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Other Hobbies – Crochet

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We all have hobbies other than reading. Let’s face it, as much as we might like to, we can’t read all the time and sometimes, we just don’t feel like reading. I, like I’m sure everyone else does, have several other hobbies that I enjoy and spend time doing. Today I thought I would share one with you: crochet.

Growing up, I remember my mom always crocheting in the winter months. Usually, she made afghans. When I was a teenager, I finally had some interest in it and she taught me how to crochet. I recall making an afghan for my bed, though not much else.

Last year, around September, I fell into quite the reading slump and decided that I wanted to crochet again. A quick pinterest search showed me all kinds of things I could make. There were so many things I wanted to try. On a shopping trip, I was in the bookstore and came across an amazing book: A Crochet World of Creepy Creatures and Cryptids by Rikki Gustafson.

A quick flip through and I knew I had to have this book! My first few attempts were not the best, but as I’ve been doing more, I think my skills have improved. One of the first things I tried to make was a kitsune. To say that it didn’t turn out well is a bit of an understatement lol.

What do you think? Pretty terrible right?

Well, I have a friend who I discovered also like to do crochet and the two of us started to get together to make stuff. We’ve been working our way through the book and I think my stuff is starting to look much better.

I think this little zombie may be the best one I’ve done to date. My crochet has been pretty consistent for the most part in terms of tension. It was the sewing of the pieces together that made the finished product look terrible. My sewing skills have definitely improved which has make my crochet projects look much better on completion.

I also did some fun halloween projects where I made little ghosts and pumpkins. For christmas presents last year, I made people scarves and gloves.

I’ve branched out and tried making different things, experimenting with different stitches. It’s a fun hobby and a great way to keep both your mind and hands occupied.

What are some of your hobbies? Do you do any crochet? Let me know in the comments below!

Let’s Talk Bookish – Books on Vacation – June 17, 2022

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Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, and it’s where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! If you want to join in the bookish discussion fun, check out the June 2022 prompts!

BOOKS ON VACATION

(SUGGESTED BY FIVES @ DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE)
Prompts: What books do you like to bring on vacation? Do you bring any books at all? What kind of books do you think are good for a vacation? How much time do you usually have to read on vacation? What does an ideal vacation with a book look like?

For me, this all depends on where I’m going and who I’m going with. If I’m with my family, I know I’m not going to have a lot of time to spend by myself reading. It’s expected that the family will be together, playing board games or just chatting. I still bring a book (because of course I’m going to bring a book), usually the one I’m currently reading.

Now, if I happen to be going to a cabin on a lake with only one friend, a friend who is also a reader, I know I’m going to have much more time to myself and therefore time to read. In that case, I’ll bring the book I’m reading plus the next one in the series (because I’m always reading a trilogy or series) and maybe the one after as well depending on the length of the books.

I once went on a week long vacation with a friend to her family’s cabin on a lake. We’re book big readers. I brought an entire trilogy with me. I didn’t get through all the books because they were fairly long, but I know I polished off two of them. I remember coming back and continuing on with the third book and it felt like it took so long to get through that last book. I had to keep reminding myself that the amount of time I had to actually sit and read was much less than it was while on vacation. That week, I would literally wake, get dressed, walk down some stairs and I’d be at the lake side. I’d sit out there all day, either reading or swimming. I think I occasionally ate something too lol. That was a great vacation!