A Productive Hobby

February 2, 2013 3:28 AM

I need a new hobby but it has to be something that produces something useful/cool and/or teaches a useful skill.

I need to relax but I hate just doing nothing/pointless things.

Requirements:

Doesn't cost a lot of money (at least ongoing costs, OK with a moderate amount of setup costs for equipment/tools)
Doesn't require a lot of space, either to do or to store all the stuff
Doesn't make a lot of mess
Nothing too fiddly
No food (I love to bake but baking leads to cake which leads to fat asses)
Nothing sporty - I do archery but that's only at scheduled times not something I can flop in front of the TV with when I want to chill
No computers - I work all day at a computer and most of my other hobbies use the computer too

I used to do chainmaille but the parts are hard to get over here and they're expensive (and I'm always misplacing my pliers!), then I did wire wrapping but the cost of materials got really high plus I already have loads of jewellery now and I'm creatively tapped out on that, they're all starting to look the same

I'm looking for something I can just chill out with on the sofa, in front of the TV for an hour or so a day, maybe more on weekends but doesn't produce a load of pointless crap.

posted by missmagenta to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (23 answers total)

Is knitting too obvious? Knitting! Nice cozy materials, produces Useful Hats and things, super-friendly community.
posted by Erasmouse at 3:45 AM on February 2, 2013 [7 favorites]

Best answer: May I suggest lace making? In particular filet crochet?

Doesn't cost a lot of money - A hook and ball of thread is <> Doesn't require a lot of space - I use a plastic A4 pocket to store things (hook, thread, pattern)
Doesn't make a lot of mess - Just keep your hands clean ;)
Nothing too fiddly - Lace looks so fiddly, but you can get by with two stitches (filet crochet)
No food - :)
Nothing sporty - :)
No computers - I took up lace making to get away from the computer. Ravelry is a great resource, but it's lovely to print out a chart and squirrel away in a corner for hours.
posted by Chorus at 4:15 AM on February 2, 2013

Response by poster: I'll admit I meant to exclude knitting and crocheting because I don't have much use for knitted goods. But your lace crochet idea has me intrigued. Do you have any suggestions for resources for total beginners?
posted by missmagenta at 5:29 AM on February 2, 2013

Sounds like the perfect time to learn guitar. More on the "teaching a useful skill" side than "producing useful objects" side.
posted by escabeche at 5:34 AM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I used to play guitar, should have mentioned that. I suck at all things musical
posted by missmagenta at 5:52 AM on February 2, 2013

My sister took up basket making as a nights-and-weekends hobby, and now she makes a bit of extra money selling her baskets. I think it meets all of your criteria (depending on what "too fiddly" means.) All of her supplies fit within a few cheese boxes that stack neatly in the corner.
posted by usonian at 6:08 AM on February 2, 2013

Ikebana or Bonsai.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:14 AM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Paracord projects. Easy Paracord projects.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:27 AM on February 2, 2013 [5 favorites]

Best answer: If you don't have any use for knitted/crochet items, there are charities that distribute hats for newborns or very small hospitalized infants. (Their heads get cold). Bonus on the infant hats-- they are very small, so you could easily finish one or more in an evening once you get the hang of it.
posted by tuesdayschild at 6:33 AM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]

Quilting? Not necessarily piecing together a quilt top which requires more space, but just taking a solid top and bottom and quilting them by hand. Hand-quilting can produce all kinds of cool patterns, and it takes a long time so you won't be churning out a quilt every week.
posted by payoto at 6:36 AM on February 2, 2013 [3 favorites]

I recently returned to doing Amish-style quilting (all by hand, solid colors only) after a 15-year hiatus, and I am totally enamored of it. It's easy to learn, relaxing, and spiritually uplifting (IMO). A full-size bed quilt is a bit daunting, and difficult to carry around (I like to work on things during my lunch break at work), so I'm currently sticking to quilted covers for sofa throw pillows. Not a lot of materials or a lot of expense, produces a beautiful end product (everyone I've given one to loves it), and what I like best about it is that it invites creative input from the crafter, unlike, say, cross-stitch which is stultifyingly repetitive. I vary the stitching design with each pillow.
posted by RRgal at 6:47 AM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Drawing? You don't have to have huge amounts of time or talent. As far as not producing pointless crap, I'm not sure if this passes your test or not.
posted by wolfgirl at 6:58 AM on February 2, 2013

IME no matter what you do, once you do it long enough you have a boatload of crap. (Mine is pretty elaborate, and I still have a boatload.) One thing to do is to have some sort of drain to get rid of it. Make something consumable, sell-able, expensive to buy but cheap to make. Plan, in advance, who you are making it for, perhaps?
posted by FauxScot at 7:07 AM on February 2, 2013

Crochet amigurumi? You only need a g-hook, some cheap acrylic yarn, some stitch markers, a little embroidery floss, and a darning needle. The things you make are cute and small, and you can avoid ending up with a big pile of them by giving them away. Kids love them, and so do grown-ups. People think it's a lot harder than it is so they will be disproportionately impressed with you. I have been doing amigurumi for not quite a year and really enjoy it.

You do build a yarn stash that needs to be stored, unless you use the same three colors over and over. I have one good-sized bin of yarn.
posted by not that girl at 7:17 AM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]

Along the same lines as knitting, but slightly different -- can I suggest spinning yarn? It's very easy and cheap to start ($25 should buy you a "learn to drop spindle" kit complete with starter wool), and if you choose spindles over spinning wheels, doesn't take a lot of space or expense. Spindling is a little slower than a wheel, too, in terms of production, so a little raw material will last a while. If you don't have anything to do with all the yarn you make, all the knitters and crocheters in your life will be happy to whisk it off your hands (even the crummy stuff you make at first when you're learning -- that's "art yarn."). It's moderately portable; I've taken a spindle to work and knit nights in bars. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't really require a whole lot of attention, so it's totally camp-out-in-front-of-the-TV stuff. Plus, it's basically a continuing learning path; you start out just trying to get something even and not lumpy, and after a little while you figure out that there is basically an infinite variety of techniques, materials, or types of yarn to play with. And you can get all kinds of howtos on YouTube, so it's easy enough to do that if you don't want to take a class or no one in your area offers one.

(Warning: cheap to start doesn't mean it stays that way, mostly if you decide to go the spinning wheel route or start stockpiling wool against the apocalypse. Wheels are amazing and wonderful and fun and big giant whirly money vacuums, and never go to a fiber fair if you are susceptible to "ooooh, pretty." On the bright side, you'll be the person who has a marketable skill after the apocalypse!)
posted by sldownard at 7:23 AM on February 2, 2013 [4 favorites]

Learn how to play go, and then pick up an inexpensive set at YMI
posted by rebent at 8:22 AM on February 2, 2013

I second drawing, or perhaps calligraphy. Super portable, inexpensive, and you don't have to worry about what to do with all the things you've made.

I don't generally recommend knitting for someone who wants a cheap hobby, but if you're considering it, you might want to look at knitting socks. Socks are about the most portable, practical, and cost-effective things to knit, and you can make them simple or elaborate.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:30 AM on February 2, 2013 [2 favorites]

I have found that playing guitar is very rewarding and a decent acoustic guitar won't break the bank.
posted by zzazazz at 8:35 AM on February 2, 2013

If you are spiritually inclined at all, you could knit or crochet prayer shawls. You could give them to friends and family who are having a rough time, or donate them to local churches that have a prayer shawl ministry.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:16 AM on February 2, 2013

Needle felting. Initial outlay of $125 (CAN) bought me the tools and materials to last a very long time (couple of years likely). It is not nearly as difficult to do as the completed items appear.

Some photos of amazing Needle Felting. There are excellent tutorials available online.

It's a "do anywhere" hobby that fits all of your criteria. I thought it might feel too "fiddly" until you said you did wire wrapping and chainmail -- it's less so than those things. Bonus: Needle felted items are very sellable, and also make awesome gifts.
posted by batikrose at 11:21 AM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Embroidery? You can decorate all sports of useful things. Right now I'm repairing one of my great grandmothers quilts, embroidering weak areas, replacing and hand stitching in missing patches. I can do this happily while listening to Radio Lab or watching TV...
posted by jrobin276 at 2:18 PM on February 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Nthing needle felting. But my start up costs were under 20 euros. You need about 4 barbed needles of varying gauges (34-40), some wool (hand washed is much easier to felt with, I've discovered), and a thick dense foam mat. The you just poke the wool into varying shapes and patterns. I made a little Santa Claus doll this past Christmas. I didn't need a pattern or anything; I just poked the wool a bijillion times until it was in the shape of a coat, then did a beard, red, hat, black shoes, and face. Very easy and satisfying!
posted by fruitopia at 3:09 PM on February 2, 2013

Things I like to do in front of the TV/on the couch:
-Knitting -- so therapeutic and satisfying!!

-Origami great for decorating, or giving it to people as a card or little presents for co-workers

-Reading fun things (even if they are trashy and low brow) e.g. beauty magazines,

-Couch yoga

-Catching up with friends on the phone

-Grooming e.g. waxing legs, moisturizing, filing nails, or doing a face mask is relaxing and kind of productive

All fun and relaxing! And some tips on becoming a relaxation veteran:
-taking a bath or shower first
-having music in the background
-lighting up nice candles
-guided meditations from mental health foundation are fun to do and take you away to perfect holiday beaches
-having water or tea around so you are hydrated
posted by dinosaurprincess at 7:00 AM on February 3, 2013