Hobbies

[Mugsy]

Merry Christmas, all!

A Christmas tradition of mine is to make a Christmas-themed jigsaw puzzle, something that started the first year I was married and my dad gave me a huge 1500-piece Christmas puzzle.

You guys have a lot of talents - my mom wishes I would knit, crochet, sew, etc. but it just doesn't interest me. I did some cross-stitching back in the day, and made a set of Christmas ornaments among other things, so every year I see that evidence of my "talent".

Limey, if you like fairylands, I recommend you watch the movie Fairytale: A True Story. Not only a fun movie, but the girls create a great house for their fairies.

CAgirl, way back you said you "sweepstake". It must be an American thing, since I've read magazine articles about this sort of thing, but in Canada I can't find enough sweepstakes to warrant it. There's a great movie about this as well, starring Julianne Moore. I forget the title right now, but it's something like: The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio. It's from 2005 and is a true story of a woman in the 50s who basically supported her large family by sweepstaking because her husband drank away a lot of his paycheque.

I guess movie watching is my hobby.

Although, I do enjoy dollhouses and miniatures. When my daughter moves out next summer, her room becomes mine, and it will be my craft/dollhouse room. I cannot wait!

[captain]

I'm trying to take up rock climbing and lately I've been getting this urge to draw (I come from a family of artists and it strikes once a year usually) so for Christmas I got one of those wooden artist dolls that you can position. It's so nice to look at my sketch book and actually be able to recognize that it's a person, a tree, etc..

[Cranky Old Broad]

I was just telling my husband earlier today that I need to find a hobby so I'm hoping for some suggestions. I do a lot of reading, both online and curled up on the couch but I'm looking for something creative to occupy my time. The thing is, my tastes have changed radically over the years so what I used to enjoy no longer thrills me, like cross-stitch, embroidery or crocheting (I only know two crochet stitches so it's not like I did anything beyond your standard afghans).

I bought a brand new sewing machine years ago with the intention of having a friend (who's an excellent seamstress) teach me but I moved away before I got started. The sewing machine is in the basement, tucked away.

I have no talent at drawing or clay modeling or painting. I love photography but that's not something that can be done late at night when bored and when I just want to make something with my hands (if that makes any sense). --As an aside, if any of you are photographers and know where I can find a magnifying negative viewer, please let me know!--

Mosaics interest me but I don't really have the space for that sort of thing, not to mention the inevitable mess. Scrapbooking is pretty much out of the question as I don't horde scraps. That makes for some very empty scrapbooks.

Sadly, I no longer live in a big city and there just aren't many venues for learning various skills/hobbies here in podunk Kentucky. I'd have to travel at least an hour in one direction to find a good community college.

HOWEVER, I would like to ask TiaMaria and alcyone how they got started in doing beadwork. I find it fascinating and I love shiny, sparkly things (channelling Rose...yes, it's scary but at least I admit my real age which, for the record, is 43). I'm particularly interested in learning the type of beading that requires a bead loom but I just don't know where to start.

I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

[Mugsy]

I live in a rural area as well, with the nearest community college a half hour away. However, local schools or school boards always offer courses, anything from making twig furniture to ballroom dancing to fitness classes to wheat weaving to stuff for kids to whatever. You get the idea. Maybe you can call a local school and they can direct you.

Of course, there is Ye Olde Internet, the font of knowledge in all things. I'm sure "bead craft" will land you a million or so hits.

At orientaltrading.com, there are gazillions of craft supplies sold in bulk or smaller quantities sometimes, including beads. They also have lots of pre-packaged craft kits, including bead projects.

Granted, most of it is kid-oriented, but sometimes doing a kid's craft is a good start. It gives you an idea of what the craft is like, skills required, and whether that type of work interests you. Or go to a craft store and buy a beading craft kit (everything is included, so you don't have to invest a lot in random beads and jumprings and stuff), also to give you an idea if you like it.

If you're talking more of a bead-weaving type of thing, then that would take more of an investment of time and equipment, unless you could take a course.

If you like mosaics, and you want to sew, maybe you can try quilting. Or not, since you don't horde scraps.

[Cranky Old Broad]

Thanks for the feedback, Mugsy and you're right, searching for "bead craft" did land me a million or so hits. Vastly overwhelming for someone who has no clue how to get started. As for quilting, I never learned how to sew on my spiffy new-in-the-case-but-years-old sewing maching. I'm not sure I could even load thread on the thing or set up a bobbin.

I really am pathetic (and hopefully I haven't killed this thread). I guess I could just make being cranky my hobby.

*wanders off to yell at the neighborhood kids*

[grumpygirl]

spordelia said:

India, those are great. I want to create a faux-Pollock (mostly because I think it would be fun to splash paint around!), but have yet to get around to it.

I also want to read tinyshoes book. Less Prada, more stuff I can afford!

I, like Oxynia, knit. I knit a lot, since I don't have kids, significant others or much of a real life. Most of my knitting is for me, although some is for the parental units. If you want to see what kind of stuff I have knit, the slideshow is here. The knitting has really interfered with my reading, because it's really hard to keep the book open while both hands are full of needles and yarn!

I love the knitting! My best friend is on a sock knitting kick and is totally obsessed with self-striping yarn. It's rocked her world. I don't knit though.

I like to make jewelry a lot. BEADING people, I'm talking serious money-spending beading. I don't know how to do things with bead looms or do pearl tying or any of that, but I want to learn. I just like to go to the bead store and buy all the shiny, pretty beads. I know that it's fae, but I have to give into that side of myself occasionally.

I also read, a lot. Mr. G. and I also like to go birdwatching and go to baseball games (go Nats!).

And of course there are doxies, but I'm not sure they constitute a hobby.

I love India's paintings. They had some sort of visceral effect on me when I looked at them. It's really amazing what talented folks we have here!

[Auroranorth]

grumpygirl said:

And of course there are doxies, but I'm not sure they constitute a hobby.

An avocation?

[Deleted]

Grumpy Girl, I used to love beading and I found that you can find MUCH cheaper beads at online bead stores than bead boutiques. I think I've got some saved in my favorites at home but I noticed that my bead store would have a strand of Tiger's Eye for $14 but the online bead store would have it for $7 and the shipping would be very cheap.

It helps keep costs lower for hobbies.

I can knit a scarf but nothing more complicated. I hope to take a class or two this year to learn how to read patterns and do things that are a bit more complicated like hats, socks sweaters, etc.

I'd also love to learn to crochet.

[grumpygirl]

Thanks for the heads up on the online beading stores. If you have any links, I'd appreciate them.

Maybe I should take up knitting. I could knit sweaters for the doxies. Although Mr. Grumpy is very much against dog clothes unless they are dog clothes with a purpose, and as long as they're not too froo-froo.

[Auroranorth]

I just got motivated to finish the square I'm knitting. The friend who taught me to knit is making an afghan of squares that have been donated to her for her father, who's over in Iraq (flight surgeon). I need to get cracking on this sucker!