Last year for Christmas, Meghan gave me a blank journal and a list of questions to answer....sort of a reflection on my life. Today, I'll answer the question, "what were your childhood hobbies?" (you can print your own list of questions from this file: Download Reflections.pdf )
Amazing isn't it, how children today are either bored to tears or programmed and lessoned and sported to the nth degree? When I think about growing up, I cannot recall a time when I was either too bored or too busy! Yet, I was satisfied with my free time, whether I spent it alone or with friends. I had hobbies.
Do today's children have hobbies? I really don't know. I don' t think of a hobby as being on a soccer team or at dance lessons....those activities that are after-school, lead by adults, group activities. I don' t think of playing video games as a hobby. A hobby is sort of an expression of our individuality, something we do to explore, learn and create as individuals.
When I was a kid, I had lots of hobbies. And they changed over time as I learned and explored and created (usually as a direct result of my hobbies!). From very early in my life, I was a reader. When I ran out of books from the school library, I would read the encyclopedia. In fact, my mother recently shared that my Dad was so concerned that I was reading so much, I should see a doctor! But as I read, I learned and asked questions, and tried out new things. I loved drawing and designing... even at a very young age, I would draw the images that I would see in a book. Out of that came the desire to create a three-dimensional something with my hands. My mother was a significant influence in helping me to develop hobbies. She taught me how to craft and sew. to cook and garden....prompting me to always try something new, and perfect what I was creating, to ask questions and set goals.
The expression of my hobbies was an expression of my imagination. I played with dolls, and rode my bike, built forts, sang all the parts in my favorite musicals...but invariably, in my mind, I was acting out a wonderful story or adventure along the way. I don't remember much television watching, yet I was never without something to do....as my parents' child, I was "strongly encouraged" not to be bored! If I thought I had nothing to do, I could always collect things...stones, pine cones, stamps, gum wrappers. Or rearrange my bedroom, or make dandelion jewelry.
Today? I'm never bored. Never. And I am still learning and creating and collecting. I still sew and cook, crochet and read, garden, decorate and sing. But most of my hobby time is spent knitting...now I collect yarn and create sweaters!
This is my newest creation. Remember, I knit this mostly on the road? Interesting that it came from the book by Nashua Handknits...Roadtrip.
The waist detailing is just lovely...it's a smocked knit ribbing.
This little cardi is knit with Classic Elite Classic Silk. The pattern is pretty straightforward, and I had to make very few modifications.
1.Shortened the depth of the armhole opening from 8 1/2 inches to about 8 inches.
2. Added a few extra increase rows to form the bust dart shaping.
This my friends, is where your childhood hobbies will lead you.
