Help me find a new hobby

[HollyDay]

I need a new hobby.

 

I have decided I cannot stand knitting and don't ever want to pick up another pair of knitting needles again.

 

I would prefer not to crochet again, but I probably will next fall :)

 

I like quilting, but it is not portable (I machine quilt)

 

I like cross-stitch, but since getting bifocals, it has been difficult. I need a lighted magnifying glass to do it comfortably. It is still not as fun as it was prior to bifocals. My lighted magnifying glass is big and bulky (actually I started using the one dh used for his electronics) so it is impossible to take places.

 

I'm a terrible artist. I like to work with color, but I cannot draw worth anything.

 

I do not like to sew anything but quilts. Those pesky patterns make me so frustrated! It defeats the purpose of having a hobby if it makes me more tense!

 

No ice skating rink for 6 hours.

 

No opportunity for riding horses.

 

Would like something I could take with me while I wait for dds' dance and music classes.

 

I wouldn't mind something dds could do too.

 

I already read for pleasure by the way :)

 

So, someone chose a new hobby for me!!! Please!!

[eternalknot]

I color LOL. The drawing is already done for me, it's portable, and the kids don't mind joining me from time to time :) they love when I let them use my pricey mama-only pencils!

 

I also do crossword puzzles and soduku, both of which get easier as you continue working them. Also portable, and also kid-friendly.

 

I always keep a deck of cards in my purse. Not terribly exciting, but passes the time - alone, or with kids. Solitaire gets boring after awhile, so I make up my own games. Not necessarily a "hobby" but something to do!

 

Photography? You can start with a basic camera and learn the art of the photograph; also, read up on it from library books. If it piques your interest, you can advance to learning the technical aspects of it - even practicing during the girls' classes. YOu don't need a fancy DSLR camera to learn, and in fact I taught my older kids to learn on an old film SLR that I picked up for $40 at a pawn shop - with lenses and case. My younger kids are learning on the DSLR but only because I caved and bought one by then. It's a fruitful hobby - never enough pics of the kids?! - and relatively portable. It sounds like a good complement to your other artistic ventures, too.

 

I have no hobbies, but these are things I do to pass the time. I hope to gleam some ideas from your thread, too :)

[Cinder]

Sudoku or other puzzle book offerings

Rubber stamping

Beading

Polymer clay

 

That's all I can think of, and only that first one is portable. Oh well.

 

 

Cinder

[k10coon]

Why don't you write about the hobbies you've participated in?

 

Create the books you always wished were available.

[LibraryLover]

Some of mine:

 

Gardening (Which, admittedly, is limited to daydreaming and sprouting in the dead of winter, but it is almost pea -planting time. Making charts of what to plant where can be fun...and depressing).

Volunteering (I've done various things; there really is a lot. I recently did training to work w/children in playrooms in homeless shelters)

Kayaking (everything I really like to do is best done in warm climates)

Reading

Word Puzzles

Blogging (well... I haven't done that in a bit, but I do occasionaly add things)

I don't love knitting, but I knit some. Best to have a couple of simple projects going at the same time...;)

[Michelle My Bell]

I was going to post this www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com but it is not too portable.

[Jean in Newcastle]

You know what I do at dd's gymnastics? Grading! (And sometimes I bring my laptop and come visit the WTM forums). Those aren't hobbies but they do keep me busy.

 

How about writing wonderful snail mail letters to the precious people in your life?

[Starr]

I guess bowling won't work. :D Sorry, it was the first thing that came to my mind. It's always a challenge trying to be well occupied while waiting for kids.

[Parrothead]

I'm learning how to play chess. I started last week. I knew the basic moves of the pieces, but other than that I suck at it. Of course the guy I'm playing against is the state chess champion, and dd's new art teacher. But I still suck at it. So now I have a book, a board, and pieces. This week I play against myself, learn some of the moves in the book and see if I have learned to hold my own longer than 8 moves.

 

I'm finding that this game that I disliked as a child/teen is now fascinating.

[AngieC]

Some people may not consider it a hobby, but do you like to exercise? You could go for a jog or a walk while your dds take their classes. I am always happier when I can exercise on a regular basis.

[milovany]

I also do crossword puzzles and soduku, both of which get easier as you continue working them. Also portable, and also kid-friendly.

 

I always keep a deck of cards in my purse.

 

I just load games like Crosswords puzzles, Set, Cribbage, etc. onto my cell phone and play those when I have some time. Also very portable and kid -friendly. :)

[aggieamy]

Has anyone mentioned scrapbooking? You can organize pics and group them while waiting for kids and then get home and put together the pages.

[Night Elf]

I read or shop. My Kindle lets me have numerous books at my fingertips with the ability to add another book in minutes. Sometimes I go shopping at Walmart since I can walk around for easily a couple of hours, if not more, looking at everything from clothes and shoes to pots and pans. There is also a Barnes & Noble nearby but I get into much more trouble spending money there than I do at Walmart. :)

 

If I know I'll be near an electrical outlet, I'll bring my laptop. Mostly I play games but sometimes I'll write.

 

I wish I had a hobby. I don't like any of the things people normally consider hobbies, i.e. sewing, gardening, cooking, specific exercising, scrapbooking, etc.

 

Oh, oh! When my kids were younger and I pulled our own curriculum together, I could spend hours looking at catalogs or looking over new curriculum. I was a curriculum junkie! But that probably isn't a hobby I should encourage others to do. :tongue_smilie:

[Perry]

Genealogy.

[HollyDay]

These are some great ideas!! I honestly like the coloring idea. Dds have some very intricate design coloring books from Dover. I think I would like that!

 

Keep the ideas coming. I'm really enjoying this....

[aggieamy]

I had another idea. What about cooking exotic foods? You could get a few new cookbooks from the library, read up on the cuisine of the area, and pick a few new recipes to try. You could also work on your meal planning and shopping lists.

 

And who doesn't enjoy reading a cook book! :001_smile:

[FriedClams]

Walking / prayer walking

Writing encouraging notes to people

Blogging - you can print it later through Blub.com and have a neat journal

Contest entering - there's a book & movie about a lady who did this

Couponing

Photography

nature journaling

If you have older kids - applying for college grants/scholarships

[Tap]

I don't know how old your dd is, but if she is young, how about hand sewing some doll clothes?

 

You can also make play food with felt for a younger child or craft intricate food/incidentals for a detailed doll house out of Sculpty or Fimo clay.

 

I take cook books and look for new meal ideas or read books about herbs/seasonings to get new ideas.

[BikeBookBread]

Artisan bread baking :)

Guitar or other instrument

Gourmet cooking/ethnic cuisine

[Dawn in OH]

The only portable hobbies left that I can think of are needlepoint and latch hook!

[PeterPan]

It sounds to me like you need to branch into hand applique. Would that work with your eyes? It's certainly portable, and it goes well with what you already like (quilting).

 

Have you thought of rug braiding? There are different ways that you can do it, some that are braiding and some more like knitting or crocheting long strips of fabric. Even if it uses a hook or needle like that, it would be much larger than regular crochet, more like a Q hook. I was just reading about people doing wool braided rugs and wish I knew how. Apparently you can use pieces cut from pants and things from the thrift store.

 

There are also things you can do with felted wool. I saw it on tv once. This lady made different types of birds with small balls of wool. They have a metal pad of nails or something and a special felting hook (looks like a bird beak or something) that you stab it with to interlock fibers. It was really fascinating.

 

Or go to a smaller hobby like potholders or adding toppers to dishtowels.

 

You could find your local charity smocking group and make dresses for premature and still born infants. They're fast and not too hard, very portable, good cause.

[Rosie_0801]

You can get/ make portable inkle or tablet weaving looms. You could learn to fingerloop braid and any number of other ways to braid, then use them as embellishments on your quilts. Naalbinding might be a possibility.

 

http://www.stringpage.com/

 

Rosie