Shelter in Place: Day 19

Current Mood:  Lucky to have only first-world, white-people problems.

Things are okay in San Francisco, so far they’re only attributing 8 deaths to coronavirus.  Our medical facilities aren’t overwhelmed.  (Fingers crossed the same is true for our medical professionals.)  Our grocery stores had a rough start but they’re getting systems in place to help control the chaos.  The internet hasn’t succumbed to the high traffic it’s seeing.  Things are changing daily.  We need to be flexible and understanding but San Francisco is doing ok, all things considered.

My perspective is skewed though.  I went to work this week.  It was nice.  It definitely felt like cheating.  There were only two of us there so it was quiet.  We had some important work to do and you don’t work in the lab alone.  Buddy system, for the win!  It was nice to have a whole building to walk around in.  It was nice to have something else to focus on.  I got a lot done.  It definitely helped me to have a change of pace and space.  I haven’t enjoyed going to work that much in a long time.  Perspective is everything!

It’ll probably take us most of next week to finish our tasks at work.  Gotta say, I don’t hate that.  I feel like another month of shelter in place will be okay for me after that.  I know it’s rough for people who haven’t gotten a break like this though.   I hope everyone finds something to recharge them, in their own way.

I’ve always felt like, even when bad things happen to me, they happen in good ways.  The one time, in nearly 20 years of street parking, my car got broken into the windows weren’t smashed and nothing was stolen, that sort of thing.  This is no exception.  I feel pretty lucky.  It does make me aware though, not everyone is in the same place.  I don’t want to trivialize what other people are going through but hey, wanna talk about knitting?  I’ve got a funny lesson to share today!

The lesson is this:  Boobs and balls need different types of sacks!

I finished my Zaftig inspired bra last night.  It’s not good news.  It’s bound for the frog pond shortly.  The parts I improvised worked out okay.  The fatal flaw is the part where I followed the pattern.

The designer writes “The surprise here is that Zaftig! is actually two of my men’s Thong-th-thong  pouches turned upside down and knitted onto one midriff band!”  Turns out, that is a bad idea.  The gathers created by the short row shaping are too lumpy and weird.  I can see how a thong, especially one containing balls, needs to gather and exert some control.  Boobs don’t need that though.

Had I read the notes on Ravelry, I would have saved myself the trouble too.  Others reported the same issues.  I think this is a case where using the recommended yarn would have been a good idea too.  The suggested yarn is Cascade Fixation, a cotton/spandex blend.  It’s a really fun stretchy yarn.  I think that stretch would conform to a boob in a far more pleasing manner.  Live and learn.  I, also, learned that I didn’t really want a bra anyhow.  I want a garment, maybe it’s more of a cami, or a tank.  I’m thinking I shouldn’t have strayed from my original plan, the Ripple Bralette.

I’m thinking it’s time I get back to my sweater but first, a nap!  Hope you guys are all getting the self-care you need, too!  Do what you gotta do and take care of yourself!