Sell your hobby to me

[LadyCampanulaTottington]

I’ve just started a six month sabbatical from my business and I want to use the time wisely.

I want to find a new passion. I can play music and crochet. I’ve dabbled in watercolour painting which I will do more of.

I want to try as much as possible so I’m looking for inspiration.

What is your hobby and why should I try it?

Yoga! It makes you supple, calm and surprising fit.

Dressmaking!

no more at the mercy of fast fashion and cheap polyester.

you can make your own clothes that fit you perfectly in lovely fabrics of your choosing. I've got a black linen wrap jumpsuit that I made that I practically live in.

start with a pair of pyjama bottoms or shorts in a lovely cotton lawn fabric and go from there.

fancy a new pair of courdory ballon trousers in a plum colour, or a bottle green swing coat with unique buttons - no need to search the shops high and low to find something that almost matches what you want, you just make it exactly how you want yourself.

Upholstery, saved loads of money on recovering chairs, took my sofa back to the frame some years ago and redid it completely.

oooh so many!

dressmaking is great, there are some amazing fabrics out there and it’s awesome making clothes that are unique and lovely.
i love hand embroidery too, so many beautiful things to make.
my current love is digital art! I use the app procreate on the iPad (an Apple Pencil or similar stylus is needed really), but it’s just fantastic. I’ve never “been able to draw” but I am loving digital art. There are amazing tutorials out there (my favourites are Bardot Brush and Taty works, both on YouTube). Dh encouraged me to have a go and I’ve gotten so addicted. I now have skillshare and love tutorials on there (if you’re interested in skillshare, you can often find free month codes, and then usually get a discount for subscription- I got 40% off for the year and it’s worth every Penny).

Another huge love here is board games. Not your normal monopoly, but awesome indie games etc. Favourites include pandemic, cascadia, Azul, calico…there is pretty much a game out there for everyone (these do require having someone to play with tho, so not ideal for solo hobby days).

gardening is also so rewarding. Not really the season for it, but sowing things from seed is so rewarding, and growing fruit and veg is extra awesome.

On that vein - jam making! So fun, so delicious, so addictive! ahh I love hobbies. Enjoy! Maybe see if there are any classes locally you’d like to try? I know where I am (near Manchester) ministry of craft do a wide variety of different classes, covering so many hobbies.

One thing I still want to have a go at is pottery too, never done it and really want to

Yes to dress making! Ready to wear clothing only fits about 1 in 4 correctly so you can finally have clothes that fit perfectly and in fabrics / patterns that you want. It also encourages you to look after your clothes and learn how to mend. I adore it.

Leroc or Ceroc dancing. It’s a very social partner dance that you can go to without a partner as everyone swaps around. You get a basic lesson at each class followed by freestyle where you can watch or practice. Newbies are always welcomed and helped by more experienced dancers.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Dressmaking makes so much sense doesn’t it? Clothes that always fit and are totally unique. That’s definitely going on my list, thanks.

@Limesaregreen I’ve never heard of that. Off to YouTube it 😁

Triathlon. There are amazing beginners races with very short distances. Your body will be toned and amazing - ideal to show off those homemade dresses.

Plus you will sleep well and it is good for your mental health.

I also slime building Lego. If is a great stress buster and a lot of fun . You have to concentrate so it takes your mind off everything else but not so much that it is tiring.

I started learning Russian on duo lingo. I just do 20 mins a day or so. I really enjoy it. I’m never gonna be brilliant but it’s satisfying just to understand a bit of what they’re saying in Stranger Things 🤣

I’m learning Welsh on Duolingo. Not because I’m Welsh or live in Wales - I just love the sound of it. And presumably an older version was the lingo of some remote ancestors.

I do a lot of knitting, only for charities and fundraising though. I do love my fat cuddly worry-eating teddies - they go to good homes with various children’s therapists/counsellors - very sad that there’s such a need for these things, though.

I’ve got Duolingo, I must have a look at what is available.

Ideally though I’d like something that gets me off my phone ☺️

I stream cozy games on twitch, I make a little bit of money off it and it's fun gaming and interacting with people win win.

Also reading for obvious reasons. Who doesn't like a bit of escapism?

Jigsaws- doesn't have to be your only hobby. Just keep one on the go so you can pick up at will. I notice that my breathing slows and I get totally absorbed in the jigsaw forgetting all other worries. It's like meditation for me. Don't get hard ones though - that's just frustrating

Horses. Just ... don't. Keep hamsters instead.

Pick a language! You don’t need to be glued to your phone. In fact you can use it to get fit at the same time.

Pick a language that is on the “Coffee Break” and “Easy Languages” podcast series. Download the podcasts and go walking everyday whilst listening to them.

For speaking, book a weekly lesson on italki.com.

You will be slim and fluent in another language.

Then you can end the sabbatical with a trip abroad to practise the language.

It’s a no-brainer!!

Except also you will be brainier because bilingualism slows down cognitive decline.

I feel I’ve sold it to you 😜

Try photography 📸
It's fun and you'll see so many beautiful things surrounding you in your everyday life once you start looking for something to shoot! There are tons of cool Youtube channels about getting started, like Adorama TV and so many photo programs for windows 11 or windows 10 that it's really just pick and go!
Besides, if you have a local camera club nearby it's a great opportunity to meet new people and make some new friends. It is also a good way to learn something in person if you are more of a team player.
But the biggest advantage of photography to me was the fact that it helped me realize there are so many stunning things right before my eyes. Heck, I've been waking up earlier to shoot beautiful summer sunrises and it was totally worth it, I assure ya!

@LaSavoie you have sold it well 😁 Do you live in 73 or is that just your username?

@Sweetener12 thats a great idea. I have Canon EOS 5D that I bought for video but I can take it out to take some photos.

Cycling. Got me out and about during lockdown (and post lockdown when I'mmainly wfh), keeps me fit and means I know my local area like the back of my hand. Love it.

Hiking. So good for you both physically and mentally, either solo or with a club - I enjoy both.

Great idea for a thread! @LaSavoie you have inspired me to learn to speak Italian!
@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER haven't done any knitting for a while but do enjoy knitting easy projects when watching telly.
Re 'Worry-eating' teddies, would you mind posting a link where I can send these? Is there a standard pattern you use and do the teddies have to be a specific size? As you say, it's sad that there is a need for them.
Thank you 🙂

This! I last went into a clothes shop in January 2020, having been furloughed for 3 weeks in April 2020 and got my sewing machine out to 'have a go', and haven't looked back since. The most rewarding hobby ever.

Chocfreak, I make them for a charity called Knit for Nowt, patterns are free to download from the website - all sorts of worry-eating animals, plus a ‘monster’! However I think they have enough knitters at the moment - you have to be registered now in order to be able to access them. Yes, they are very specific about requirements, because of safety issues.

Worth checking, though.

I have recently started learning Welsh with Duolingo - I’m not Welsh and don’t live anywhere near Wales, but I’ve always loved the sound of it. So I’m just learning for interest/brain exercise really.

Finding it addictive so far, and fascinating - since it’s absolutely nothing like any other language I’ve ever studied - and they range from Latin to Russian. I did a bit of digging via Mr Google and found that it probably came to Britain during the Bronze or Iron ages, so very ancient - probably spoken by some of my more remote ancestors. Maybe I even spoke it in a previous life 😂

Another one here learning Welsh on Duolingo. I moved to Wales just over a year ago and loved reading the signs in a new language to me so I decided to try to learn it. I'm very good at talking about Parsnips.

Dressmaking for all the reasons mentioned before. Not just making items from scratch its quite satisfying altering or making the clothes I already have fit a bit better.

Gardening is another passion of mine. I love wandering out the front door each morning just pottering about for a bit whilst its quiet. I love caring for plants and trying to make things grow.

Reading.

You can do it anywhere at any time and, if you use the library, doesn’t have to cost you a single penny. It teaches empathy, as well as expanding vocabulary and increasing your general knowledge. You can go anywhere and learn anything, just sitting in a chair in your living room. It doesn’t cause irritation to anyone else and you don’t need to wear Lycra. It gives you interesting stuff to talk about.

You will need to do other hobbies too, however, or you’ll end up with a massive arse like mine from sitting about reading and eating toffees.