If in Doubt, Stay at Home and Knit!

I have been trying for the last couple of weeks to find a good subject to write about but my inspiration has truly been wiped out with everything that is going on in the world with Covid-19. Every time I have sat down to try to write, all I can think about is this horrible virus that is currently plaguing the world. It is now at this point that I wish to finally say some things that I have witnessed over the last few weeks, things that make me truly horrified and makes me question some people in this world.

So first off... panic buying. Now I get it, I truly do, that the thought of being isolated at home for a period of time is a terrifying thought and that people want to make sure that they have enough food in the house. I touched on this subject in my last post and after a trip to Tesco last night to get some flowers for my mum, I witnessed for myself the state of the stores. If you haven’t had the joy of going to a supermarket recently, believe me when I tell you that the shelves are bare!! Luckily we didn’t need anything essential but other people out there still do. There have been videos and photos online, not just from the UK, at the sheer madness that has been occurring at supermarkets. People who are doing the decent thing and not panic buying are now struggling to get items that they need. Do people really think that the country will shut down and food supplies will stop? Rest assured people, there is no reason why food supplies will run out. There are thousands upon thousands of people in the U.K. making sure that food supplies to stores are maintained, putting their own health at risk to ensure these supply chains don’t break down. Pete and I both work in this industry and we are taking every precaution we can to ensure that we stay healthy so that it can still happen.

This brings us nicely onto social distancing. People really need to start taking notice of what is being asked of them. I have seen in the news today photos of hoards of people huddled together outside supermarkets waiting to get in to buy yet more stuff that they don’t need. The social distancing advice is there for a reason. It is to reduce the spread of infection. Pete and I are trying so hard to distance ourselves as much as possible but this is increasingly difficult when people congregate like they have been at supermarkets. One of those poor people could be a truck driver who supplies supermarkets. That driver then goes into 3 or 4 stores the following day and comes into contact with so many people. I would love to be able to distance myself properly, lock myself away for a month or two. I would get so much knitting done it would be unreal. Instead, we both have to keep going in to the office where we come into close contact with at least 100 people each day.

Pete’s parents, and mine, are both having to self isolate currently to protect themselves. This is the right thing to do for all of them and they are doing it correctly! At home, not leaving the house, relying on the support they have from their families to ensure that they have the things that they need to get them through. This can only happen if there entire support network stays healthy. I am sure that I am not the only one who has loved ones that are in this situation? As a community everyone should be helping each other out to ensure that we can protect as many people as possible and minimising the pressure on the NHS staff. Now I do t personally know any NHS staff that are in hospitals during this crisis but I know that from what I have seen online they are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone gets the care that they need. This can only carry on so long until the system breaks down. From what I can see, people are still not taking this advice seriously. I don’t understand how this cannot be clearer!

I know that there are people out there who are following this advice and for that, a great big thank you and well done to you all!! This should not be a time for selfish acts, this should be a time where we come together and support each other through this time. We are all in the same boat and we are all going to experience the same issues at some point.

So here is my final point, Pete and I are currently happy and healthy, going to work because we have to and spending any free time we have at home, in isolation continuing with our knitting. Our community of knitters and crocheters is huge and we use our craft to ground us and keep some normality in our lives and we want you to do the same. We are keeping a close eye on Instagram and have seen so many business and people struggling during this time, but are still managaing to keep smiles on their faces and something new on their needles and hooks. Our followers on Instagram are growing and we want to connect with so many more especially in this horrible time, so, reach out, spread the word, and most of all, keep crafting.

Seb x