Have you ever had a hobby that you once enjoyed, but then forgot? Have you learned something new, only to put it aside for a moment, and then your return to it takes years? That is exactly the experience I’ve had over the last week, and it’s reinforced my perspective a little on how I store and interact with hobbies. 

If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you know that I am a skill collector. I love trying out new things and finding new ways to do things. I’ve tried many forms of fiber arts – quilting, garment sewing, crochet, knitting, macrame, fabric dyeing, etc., and I tend to come back to them frequently, in a rotating fashion. I may not be feeling quilting this week, for example, but I’m loving crochet! For a long time, Chris told me that my “problem” was that I was splitting my attention across too many different hobbies to make actual progress in any of them, and since my time was very limited, I agreed, and I started the process of trying to whittle my way back down to quilting, with the occasional photography thrown in for good measure. (Not so spoiler alert: That was dumb!)

In fact, about 15 years ago, I decided that I was done with quilting, and sold everything I had – sewing machine, serger, notions. The only thing I held on to was my fabric stash, though without a machine, I have no idea why I didn’t donate the fabric to Goodwill. I spent the proceeds on some camera equipment, and attempted to move on. That lasted about six months, before I was buying another sewing machine. Before you say it, it is entirely possible that I’m insane, but  I digress. 

So it was little surprise to me this last week when, as I was recovering from a migraine and unable to do a lot, I started thinking about maybe picking up crochet again. In my mind, I had minimal skills in crochet and not a lot of talent for it. But you know, hope springs eternal and I figured that the worst that could happen is I’d make little swatches, rip them out and try again. I was certain that I had donated or given away all of my crochet yarn, hooks, etc., with the exception of maybe one or two hooks. I placed an order with Amazon for some new hooks, and started looking for any straggling equipment and supplies in my office. 

Imagine my surprise when I found an entire plastic storage container with the afghan throw I’d started a while back. I had forgotten about it completely. It’s just a single granny square, each round increasing the size of the throw. I love the colors in this afghan, so I definitely plan to finish it, now that I’ve found it again. Before I picked up the hook to work on the afghan, though, I wanted to practice a little so I could get comfortable with the hook and yarn movement. I decided to work with some Lily Sugar & Cream cotton yarn I had purchased for a weaving project a few years ago, but it was splitting so badly, I went to Michael’s and bought a couple of skeins of their cotton yarn. 

I started learning the even moss stitch so I could make a couple of dishcloths with the cotton, and I picked up the stitch fairly quickly, but I wasn’t a fan of the yarn. Cotton tends to feel very stiff and it doesn’t slide like silk, acrylic or wool does when you’re working it. Still, I managed to get a swatch made that I’ll use as a dishcloth. I had started with a chain of 40, but in subsequent iterations, I changed it to 30. 

ChatGPT has been very helpful in my quest to get my tension less “strangle the yarn” and more “relaxed retirement mode”. I was able to upload photos of the project to get feedback on whether my tension was too tight, and once I had it “loose enough”, to keep it there. The best part is, when ChatGPT annoys you, and you disagree, you can just ignore the advice. 🤣  When you don’t have someone who can help you in person, ChatGPT is a great resource to try to fix something like crochet tension. 

As you no doubt know, all yarn is not created equal. The Loops & Threads Classic Cotton yarn from Michael’s is workable, but I find it annoying in a slightly unforgiving “You shall have to work for every loop!” way. I found that the Hobby Lobby “I Love This Cotton!” yarn is much easier to use, and I immediately understood why so many crocheters recommend it. This yarn slides on the hook and through loops easily, and it made me want to continue to practice when the Michael’s yarn would have me throwing the project across the room in frustration.

I located an entire tote of yarn that I forgot I had, as well as several projects that were in progress. I had forgotten it, and apparently my skill level, because it was behind a recliner in my office, hidden from sight. I ordered an over the door yarn organizer and a project bag, and I put a couple of the WIP projects in the bag, and moved the rest of the yarn, as well as the cotton I found for weaving, into the organizer I hung on the back of the door in my studio. I know myself pretty well; I know that with the rediscovery of the hobby, I will likely acquire more supplies for it, which is why I put a yarn organizer in the studio instead of the office or even the bedroom. If it is in plain sight all the time, which it is in my studio,  I think I have a better chance of actually remembering that I can crochet, and I have a much better chance of using the supplies because I’ll see them frequently.

This last week made me wonder how often we start something – learning a new skill, making a quilt or afghan, or something entirely new – and then forget about it? Maybe we get busy with life – new job, new baby, divorce, death, home moves, etc., and something gets pushed aside without another thought. 

How many of us have begun digging through an old box, an attic or basement, and found the evidence of the hobby we once enjoyed or wanted to learn? 

I don’t think it’s just evidence of something we once did, it’s evidence of who we once were, and maybe, who we can be again. 

Have you forgotten a hobby you once enjoyed? Tell me about it in the comment section! Please tell me I’m not the only one!