I do needlepoint and cross stitch. Also refinish and paint furniture on occasion.

I studied to become a silversmith and I now have a nice jewelry business. I started this when I retired because I wanted to something creative. It’s been a great way to meet people because my customers are mostly my age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knitting, sewing, refinishing furniture, canning (hot water canning - no pressure canning for me!) and fermenting. Homemade sauerkraut is the best!

If I didn’t have a full time job, I’d totally be one of those homesteaders, growing my own food, etc. When I retire, I want to move somewhere where I can have chickens and maybe a goat.

I would like to be your friend. And I’d like to learn to make sauerkraut. I am PA Dutch and love to eat it, it have never tried making it. I’m a little afraid of the safety issue. I’d love to can— jams and pickles only, no pressure canning here, either.

Just curious, why no pressure canning for you all?
I do water baths for jams and pickles but pressure can almost all the vegetables. I'm not a homesteader because I live in the city and have a FT job. But I do keep birds and never have to buy eggs. I grow about 50% of our produce from our plot in the community garden. I have a goat share, where I contribute to the goat's food and watch her for a week in the summer so the owner can go on vacation. From her, I make cheeses and soaps.

I am the responder, and for me it’s just concerns about food safety. And there is much I really want to can that requires pressure canning. The safety issues keep my canning pretty limited. For example, I grow a lot of tomatoes and make my own sauce, but I freeze it because I like my sauce with onion and garlic, and the recipes I’ve seen don’t include that and say not to deviate in any way. So I just freeze my sauce. I might be too conservative, but I’d hate to be wrong!

I make really elaborate 3D cakes and gingerbread houses. I enjoy the engineering challenge and creativity of it. I look at things on the internet for inspiration but totally customize based on my whims and the person/occasion I’m baking for. Part of the appeal to me is that they are destined for destruction - it’s okay if they’re imperfect or structurally unsound (even my disasters serve the purpose of bringing joyful conversation to a gathering!) and they don’t create clutter. Also dabble in fun shaped pretzels, painted cookies, and other creative cooking.

Anonymous wrote:I knit. I absolutely adore it. I travel for knitting events (Vogue Knits Live in NYC, MD or NY Sheep and Wool, meet ups, etc.) I even went to Iceland on a knitting and hiking retreat.

I love knowing or meeting the animals where the wool comes from. I love the heritage and history of the craft. I love that it's majority women small businesses. I love the colors and the textures. I think I actually like the process more than the outcome, although I have some sweaters that I adore.

It's not a cheap hobby, since I tend to buy hand dyed yarn (meaning a sweater's worth of yarn can be $250 and up), but it brings me so much joy. It's a total creative outlet.

Wow I love this!

If I had a choice, I’d go for witch craft.

Short of that I settle for a little quilting and baking experiments.

Anonymous wrote:I love knitting and crocheting, but I don't have a need for more blankets or scarves and anything more complicated stressed me out these days. I switched to doing embroidery as a result, and I love doing small wall-hangings as decoration.

I would like to get into needlepoint (have one project I've started), but the expense of finishing is daunting. I may learn how to self-finish some day, but no time at the moment and no money to pay someone to finish it for me!

Me neither so I crochet baby blankets to give to Project Linus. I enjoy the making process and then feel good to give them away. https://www.projectlinus.org/

Anonymous wrote:I do a variety of fiber arts. I spin yarn, knit, weave and needle felt. I find weaving the most therapeutic because of the repetition.

I'm also a weaver. I like it because it's easy to pick up (I weave on a frame loom) and the repetition is relaxing. Highly recommended!

Love knitting. Started 1.5 years ago, self taught. Joined a knitting in pubs club of mid 40s knitters. LOVE the feel of many yarns, love being able to make fabric. Love how much goes into each stitch. Love that my chihuahua always seeks out my knits to sleep on. It's portable and there are so many things to learn but you can make something perfectly great using just basics.

Yes I spend $$$ on yarn to make things I probably wouldn't spend $ on in store, but custom fit and beauty if the exact colors I want = no regrets.

I tried diamond dots and barely made it an inch by inch square. Tried cross stitch but found it a little to finicky for my liking. Wish I had started fiber arts when my grandma was still alive, would love to have had her be the one to teach me how to crochet.

I practice cursive writing often, read only physical copies of books and kind of feel knitting fits in the same area of things we need to keep alive because they have value far beyond their output.

I enjoy sewing and mainly do home dec type projects now. Think pillows and drapes. As my children got older, I took an upholstery class and I love seeing the transformation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Crochet is tacky.

So is being rude on the internet, but here we are

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knitting, sewing, refinishing furniture, canning (hot water canning - no pressure canning for me!) and fermenting. Homemade sauerkraut is the best!

If I didn’t have a full time job, I’d totally be one of those homesteaders, growing my own food, etc. When I retire, I want to move somewhere where I can have chickens and maybe a goat.

I would like to be your friend. And I’d like to learn to make sauerkraut. I am PA Dutch and love to eat it, it have never tried making it. I’m a little afraid of the safety issue. I’d love to can— jams and pickles only, no pressure canning here, either.

Just curious, why no pressure canning for you all?
I do water baths for jams and pickles but pressure can almost all the vegetables. I'm not a homesteader because I live in the city and have a FT job. But I do keep birds and never have to buy eggs. I grow about 50% of our produce from our plot in the community garden. I have a goat share, where I contribute to the goat's food and watch her for a week in the summer so the owner can go on vacation. From her, I make cheeses and soaps.

Making holiday ornaments, garlands and wood signs. I paint everything myself.

Anonymous wrote:Knitting, sewing, refinishing furniture, canning (hot water canning - no pressure canning for me!) and fermenting. Homemade sauerkraut is the best!

If I didn’t have a full time job, I’d totally be one of those homesteaders, growing my own food, etc. When I retire, I want to move somewhere where I can have chickens and maybe a goat.

I would like to be your friend. And I’d like to learn to make sauerkraut. I am PA Dutch and love to eat it, it have never tried making it. I’m a little afraid of the safety issue. I’d love to can— jams and pickles only, no pressure canning here, either.

Knitting and crochet. I can sew too but cannot at the moment - no space. Knitting and crochet can be done while watching TV, I've even read books while knitting. Fingers move automatically and I only to need to glance at it occasionally. Depends on the pattern, of course.