{SQT} So, what’s your hobby?

As a homemaker, I sometimes get stumped by the  “What do you do?” question. My standard response is usually “Oh, I’m retired!” with a laugh and a wink, but that’s more of a dodge than an answer. It might just be my personality but, “I run after small children and keep everyone fed and clothed” is accurate, though difficult to say without a good deal of snark… and it’s not the whole truth either. I have HOBBIES!

I’m continually jealous of people who have just one hobby. My husband Kyle, for instance, paints miniatures. He has a paint desk, with a paint lamp, paints, paint brushes, paint water, and a paint chair. And things to paint.* And that’s that. I, on the other hand have been picking up and dropping and picking up again and juggling and experimenting with and dropping and picking up again any number of hobbies from age 8 or so onward.** I have finally accepted that this is just a fact of life for me, and fortunately, Kyle understands that there will just be piles of “materials” for approximately 3 to 5 different crafts out in the open at all times. I like to think that this helps nurture creativity in the small humans as well as keeping me sane, but for the moment it falls short of the “blogging mom with a side business” ideal I apparently aspire to.

And now! A quick overview of my hobbies/crafting history:

1. Writing
   The written word is a deep and abiding love of mine. The meaning and the mechanics. So I’ve written poetry and attempted short stories and I’m blogging now, but I also love hand lettering and calligraphy. To the point of once doing a paleography “just for the fun of it”***. I’ve had a set of fountain pens for heavens knows how long and I have been trying my hand at brush lettering lately.
2. Sewing
   
   Aren’t they cute in their ridiculous Christmas outfits? I made my first dress in 2011 and wore it while wandering around Prague on our honeymoon. I cringe a little at the pictures now, knowing I could do a much better job, but I was really quite please with it and I’ve been making a few clothes here and there for various family members and friends. I’ve made a few quilts (3?) as well as various cushions/covers and bags.
3. Embroidery
   
   My grandma first taught me embroidery when I was very little and I keep coming back to it. I find it grounds me. There are few things more relaxing than re-watching Jane Austen movies while sipping tea and stitching. I also love how portable it is and how easy to put down and pick up it is. Musts with small children about. Above is a new little experiment with floral designs that I’ve designed with the intention of putting them in little tiny 1″ hoops.
4. Paper crafting
   This one definitely comes in phases. I’ve been trying my hand at keeping the house cheerily decorated with cute paper banners in addition to making cards for special occasions, which has given me some extra outlet for it, but I gave that up for Lent. One less thing to distract. It’s been good, but I look forward to colourful bits of paper on the walls!
5. Baking
   
   This is the most consistent hobby/crafty thing I do. I love feeding people. I love trying new recipes.  I read cookbooks like novels. I pore over foodie magazines and spend hours staring at the bulk section of fancy grocery stores. The magic of
   Dough in // Pastries out
   amazes. me. every. single. time.
6. Gardening
   
   I am a big fan of the *idea* of gardening. I’m a big fan of picking food in my garden. I am less of a fan of actually getting the work done. Thankfully the men in my life (the afore-mentionned husband and our son) do enjoy the work and are happy to be kicked out to work on the garden every so often. And of course it does rain outside sometimes, so on the whole outdoor plants fare better than indoor ones around me.
7. Crochet
   This is a new one! No pictures,  no projects yet, just ambitions and a class on Craftsy that I should go and work on now.

Don’t forget to check out everyone’s links at Kelly’s! I’ll try to pop in with some serious thoughts sometime during Holy Week, perhaps some bread making on Holy Thursday.

So, what’s your hobby?

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*There’s a bit more equipment than that, but you get the point…
** In case anyone was curious, I sewed clothes for those tiny keychain beanie babies we had in grade school. Oh, the 90s.
***Paleography is not “fun” it is HARD. It gives the most incredibly dreadful headaches. But then you realize you’re reading something that someone scribbled in a ledger 600 years ago, so it all makes up for it. Until you go out in the sunshine again and it burns your eyes…