It seems like now would be a good time to share photos of my dog, hanging out with yarn and wearing a spring chicken clown collar
Hey, friends. How are you feeling? How are things at home?
I know this sucks for all of us. I also know I’m incredibly lucky to have a job (that I love) that’s entirely remote so I can continue to have some semblance of normalcy as we deal with COVID-19. Because I’ve been WFH for nearly four years, and because I have enough wool to rival sheep farms and grew up with a love for reading, this adjustment hasn’t been too rough on me - yet. And I know that’s a huge privilege.
That doesn’t mean I’m not struggling. I think we all are (except for those in denial about social distancing and I hate every single one of you). But I’ve felt an incredible urge to check in on friends and networks I’ve been part of, regardless of how active I’ve been in recent months, and make sure we’re hanging in there.
Projects
Here are projects I’ve gathered to work on while all the breweries are closed (hey, maybe I’ll lose weight?)
Dedicating most of my free time to working on my giant stash of WIPs - except for this newer “Starflake” shawl I cast on a couple weekends ago.
Stephen West’s Starflake: This oughtta keep be busy for the foreseeable future
C2C Blanket: My boyfriend picked out the yarn for this over Christmas break and I’ve been crocheting it when I need a mental rest (which is daily anymore).
Heel Toe Do Si Do Socks: Scott also got yarn for me to make socks over the holidays so I’ve been picking at them at game nights. Now that we can’t do those anymore, they actually stand a chance of getting done.
A bunch of cross stitching that runs the gamut from super basic to Christmas ornaments I’d like to hand out as gifts this year (if I’m allowed to see anyone by then)
Resources
I also wanted to share resources I’m using to help me shut my brain off every night, when everything gets overwhelming and I panic:
Fritzy would like to play virtual Libertalia with mommy and Uncle Scott’s friends, please.
Libby by Overdrive: If you have a library card, you can check out ebooks and audiobooks from your local library (it’s free!)
Scribd: Download ebooks free for 30 days
Feminist Book Club: My favorite book subscription and hosted entirely online, so no need to venture into a public space to chat about issues close to your heart. Renee offers both digital and physical book options, as well as a variety of subscription services to work with the way you read.
DuoLingo: No better time than a global pandemic to brush up on my French, oui?
JQBX: If you have Spotify Premium, spin up playlists with your friends and take turns DJing. Great for those of us who are working from home in a different environment (ie: one that’s almost completely silent).
Day One: I’m feeling like now is the time to record our bizarre day-to-days. Although my daylight hours are still pretty normal, my evening and weekend hours are quite different. I’ve been spending more time documenting what I’m up to with Day One - not necessarily going into extreme detail about how I’m feeling (although I’m sure that will come) but photos of what we’ve gotten up to to help busy ourselves and attempt to stay sane.
Animal Crossing: Because I’ve noticed I can’t focus on anything worthwhile so I’ve just been building a deserted island like a maniac, collecting eggs for “Bunny Day” so I can craft a floofy Easter dress I could only dream of IRL
Board Games Arena: Scott and I played Libertalia and 7 Wonderss with his friends on this site last night and it wasn’t half bad. We did have trouble with the in-game audio so eventually switched to Zoom for chatting but otherwise, it was really fun.
I’ve been trying to catch up on my TBR (To Be Read) shelf, as well, which spans the entire length of my house and/or lives in giant boxes in my basement (a touch of Tsundoku never killed anyone… I don’t think). So far, I’ve finished Followers, written by an author local to me, and I’ve picked up The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle at the recommendation of every book group I’m in, which I’m plugging my way through when my brain decides to concentrate for an hour. I’ve found myself having difficulty sleeping at night cuz of this whole COVID mess, and maybe that’s because I’m so stressed out that I need to take naps in the middle of the day, but the best time for reading (for me) has been after Scott falls asleep and I stare at my Kindle from 1-2AM.
Virtual brunch with one of my lady friend groups
My friends have been amazing. I don’t know if it’s because my life was 50% virtual prior to this thanks to working from home (so it hasn’t been a huge adjustment) or if I’ve just been lucky enough to choose a great group of people to bunker down with during a global pandemic, but my social calendar has been busy catching up with folks. With virtual game nights, virtual craft nights, and virtual brunches, I’m - in a way - grateful for our current situation because it’s forced us to slow down and connect with people in a way we’ve been too “busy” before to enjoy. Previously, if I wasn’t working on something that initiated income or was perceived as productive, I would opt out. Now that we’re all home, I don’t feel guilty about indulging in hobbies and people that I enjoy.
Also, a friend of mine posted this article about how a lot of us have been returning to “old-fashioned” crafts and it’s seriously worth a read. First of all, it’s from The Atlantic, which is one publication I read regularly (that and Scientific American take up a lot of data storage on my phone and space on my coffee table). Second, it gets into why our crafts seem less frivolous right now because of their mental health benefits:
To spend a pandemic making soft and pretty things may seem silly in certain ways—frivolous or impractical, maybe, and certainly a privilege when my life and livelihood aren’t (yet) directly at stake. Handicrafts such as crochet, knitting, and embroidery—traditionally practiced by women and by the elderly—carry passive associations that defy most American notions of bravery. I think of Jo March, the heroine from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, lamenting that she can’t fight for the Union Army in the Civil War but must “stay home and knit, like a poky old woman.” And yet that dismissal belies the quiet strengths embedded in every stitch. Counting the movements of hooks and needles, row after row, over the hours or days it takes to complete a project, requires patience, focus, and persistence. And these cognitive skills—to say nothing of the proven mental-health benefits of crafting—are just the ones needed to weather a disaster that’s defined by waiting.
And listen, maybe this is a good segue into mentioning I had a call with my own therapist yesterday, which isn’t something I talk about on my blog but I feel is worth talking about right now. It’s important that if you ever feel isolated - especially considering we are literally isolating ourselves - you know there’s something to talk to. I found Allison (who I typically meet with locally but, ya know) by searching for specific expertise on Psychology Today. She specializes in setting boundaries, which is something I’ve needed to work on for years and the lack of which was doing horrible things to my mental well-being, but you can search for whatever it is you need at this time. Don’t be afraid to reach out; there’s no shame in doing whatever it takes to get you through the next few months - or ever.
Overall, I think we’re faring okay over here. Scott’s moved in since he’s essential and we wanted to cut down our risk, so we’ve been getting by with movies and videos games (HBO has a bunch of free content available, by the way, and re-watching Teen Mom with my MTV subscription from Hulu is probably why I haven’t gone nuclear yet). Work is still going strong so my daytime hours haven’t changed but I have to wonder how long that’ll last as the economy continues to tank. Otherwise, I’m just driving myself insane watching a bunch of people not take this seriously or claim it’s some global conspiracy to postpone the US election. If you’re one of those people, please stop reading my blog immediately; I am ashamed of you and don’t want to share my words with you.
How are you getting by? How are things in your neck of the woods? What are you working on? I want to know!