After a very stressful weekend I would like to take the time to just relax… but alas I have another two days before my “weekend” (said because it doesn’t touch the actual weekend.) But I did start some new projects!
This is the Blooming Cardigan from the cover of the current IK. I’m making the 32″ size for a tiny bit of negative ease, since it will inevitibly stretch anyway. The yarn is Beaverslide worsted, which I love. It’s soft and yet rugged at the same time, if that makes any sense. It’s a lovely yarn, and I think it was very economical, all things considered.
I did go to the LYS to get another size 0 addi, so now my Widdershins are on track! I’m doing the plain stockinette version, since I figure that I have enough going on knitting my first toe up socks. The yarn is striping in a pretty and subtle way. I think I will call these my Valentines day socks!
Lately I’ve been thinking about my hobbies, and what they mean in my life. If you asked many people what their hobbies were, they might say music… but since I do that for a living, it doesn’t count (and indeed, I find that I often want to escape that world in my downtime!) I have my knitting and crochet, those are my primary hobbies, and I love them. But sometimes you have to take breaks from those, or else they will start feeling like a job as well! When that happens I turn to reading, something I have always loved. Lately I have also become interested in the art of perfumery and have been trying to train my nose wearing all sorts of little samples, which are threatening to take over my entire vanity area, and working on making my very own perfumes.
I occasionally think about taking up other hobbies, but then I remember that I don’t have time for them. Do any of you have surprising non-knitting hobbies, or are we a monogamous bunch?
Green apples - Stitchywitch Creates 
Very pretty Valentine socks! You’re smart to do a plain-jane for your first toe-up. Unlike me who did a full blown pattern. I got them done tho! I do like the 2 circs, but still lean towards my DPNs.
Hmmm – other hobbies than knitting? I used to do stained glass, but now that sits ignored in my workshop in the basement. I like to read, but get restless because I think it’s taking away from my knitting. I used to do counted cross stitch too. I guess the only other hobby I truly love is gardening. And in Wisconsin, it’s a short-season hobby, but one I spend a lot of time doing while the weather is nice.
Well, the latest one that I have rekindled is playing the piano. I started playing at 5 years old and played all of the way through high school. However, my parents got divorced when I went to college and my piano was a casualty of the divorce 😦
Finally (18 years after college) I have purchase myself a new piano and my mom bought me piano lessons for Christmas. I do find that the piano and knitting are fighting for my time…as well as my young children. But I feel like I have found a little part of myself again. Unfortunately, my kids and husband don’t appreciate classical music yet, but I am working on them!
My knitting led me to a bead store and before I could help it I fell for all the shiny pretty things. Now I make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Because it is a faster hobby than knitting, it serves as a nice counterpoint when I need a break from a knitting project that is dragging along.
Reading used to be my hobby before I started knitting, and sometimes I take a break from knitting and read actual books instead of my usual audiobooks while knitting. It has a relaxing feel to it, but I am always feeling like I could be doing more (multitasking instead of doing one thing.) My only other hobby is sewing, so I guess that one’s not surprising either -both that and knitting involve garment production of one sort or another.
Love the valentine yarn..
I have 3 small kids so there isnt a huge amount of time for hobbies. Before kids I would read but now I am mainly knitting – although that has lead to a little dabble in beading and now needle felting. Variations on a theme though I guess.
Hi! Love your blog. Can you tell me what “Valentine” yarn you are using for the socks? 🙂
Love the blue worsted.
I have hobbies ~ knitting being a main one. I also quilt, sew, scrap book, garden, read and train & show my dogs in multiple venues. Knitting and reading are nice and portable for when I’m taking my kids to their classes and any down waiting time at events with other hobbies. I truly enjoy being involved in so many different things and can’t imagine parting with any of them. I don’t burn out on any of them and they all feel fresh.
i was actually a full time scrap-aholic before entering the world of knitting..but i’ve also tried candle making, and i love painting, and a little bit of sewing…. i always say that i have Craft A.D.D. because it’s hard for me to committ to just one hobby.
Unusual hobbies…not really. I used to paint and draw, but my apartment is too small for that now. I knit, sew, crochet, embroider, quilt, hand spin, and do needlepoint. I used to adore cross stitch, but I don’t really do that anymore either:)
Food. Reading about it, making it, eating it. I like it all, too. Local farm raised hormone-free beef, vegetarian butternut squash bread pudding with gruyere gravy and girlscout cookies. It’s all wonderful. Oh, I almost forgot beer. Living in the northwest is awesome for us beer snobs. Ya gotta eat, right?
Hobby monogamy? Nope…none of that here! Project monogamy, yes, but I’m into just about every hobby I can come up with. I dabble in quilting, dyeing, spinning, gardening, cooking, beadwork, reading, writing, piano, anything that comes along, really. I think you’re right; sometimes you just need a break for a while, even from things that you enjoy.
Love the color on the Beaverslide, by the way. =)
I can’t wait to see how your Blooming Cardigan turns out. That one didn’t really appeal to me, but a lot of times I notice you knitting patterns on your blog that I’d totally passed over, and then I see how yours turn out and change my mind about liking them!
As for hobbies, besides knitting I mostly read and cook or bake. I love fat old Victorian novels, but i’ll read just about anything. i sew a little bit, but it doesn’t have the hold on me that knitting does. I used to to garden, but haven’t in a couple of years. That’s one hobby that i’d like to get into again…goes well with the cooking!
I used to get into something and then give up on it and throw myself into something else. I would get so frustrated with myself for not being able to stick with something, but then I woke up and realized I don’t have to stick to one thing. I LOVE to knit, bake, read, decorate and I’m also really into photography. I would LOVE to learn how to sew, but do not know where to begin. I just find myself revolving between all of the above and I’ve never felt more satisfied.
those socks are turning out lovely.
My first love has always been reading. I’ve been an avid reader since I was little. I don’t read as much as I used to before I took up knitting but, when I go on a reading jag, I can read a book in a day. (Of course, no sleep is involved but that’s another story.) I’ve been getting more and more into sewing lately. I’ve been making a lot of household things as I moved into a new place and have plans to try my hand at quilting as well.
BSDG – One of my favoritist yarns. I’m knitting a cardigan in their Dusty Clover colorway right now myself!
Hm… I don’t think it’s odd (because it doesn’t seem odd to me!), but I ride long-distance horse races. Surprisingly, I do know a lot of people who do that as well, but maybe it’s because we are all in that particular little niche?
I tend to have knitting “mojo” in the colder months. But when the yard gets green, I focus more on my gardens and knit a lot less.
I was happy to see a plant swap group in Ravelry so I know I’m not the only knitting gardener.
I love to knit but I also love to cook and create recipes, however my brother and sister are very picky so I don’t get to try as many new recipes as I’d like because only me and my mom would eat it. I’m trying to take up spinning my own yarn too.
let’s see…running is at the top of the list. i also LOVE cooking and baking, surfing, camping, hiking, anything outdoorsy (btw, i find that a pair of socks on circular needles is the perfect knitting project for just about any camping/back-packing trip).
Hmm… sometime I would read some books too when i feel like taking a break from my handicrafts hobbies like knitting n beads 🙂
Hobbies? Other than knitting, I have always designed and made my own clothes. I also play electronic keyboard, and occasionally clarinet and saxophone. Also love listening to beautiful music. (not the loud noisy kind)
No exciting hobbies. I love to read but I pretty sure that is not considered exciting. I always had a book in my hands until I started knitting. Now I have to divide my loves. lol
On a totally other topic…because you are the such an avid sweater knitter and give awesome reviews of the yarns is there any way you could give a little review of how the yarns are holding up in general and/or in comparison to each other? You know, since you have so much spare time? rofl (from one remodel-er to another)
Hmm hobbies, lets see. Knitting is the main one, photography, horse-riding, sewing, trawling charity shops, reading, baking, about to learn to croceht and will eventually add playing my guitar to the list. Oh and I enjoy nature but that’s part of my job so isn’t really classed as a hobby.
Socks are looking good. I’m working on my first pair of cuff downs. I’ve already done toe ups and they’re easy peasy once you know how : )