I often hear people complain of being bored and my first thoughts are “what are their hobbies?” and “do they have any hobbies?” Those with an abundance of hobbies are more concerned with a lack of available time than with boredom. A good hobby can become all consuming and may even help to financially support a family in tough financial climates. When I was young and my father couldn't find work in his field he did minor renovations for people in the neighbourhood. Had he not had excellent carpentry skills the time between jobs would have been far more challenging, both financially and psychologically. And there are so many hobbies out there, but I personally have a preference for something that entertains and leaves me with a finished product. As such I knit, quilt, bead, sew, do needlework and am learning to spin! As the holiday season approaches these hobbies stand me in good stead to have gifts ready for my family and friends.
A few months ago, my family was in a craft shop and the non-crafty one said “I can't believe they already have stuff for Christmas out!” Yet to me that seemed perfectly normal, if you do any sort of craft, be it needlework, woodworking, stained glass or any of the myriad of other crafts out there you know that considering the time involved you have to start early. If things are to be completed by the holiday season careful planning is in order and ideas presented in August have a far better chance of being made than those that tempt us in November. In fact, the later they surface in November the more likely they are to be delegated to the “well, maybe next year” pile. A pile which may mysteriously disappear as others “clean up” the house.
While there is the time sensitive nature of projects around this time of year, there's also the dream that “while I'm on holiday I'll have time to do _______________.” I know, I fall in to this category of thinking and truly believe that over the holiday I'll have lots of time to finish some WIPs (Works in Progress) and start (and complete) some great new projects. I think the key here (and I'm really trying to believe this) is to enjoy the time you have.
Whether you're ready to find a new love or rekindle an old one the library has a wide variety of titles for hobbyists and crafters of all stripes. And if you don't have time to complete a project sometimes it's nice to read fiction that encompasses your hobby. The following is just a tiny part of our collection for hobbyists and crafters. Unfortunately there is not enough room to give a feeling of the full breadth of our collection.
For the woodworker:
Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools by Lonnie Bird
Furniture You Can Build: Projects to Hone Your Skills by Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
Wreck the Halls: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery by Sarah Graves
Canadian Home Workshop (magazine)
Wood (magazine)
For the needlecrafter:
Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas
2001 Cross stitch Designs: The Essential Reference Book
Leslie Linsley's New Weekend Quilts: 25 Quick and Easy Quilting Projects You Can Complete in a Weekend
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
Vogue Knitting (magazine)
McCall's Quilting (magazine)
We also have materials on such a variety of topics as stained glass (e.g. Stained Glass Exploring New Techniques and New Materials), scrapbooking (Scrapbook Tips & Techniques), sewing (Sew Basic: 34 Essential Skills for Sewing with Confidence), and so many more. Please come in and get creating!
Ruth Hamlin-Douglas, Children's and Youth Services Librarian at the Brodie Resource Library –
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