Writer’s Workshop: Hobbies I’ve Tried (And Quit)
by Jenners • 03/01/2012 • Confessions, Lessons Learned, Writers Workshop • 52 Comments
- Link up every Thursday
It has been weeks since I’ve done Writer’s Workshop, but I’m trying to join in when I’m particularly inspired. This week, Prompt 1 spoke to me: Tell the story of trying to learn a new talent or hobby that you only pursued briefly. (inspired by writingfix.com)
The list of hobbies and talents that I have tried and quit are much longer than the ones I stuck with. In fact, you could argue that one of my hobbies is trying hobbies and then quitting them (usually after an annoyingly large expenditure of money on materials). It is one of the (many) things about me that annoys Mr. Jenners. Here is a (probably incomplete) list of hobbies I’ve taken up … only to put down within days or weeks.
- Knitting — lasted two weeks total. I had my grandmother teach me to knit three different times, and it didn’t stick any of those times. I managed to complete a hat that had several large holes in it. The yarn I used was a rather unfortunate choice of turquoise and army green mixed together. Really awful. End Result: Ugly, holey hat
- Scrapbooking — lasted one month. After my son was born, I decided (out of the blue) that I would be a scrapbooker and document his life in a series of charming and creative scrapbooks. I invested a rather large sum of money in pricey scrapbooking stuff (including a little machine that lets you cut out your own letters). I created exactly three scrapbooks. My son’s scrapbook only goes to four months before being abandoned. End Result: Three scrapbooks (two for vacations and an unfinished one documenting my son’s first year of life … minus 6 months)
- Cross-stitching — lasted one week. For unknown reasons, I randomly decided to try my hand at cross-stitching (the counted kind and the non-counted kind). Both were utter failures as I grew confused (counting kind), got bored, and poked my finger too much. End Result: Two unfinished cross-stitches
- Punch Needle — lasted one week. After the failure of cross-stitching, I decided to try the punch needle, which looked easier and less painful. One agonizing week later, my punch needle career drew to a close. End Result: The punch needle project below, which I had the gall to give to my sister-in-law as a birthday present. Just what everyone wants—a shoddy homemade craft!
Does that cat have mange?
- Quilting — lasted one day. I adore homemade quilts and seeing the quilts that people make themselves. So I decided I would give quilting a try. I got a book on quilting for beginners. After paging through it, I decided that quilting was beyond me. End Result: One book on quilting
- Sewing — still appears sporadically. In a fit of insanity, I decided I would learn to sew with the goals of sewing clothes for my son. (Are you just dying laughing at this hubris!?) Mr. Jenners allowed me to purchase a (cheap) sewing machine. (He was learning at this point.) My first project was pillowcases, which actually came out OK. So I made another set. I got brave and bought a kit to make a book for my son out of fabric. It came out somewhat OK, although it highlighted my inability to sew in a straight line. I got a pattern to make shorts for my son. It was too confusing. Since then, I limit my sewing to (poorly) hemming pants. Also, it still takes me at least 45 minutes to thread the sewing machine each time I use it. (For the life of me, I cannot raise the bobbin thread.) End Result: Four pillowcases, a fabric book and some (shoddily) hemmed pants
- Ribbon Craft — 45 minutes. I saw a craft in one of those magazines that Lowes sends out that seemed so easy. It involved gluing ribbons around a little flower-pot to decorate it. End Result: See below. It looks like a monkey made it.
Look at the workmanship!!
- Gardening — one year. When we moved into our house, I decided I would plant a perennial garden in the front. I spent almost $250 on plants. The garden bloomed and looked nice the first year. The second year, everything grew back but 10x bigger. Things got out of control and unruly. The third year, I was pulling stuff out left and right. The fourth year, I grew tired of the garden and its wild unruliness. I still haven’t done anything about it except for pull most of the plants that were driving me crazy. End Result: A poorly maintained perennial garden that aggravates me whenever I see it but that won’t die
My perennial garden in full bloom (slightly out of control)
- Container Gardening — one season. Last year, I decided to try growing tomatoes and strawberries in containers on the back deck. End Result: 6 cherry tomatoes
- Writing Children’s Books — 1 hour. With my mom’s encouragement, I got all riled up about writing (and illustrating, despite a lack of drawing ability) children’s books. End Result: I got a book on writing children’s books
- Organic Dog Food Biscuit Company — 45 minutes. A lady who ran her own organic dog food biscuit company inspired me to create one of my own. I was all set on doing it and even Googled some recipes before realizing I didn’t feel like baking 100s of dog biscuits on a regular basis. End Result: One organic dog food biscuit recipe printed from the web
- Web Design — two weeks. I decided I would teach myself web design and start a web design company for little companies who have crappy web sites. I bought a program (Microsoft Expression) and a book to teach it to me. I got through two weeks of lessons before losing interest. End Result: Wherever I got in the two weeks of lessons
I’m sure I’m forgetting some of my forays into various hobbies. (And, no, Mr. Jenners, I don’t need you to remind me of them.) In the end, the only two hobbies that have lasted any length of time are reading (lifelong) and blogging (3+ years now). But you know, I’ve been thinking at trying my hand at mosaics…
That is a truly impressive list!
Love it! I am much worse than you because I invest a lot more time before I quit. Like, I have two different counted cross stitch thingies — one is about 98% done and the other is about 75% done and I’ve stopped. Don’t ask me why. I just didn’t finish them even though I put in months of work and they look pretty good! I guess I’m more interested in the process than the finished product. And I have a very expensive sewing machine and have never even used it once. Luckily, my mom uses it almost every time she comes here for a visit.
(And I totally have thought about a baking business and came to the exact same conclusion — except I also realized that you have to bake at like 4am to have stuff ready each day. No way.)
That is odd that you’re stopping so close to finishing … and having good results. And I think I’m way too lazy to ever be a baker. (Or a small business owner for that matter.)
Oh, Jenners….you are just too funny! I’ve actually tried a lot of the hobbies that you gave up on. Well, except for the gardening stuff (since everything just dies) and the dog biscuit thing. I really like doing all those other stuff though. I think I have the opposite problem though. I get so distracted with wanting to do a new sewing project or a knitting project and so on that I keep having a lot of unfinished projects waiting for me to complete. Then when I remember, I get all excited again only to have the cycle repeat itself. Yea, Jason’s not too happy about this habit of mine…mostly because I won’t just pick one hobby and stick to it
Btw, it’s been a while since I visited so it’s my first time seeing the new blog design. I like it
I died laughing through this whole thing. Wowie hahahaha. Thank you for that. I needed it.
Glad to provide you with a good laugh! : )
These are much quieter than when I took up oboe playing. Yeah, hubby did not much appreciate that one but he was supportive especially when I learned to play our special song “Moon River” for him as a Valentine’s Day gift.
I’d say for each of my successful craft projects there are at least 2-3 unsuccessful ones. I often wonderful if my family members dread receiving gifts from me since sometimes they are less than perfect. Oh well – thought that counts, right?
H to the I to the LARIOUS!!!!
I am dying over that ribbon pot creation!!!!
This? Is why I love you. Because oh my god, the contents of the office closet are an embarrassment to my inability to stay on any one hobby [besides reading and blogging and twitter] and also why my kid is going to have to suck it when it comes to college.
I feel your pain, Jenners. One day on a whim, I watched a craft show about wrapping styrofoam balls with embroidery floss. The lovely Japanese lady said it was a traditional craft. Looked so beautiful I immediately sent in an order for her @25.00 book. Needless to say, the now 20+ year book is STILL sitting on the bottom shelf of my night table.
So many of your commenters are right – you have a true gift for making people laugh. The “monkey” made it flower pot fractured me!
Loved your post, Jenners! You really love life and have experimented with so many things! Your garden loves you and I hope that you can fall in love with it again. I wanted to try gardening and bought a beautiful book on it – the book is still on my shelf and I haven’t done anything with it, including reading it. Another thing I wanted to try was learn Tai Chi – I saw some Chinese friends doing it and they were really awesome and I wanted to do it myself (how we dream). Got a book on it and called a Tai Chi teacher to find about the class schedule – now we can all predict what happened – the book still lies unopened. I also wanted to improve my cooking skills and tried my hand at it. It wasn’t bad – I progressed a bit and I didn’t buy a book but asked friends and others for recipes and tried them – but I need to do it more regularly. I still hope that I will get somewhere with these three hobbies. I also hope to write some poetry some day. Reading and blogging have stayed with me and I am glad for that.
Cross-stitch, sewing, and scrapbooking have been fleeting hobbies for me too. And there was one winter I decided to take up knitting. It lasted only as long as the train journey from home back to boarding school. That entire train trip was spent drinking tea, knitting, and staring out the window. And though I decided to start knitting again this winter I haven’t done more than buy the wool.
I like your list! And your garden is so pretty!
But I LIKE your garden. Our back yard is rocked in. And our front yard is trees and wood chips and rocks. My thoughts on gardening are that I’d rather be reading.
Very nice. My favorite is “ribbon craft” because, like, what would you do if you got really good at it? Wrap trees?
Quilting’s easy. If you ever move to Portland I’ll teach you.
And I actually like your garden in that picture….
Oh I am so going to take you up on that offer to learn quilting one day. I’ll be out for a month so that It really sticks. You’ll be amazed at my inability to do simple things. It astounds the mind.
And the point of the ribbon craft is “MORE RIBBON CRAFTS.” Or perhaps wrapping houses in tyvek. (Artistically of Course.)
By the Way, can you tell me if you get this response to your comment in an e-mail. I’m testing something on my blog.
How are you.
Ok – after reading this post and wiping away the tears of laughter – I definitely think you should stick with writing about life to help others (like myself) not take it so seriously. You have a real gift
You had me cracking up on this one. I too enjoy starting things that I never finish. Lol. I do love to knit and crochet though and have kept them up. Sewing though is a complete lost cause and I limit myself to buttons (of which I typically lose a few fingertips) and hemming pants if I absolutely have to. Reading and blogging are much safer and much more enjoyable!
Har har har….loved this post! At least you try new things. Your garden doesn’t look all that bad, by the way.
love this post! How brave of you to tell us, I don’t think I could do it.
So many wonderful hobbies to quit! I haven’t scrapbooked in ages…but I did just start quilting. So far, so good. My knitting project…not so good.
I’m so sorry…but that ribbon project looks terrible.
I have tried (and given up) on so many of these! Knitting, quilting, especially. I just don’t have the stick-to-it-ness to deal with them. I wish I did! I would love to whip up these beautiful handmade lovelies. I do occasionally crochet, but only because it is really, really easy and because you don’t need to be especially good to make baby hats. Alas!
I laughed out loud at the cat with mange caption.
oh my gosh, I just read the rest of this post
**tears are now streaming from laughing**
I never heard of Ribbon Craftsss lmbo
Jenners, you always crack me up! You’ve tried alot of crafts! That’s good though, at least you tried.
I tried also scrapbooking after my son was born and I really ended up disliking it. Alot.
I also tried the punchneedle thing too, god awful Elmo pattern result. I trashed it. I used to sew crooked a$$ pillowcases! lol…it was the strangest phase I went through. I’d make then and give them as gifts!
And then, I found a crochet hook and some yarn and the rest is history
lol about your garden!!! hahaha!!!
I love it!
At least you like to try new things! Congrats on that! I have never been a stick-to-it kinda gal. Girl Scouts – 6 month, after acquiring all the gear! Student Council (1) year; knitting – ugh – not for me; and well cooking (let’s not even go there).
Yeah…that’s about how long my hobbies last too. Unless they’re the sort of hobby that I do obsessively for 6 months and then abandon with disgust never to look at again since I overdid it…
I love that you shared photos! I’ve tried and given up on: scrapbooking, sewing, crocheting, watercolor paints, and cross-stitching. The only reason I haven’t given up on cooking is out of necessity. I bought this awesome pair of dress pants this week on clearance for $5. The only problem is they are about a foot too long for me – otherwise they fit perfectly. So now we see how long the pants sit on my dresser before I get up the courage to try to hem them myself (something I’ve never attempted via sewing before – I’ve used this magic hem tape in the past, but it didn’t look great, so not using that again). Maybe I could just get really tall boots?
Loved this post and that flowerpot is something. I think you should document the mosaic adventure. I could feature you on hump day craft posts….
I’m sorry but the cat’s mange made me laugh out loud
I bought an old sewing machine from a friend and tried a quilting class through the newcomers group. I had to have the teacher (a very nice friend) come over twice to help me get the machine working. When I couldn’t get it to work for me the third time I decided that the machine and quilting weren’t for me 
I do still have the material and the few squares I managed to get done. Someday…maybe I’ll give them to someone else to finish!
You are too funny, and oh so well-organized & with a fantastic memory to keep up with all you’ve started, stopped, and length of time! I’m with you head-to-head with your list minus the determined length of time – Who knows for me! And part of my problem too is that I don’t even know when to give up – I’m still buying scrapbook stuff for my grandson’s book that is lying empty on my closet floor!
Haha!! This is great! I love that you still keep trying new hobbies. I gave up on stuff like that long ago because the end results were always disastrous. When people ask me about hobbies I tell them I read and go to the beach. That’s it. I am so very untalented and don’t have the umph to try for anything else!
Well, at least you have tried a lot of things! Since you like reading, I invite you to visit our book blog at http://www.ourstack.blogspot.com. Three years of blogging is good.
I did this prompt too: I did this prompt too: http://www.zemeks.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-short-lived-hobby-writers-workshop.html
I don’t have a long attention span and loose interest in hobbies..not as fast as many of yours, granted…
I’ve definitely dabbled and drifted myself. Knitting never stuck for me, but cross-stitch worked for years until the carpal tunnel kicked in.
The one thing that has stuck is scrapbooking. I have about 20 big albums. Since I moved I haven’t done any yet, mostly since I don’t have space in this tiny shack.
I’m glad I haven’t given up on quite as many things as you have though!
My brother does mosaic and stained glass windows- so pretty. Oh maybe I shouldn’t say that- Mr. Jenners may not be happy with me
I love that you’ve tried or thought about trying so many things! I’ve tried a number of these myself and have finally settled on reading and blogging as my main hobbies. I guess I can count golf too but I am so bad at it that I really shouldn’t. I make a good caddy though!
Another thought…. maybe you and Mr. Jenners should try a hobby together. My husband and I tried our hand at beer making some years ago. It didn’t pan out into a long-term thing, but it was fun at first.
You had me laughing so hard with this! By my standards, your perennial garden looks pretty darn good.
I tried a couple of these and actually had success (did counted cross-stitch for years until I ran out of people to give my projects to…and walls to hang mine on). Now, should I share a couple of mine in case you want to try them, too? How about beekeeping? (I have the course, but never loaded it into my computer.) Or maybe writing your life history? (I’ve started, but can’t find the time to keep it up. I just keep hoping I don’t die before I get back to it since it’s really a great project and not that hard using the wonderful guidebook I have.)
Oh, I think we are twins. I got into a lot of this stuff too, with many of the same results, except scrapbooking, which I stuck with for two years, and invested hundreds of dollars in. Now I have one completed album, and a garage full of stuff (including a Cricket and many cartridges) that just sits there and gathers dust. At least I got an album out of it, but I can’t believe how much money I spent on little paper flowers and ribbons. I will not even tell you my knitting story, as it’s even more embarrassing!
I agree with Lady Fi that I would stay away with hobbies focused on needles. Never was good for me either. I had a knitting fascination for about a month. Lots of weird length scarves around here.
Great post Jenners!
Mowhahaha!
Have you noticed how you can’t finish anything involving needles!?
You are too funny, Mrs. J.!
I have lots of crafts books too and if I had the time to actually try anything in them I’d likely end up with a similar list. Saved by the bell!
I think your next project should be becoming a stand up comic, if this post is anything to go by you’d do really well at that.
Well at least you got a lot of books! BTW–I like your perrenial garden, I had a go at a perrenial garden but mine actually did die. I tried a lot of the same hobbies as you did with the same results, but I did stick with scrapbooking, sewing and quilting. When I was expecting my first child I decided to make a quilt doing the needle punch thing. I made 9 blocks–it took me 9 months to make the darn thing. The quilt turned out really cute but it was so hard to make and I wasn’t sure how all those little loops of embroidery floss would hold up in the wash so I never, ever used it. How silly is that! I know one hobby you definitley succeeded at–blogging! I love reading your stuff.
I was inspired to make my own block printed Christmas cards after making some at a museum workshop (using blocks with pre-cut designs). So, I ordered supplies, only to discover that cutting the blocks was extremely difficult for me. Needless to say, I bought my cards that year.
Jenners, thank you for this very amusing post. The ribbon craft is my favorite! It’s great to try new things or hobbies, though. Luckily for us, you found that you are an expert at blogging.
Okay,that was so very, very real. I think the fact that you continue trying says what a positive, optimistic person you are. Right? Right? I mean, really, think of what a boring person you would be if you had not been a hobby dabbler. You could probably have a semi-coherent conversation with anybody about anything!
I tried a bunch of the same stuff. And when I think of the money wasted – cringe, cringe
What a great pick me up this morning! I want to know how your sister-in-law reacted when she opened her gift.
You have to try these things to find out if they’re gonna stick.
I feel like I should do my failed hobby inventory. You’re more committed than I am, I usually give up after having the initial thought.
You’re my hero.
I can always count on you to make me chuckle. Like you, reading and blogging, and maybe golf, has been the only thing that I’ve stuck with. I sold everything in my house on Ebay, then got tired of that. Working out comes and goes. Gardening is a joke…I just try to keep the vines from picking up me, the kids and the house, and carrying us off and eating us. Hey you know the way I look at it? You have an adventurous spirit! You don’t know what you are good at unless you try everything!
Hey, that cat doesn’t look too bad – if you’d said it was a cat but looked like a dinosaur, then that would have been a cause for a raised eyebrow.
And the “garden” looks lovely, I was actually imagining something more like Miss Havisham’s back garden but this is far from it.
Thanks for this hilarious post… I can so understand what you mean… I picked up flower-arranging (don’t know if this is the right word for it), baking and even gardening (while I live in an appartment).. And some other stuff. And just like you, the only hobbies I kept are reading and blogging (one year and a half) and experimenting with software-programs at the compter. I am glad to see I am not alone in this.