so after a long day when the house is quiet i usually sit down to watch an hour of tv (mostly dvr'd general hospitals lol) and i find that i'm not real great about just sitting and watching quietly. i like to have something to do with my hands. usually i end up on here :P no offense but after awhile i just really crave something more...substantial? i guess maybe that's the word. i spend all day on the computer at work, and on my down time, other than checking this site and facebook, i don't have much to do so i end up just bored and doing nothing, but still sitting in front of the stinking computer.
i do read as well, but that's not real feasible when watching tv. i usually save that for when i turn the tv off and am laying in bed almost ready to go to sleep.
i have started to teach myself cross stitch, which has gone "okay"...not great but not terrible. i'm not liking it "too" much just yet, but i am going to try stick with it.
my mom is getting into crocheting, so i don't really want to go that route.
mostly i am looking for something simple and easy to learn, but somewhat challenging, and that creates something really nice that people would appreciate (not like plastic canvas, or anything TOO simple!) also not too expensive to get into. and i would like it to be somewhat compact, nothing like scrapbooking which can take up a lot of room. cross stitch fits all my needs, but it's not thrilling me right now. i hope once i get better at it i will enjoy it more. is there anything else that might fit the bill?
thanks mamas!
thanks cat! macrame...good idea. i am googling now. (i love the macrame plant holders! :))
thanks everyone! a lot of good ideas to consider. thanks for not taking offense that i don't want to be on here ALL the time (haha!) love you guys!
Knitting is easy and mindless unless you want to be creative. Plus you can change it up with different sized and types of needles. I started when my daughter played soccer, it kept me busy enough that I didn't yell at the refs so much. :p
Hi Adansmama-
I do TONS of crafts...macrame is making a come back...and it really is just 'knot tying'...
I also knit...
Used to do 'crewel' work and candlewicking for pillows and stuff...
**candlewicking is sort of a series of knots on material that 'outline' an image...usually beige thread on muslin...french knots I think...very neutral...very pretty...and VERY mindless***
This day and age...google and you will find videos on it all!
Crocheting and 'tatting' are two all time favs...what is the trouble with your mom crocheting as well??
Best Luck!
michele/cat
I used to make jewelry and beading pre-kids. Think you can figure out why I stopped doing that LOL
I taught myself to knit. I have made so many things now! I can take it in the car, I even bought needles that have lighted tips so I could knit at night in the car. I was making scarves for presents one year when we had a ton of out of town family here and it gets so dark so early in the winter that I needed that time to get them all done. I would knit while my husband drove while we did our errand running or on our way to events with the family. I would leave it in the car when we were with the family otherwise I would take it with me. I got every scarf done that year by Xmas :)
I find it so satisfying to wear a hat and scarf I knitted and say I made this when I get a compliment on it :) The hat my daughter wore with her coming home outfit when she was born I knitted. I've made a lot of other things besides hats and scarves now too.
I really find it fun!
I like to do beading make jewelry. Nothing fancy but I have made necklaces earrings and bracelets that my mom has worn on trips. You can get most, if not all of your supplies at Walmart in their craft department among other places. Your initial investment may be a little more but then as you go getting the colored beads that you want doesn't cost a lot especially if they are having a sale. Michael's is another good place to get things There is also latch hook which consists of your canvas and bundles of yarn. Just a couple of ideas of things I enjoy and maybe you will too
I love to make bows for my daughter. Also, I'm a nerd, so I like to do Doctor Who crafts. I made my daughter an array of Doctor Who hair clips as well as some Dalek finger puppets out of felt. Felt is super fun to play with, one of my friends made little monsters out of felt for her son. You can sew the felt pieces together or hot glue. I sew, my friend hot glues.
I'm also really into costumes, for like the renaissance festival and stuff. (we go to the KC one every year, at least 2 times!) I made my daughter an awesome pirate costume for her first one, but she wants to be a fairy every year now. Last season I made my husband a super awesome pirate coat, and my next project is going to be a Codex costume for me (from the Guild).
Sometimes I go to Etsy and put in "doctor who" or "hair bows" and steal ideas from there to use for my own use, like the Doctor Who clippies/finger puppets. or just troll the internet. There's a cool livejournal group devoted to Doctor Who crafts, I even posted my River Song Nook cover on there. The internet is awesome for crafting ideas.
Have you thought about on line scrapbooking? I know it's more computer work, but it is more substantial than hovering around Mamapedia all night...not that I know anything about that! ;) Anyway it takes the time and fun of regular scrapbooking without all the mess! I do tons of on line books and it's really fun! It's a good distraction b/c there are so many options for each page that it really can turn into as big (or little) of a project as you want it to. I do year long books but I also did baby books for my kids on line and I've done books dedicated to vacations and holidays. You could easily do a summer book or something like that too. The best part is you can work on it for however long, save it and it stays in your account until you want to do it again. Check out Snapfish and Shutterfly.
I recently took a knitting class, and I enjoy doing that while I watch TV. I guess everyone on my Christmas list is getting a scarf this year, lol.
I make Sock Animals. IT IS SO MUCH FUN!!!
I got a book for Christmas and went crazy
You can find it on Amazon, it's called Socks Appeal.
Then I got Stray Sock Sewing,
and then Stray Sock Sewing TOO
You will never look at socks the same way!
I am a little obsessed! But it is so much fun!!
Good Luck and God Bless!
D.
I usually crochet while I watch TV. I make a ton of scarves since they usually don't require me to pay too much attention. I also take that time to fix buttons or sew things that have holes. Or I make cards for birthdays, pay some bills.
