the public radio show about careers last night? They talked about the importance of not coddling working parents in the workplace because it breeds resentment in the childless. Grr. I have a lot of thoughts about that, but it will have to wait until another night, when I am more coherent.
Aside2:
I saw a poster today about 5S. I thought, "5S for the satellite industry, that's great!" But they didn't mean Seiri Seiton Seiso Seiketsu Shitsuke. It said, "Sort Straighten Shine Standardize Sustain".
Lovely scarf! Be sure to show us the finished project. Did you ever finish the capecho? Did I miss that?
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear the NPR thing, which is probably just as well, because the whole "child-free" vs. parents thing is starting to annoy me. It seems that the main complaints about parents at work are (1) there are benefits aimed at parents that people without children can't use, and (2) that the people without children have to pick up the slack while parents are off with sick kids, etc.
ReplyDeleteTo (1) I say: "Do you really use all of the other benefits at work? Really?" I know I don't use all of mine. It never occurred to me to think that it was unfair that I haven't needed, say, the mental health benefit. Companies give benefits because they think it helps with recruiting and/or retention, and there is no need (in my opinion) to make all benefits equally valuable to all employees. I suspect the child-free at my job make better use of the fitness center than I do right now.
The second objection is more reasonable, I think, but also ultimately not fair to lay at the feet of parents. I think EVERYONE should have a better balance between work and home, whether what is waiting for them at home is a child, a pet, or just a good book. I think the difference is that parents insist on more balance, because you can't put off a sick child the way you can a good book. They have to say no to the boss, whether they think it will hurt their career or not, whereas those without children might be more likely to put up with the lack of balance in the interest of keeping their job/furthering their career.
I know its more complex than that, but I don't think the sniping at each other that seems to be happening anymore is helping anyone!
Sorry to ramble on in your comments. I should probably blog about this myself someday...
The capecho is a tangled mess right now. That took the wind out of my sails.
ReplyDeleteI posted a reply to Cloud:
http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2008/01/insufficient-margin.html