Tactile hobbies

[FeralCat]

You sound like you enjoy precise work, so knitting could be fun for you: it takes practice to coordinate hand movements in order to have the even tension that produces attractive knitwork. Let us know how you like learning to knit.

I learned to knit as a teen: simple squares of plain "garter stitch", then knit/purl practice, moved on to scarves, caps, slippers, mittens, and sweaters. Hand arthritis has imposed some limits, but I hope I've got at least one more sweater in me. Knitting, for me, combines two satisfactions: the challenge of solving a puzzle using calculation skills and following precise directions, combined with the endless possibilities of creating something useful and beautiful for myself and others. Caps, mittens and scarves are often welcome as donations, at least in my four-season climate.

No one has mentioned mending as a way to keep hands occupied during television shows. Does anyone beside me mend these days--holes in favorite socks, buttons to re-attach, a small tear in a seam? I have sewn for decades and enjoy the precision required for neat stitches and sturdy repairs. Given how poorly made many textile products are today, even expensive "quality" items, mending is a useful skill.

It's rare for me to mend anything these days. You are correct that textile products are poorly made, but by the time one of my socks has developed a hole, the entire bottom of the sock is worn so thin there is no point in saving it. The quality of most materials used in clothing now make them completely disposable.

[3hrs]

How about making a rope hammock? You just need a simple netting shuttle and lightweight cord (seine twine), same as used in fishing nets. You can start with a simple hammock without the wooden end support bars. It's easy once you learn the knot. I've made one in a couple of weeks in my spare time. The hammocks without the support bars don't take much space and are easy to take camping, etc.

[Jfleisher]

How about small electronics projects? Stripping wires, breadboarding, LEDs

[PhoebeCoco]

I do origami also, it's a great hobby! I love transforming an ordinary sheet of paper into fantastic 3-dimensional shapes.

It would be hard to do while watching tv, though, because it requires a lot of looking at diagrams and/or Youtube videos, unless you are a very skilled origamist.

[Fat Tails]

As my mode of operation with most things in life is to try to stack benefits, here's my tactile hobbies.

First is firewood processing. We have forest land surrounding our house that's under a state program where we get a property tax cut for keeping the borders marked and taking firewood in a way to help the forest grow. So I'm assessing what needs to be cut. Storm damage, downed trees, dead trees, double trunk trees, leaners, trees competing with other trees. I take them down with a chain saw and cut them into firewood size. Load with a tractor bucket loader and trailer, use a log splitter to split them and pile them in piles by year. Most of the wood is oak, so it should be seasoned 2 years before using. We have a wood furnace in the basement hooked into our forced hot air system. I take a log sling and haul wood into the basement for the furnace and load it in to keep the fire going. I also process older pine. The difference being that I split it into stick sized pieces. These are used over paper as kindling to start the furnace first thing.

My second hobby is a combination of car work and metal work. I'll weld scrap metal into pieces needed for around the house or for protection under the Jeep as it's offroaded in the non-snow months. I'm no pro welder so I'm trying to learn as I go. I have welded here and there since the mid 70's so it's not new, I just don't do it a lot. Presently, my trailer has a rickety front and side rail setup and it's starting to fail. I plan to weld box steel scraps to start replacing the wood. The key is to make it stronger but also not too heavy.

Speaking of scrap, I also scrap electronics. I have a number of sources for old equipment and there's always the old computer system sitting in front of someone's house. I disassemble and box various categories of electronic scrap and also materials like copper, brass, aluminum and steel. When I have enough and am heading to where the electronic scrap yard or steel scrap yard is, I stop in and bring in the collected scrap. Unless I've got a catalytic converter or a lot of copper pipe, it tends to be tens of dollars. I know I'm making nothing per hour doing this but it's fun for me.

This is great! A true Boglehead set of hobbies.

[tm3]

Excellent thread. I second the idea of solving Rubik's cubes. Once you learn the algorithms it requires minimal mental energy but is very satisfying. Get a decent 3x3 speed cube with magnets such as the Moyu RS3M, and check out J Perm's YouTube video on the beginner's method to get started. If you like it, you can progress to fancier solving methods, different sized cubes, shape mods, etc. Check out speedcubeshop.com.

I may need to try lock picking for my next tactile hobby!

Pretty amazing. I would have never imagined.

[ironman]

I second fly-tying if you have any interest in fishing or know someone who does and needs a supply flies. Caution: it can be addictive!

[srouen]

If you want to learn to crochet, you could try these "Woobles" kits for beginners: https://thewoobles.com/ Each kit comes with video instructions and all the yarn and hook/other supplies for that projects, which you can use for other projects if you take to crochet.

[Hot Sauce]

Many of these hobbies seem like something that should wait until your no-go years. Until then, there’s a big world to see!

[rockstar]

Many of these hobbies seem like something that should wait until your no-go years. Until then, there’s a big world to see!

You can do both. But realize there isn’t a huge overlap across all hobbies. You won’t find the same people doing everything you enjoy. You’ll have different groups of friends.

[Hot Sauce]

Many of these hobbies seem like something that should wait until your no-go years. Until then, there’s a big world to see!

You can do both. But realize there isn’t a huge overlap across all hobbies. You won’t find the same people doing everything you enjoy. You’ll have different groups of friends.

I agree with your premise, but sitting around stripping wires doesn’t sound like something one would do with a group of friends. What’s next -- testing all the pens in the drawer to see which still have ink in them?

[rockstar]

You can do both. But realize there isn’t a huge overlap across all hobbies. You won’t find the same people doing everything you enjoy. You’ll have different groups of friends.

I agree with your premise, but sitting around stripping wires doesn’t sound like something one would do with a group of friends. What’s next -- testing all the pens in the drawer to see which still have ink in them?

My hobbies usually involve the other people. But they mentioned something they can do while sitting on the couch.

I first mentioned miniature painting. Then I mentioned LEGOs. The first you can use the miniatures and play wargames with other people, so it’s only half sitting around. This isn’t the most fit people in my experience, but they’re usually good people. LEGOs have a fan base and meetup groups. Building isn’t always social. I also read books, which isn’t social. But I belong to a bookclub that’s really social.

You don’t always have to be out doing something 24/7. I enjoy hiking. But since I’m not thru hiking, that doesn’t take more than a couple of hours on the weekend unless I’m traveling to a national park.

Doing lots of things with lots of different people is good because folks will eventually start dropping dead on you.

[BoomerM3]

I have been doing "3D wooden puzzles" for the past year. They are fun to do, require some skill, and they can be displayed when completed. Hard to describe.

Do search on Amazon for "ROKR" and see what is available.

[alex_686]

I bought plastic knitting needles today ($4) and my wife has given me a ball of yarn and promised a lesson. Lanyard making or Rubik's cube are fallbacks so far if knitting doesn't go well (or maybe try lock picking).

Another possibility related hobby would be spinning. My wife does both. You can start cheaply with a drop spindle, but if you progresses you will want a wheel - which is more money and a little more space.

[jginseattle]

Classical guitar.

[MP173]

I have several hobbies / interests, some of which have been stated above.

1. Railroads...not model, but watching/listening to rail operations on line. There are a number of web cams and scanners which provide the communication. I used to go out and watch trains, now just watch on computer and listen to the drama.
2. Guitar and bass. Mainly bass these days.
3. Reading - about 40-50 books per year.
4. Slide rules and "old school math". I have a collection of slide rules, instruction books, and old math manuals and books. Kinda fun to relive those high school and college math classes, now that there is no pressure for grades. Particularly trig on a slide rule, ory logs. Old school fun!
5. Astronomy - not necessary to have a telescope. Plenty to view with binoculars.
6. Gardening. Cannot beat the benefits!

I have thought about knitting. I have quite a few things my mom knit for me, lots of great memories.

Good luck,

Ed

[yankees60]

Many of these hobbies seem like something that should wait until your no-go years. Until then, there’s a big world to see!

Except that they are tailored to meet Original Posters request that they be something he can do sitting in the same room as his wife while both of them are watching television.

[roamingzebra]

What’s next -- testing all the pens in the drawer to see which still have ink in them?

Not a bad idea.

Put it under the category of decluttering though -- itself a satisfying activity.

I like having activities that can be done when the power goes out and it's too cold to go outside. Non-electronic, non-powered things. It doesn't have to be a hobby per se, but an alternate activity that can sometimes turn into a hobby. Puzzles and things like that are especially good.

I also think it's healthy mentally and physically to have occasional activities that don't involve staring at a phone or computer screen.

[KneePartsPro]

I agree with your premise, but sitting around stripping wires doesn’t sound like something one would do with a group of friends. What’s next -- testing all the pens in the drawer to see which still have ink in them?

My hobbies usually involve the other people. But they mentioned something they can do while sitting on the couch.

I first mentioned miniature painting. Then I mentioned LEGOs. The first you can use the miniatures and play wargames with other people, so it’s only half sitting around. This isn’t the most fit people in my experience, but they’re usually good people. LEGOs have a fan base and meetup groups. Building isn’t always social. I also read books, which isn’t social. But I belong to a bookclub that’s really social.

You don’t always have to be out doing something 24/7. I enjoy hiking. But since I’m not thru hiking, that doesn’t take more than a couple of hours on the weekend unless I’m traveling to a national park.

… because folks will eventually start dropping dead on you.

While proper hobby diversification is essential for many, those with a high risk tolerance might be comfortable going all in on one hobby.

[mtwistercapitalist]

Model railroading can be engaging, and as simple or as complicated as you like. Smaller scales, like T, Z, or N, don't require a lot of space. The hobby can involve electrical wiring, landscape construction, painting, and modeling of features like buildings and roads, or places like ports, airports or anything you can imagine.

It's fun, but not easily portable if one needs to relocate

[mtwistercapitalist]

You sound like you enjoy precise work, so knitting could be fun for you: it takes practice to coordinate hand movements in order to have the even tension that produces attractive knitwork. Let us know how you like learning to knit.

I learned to knit as a teen: simple squares of plain "garter stitch", then knit/purl practice, moved on to scarves, caps, slippers, mittens, and sweaters. Hand arthritis has imposed some limits, but I hope I've got at least one more sweater in me. Knitting, for me, combines two satisfactions: the challenge of solving a puzzle using calculation skills and following precise directions, combined with the endless possibilities of creating something useful and beautiful for myself and others. Caps, mittens and scarves are often welcome as donations, at least in my four-season climate.

No one has mentioned mending as a way to keep hands occupied during television shows. Does anyone beside me mend these days--holes in favorite socks, buttons to re-attach, a small tear in a seam? I have sewn for decades and enjoy the precision required for neat stitches and sturdy repairs. Given how poorly made many textile products are today, even expensive "quality" items, mending is a useful skill.

It's rare for me to mend anything these days. You are correct that textile products are poorly made, but by the time one of my socks has developed a hole, the entire bottom of the sock is worn so thin there is no point in saving it. The quality of most materials used in clothing now make them completely disposable.

When I was a kid, I used to do perler beads. Getting each bead to go onto the peg board was a tactily engaging activity, and then one had to melt the beads with an iron for the final design. There are many cool designs and patterns online that one can find

[Hot Sauce]

Model railroading can be engaging, and as simple or as complicated as you like. Smaller scales, like T, Z, or N, don't require a lot of space. The hobby can involve electrical wiring, landscape construction, painting, and modeling of features like buildings and roads, or places like ports, airports or anything you can imagine.

It's fun, but not easily portable if one needs to relocate

Unfortunately, it has also become an expensive hobby!

[mtwistercapitalist]

It's fun, but not easily portable if one needs to relocate

Unfortunately, it has also become an expensive hobby!

Some new DCC locomotives cost 300+ dollars brand new. Extremely expensive!

[JayDee37]

Jewelry-making. Can be as simple or complex as you'd like. If you end up making cool stuff you can open an Etsy store and have a side-hustle.

[investorpeter]

Vintage wrist watch repair / restoration.

https://www.youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9czt3IK-o0

[Doom&Gloom]

It's rare for me to mend anything these days. You are correct that textile products are poorly made, but by the time one of my socks has developed a hole, the entire bottom of the sock is worn so thin there is no point in saving it. The quality of most materials used in clothing now make them completely disposable.

When I was a kid, I used to do perler beads. Getting each bead to go onto the peg board was a tactily engaging activity, and then one had to melt the beads with an iron for the final design. There are many cool designs and patterns online that one can find

When I was a kid, I used to have to shell and "pick" pecans while watching TV with my parents. Some of my friends apparently had to shell peas instead. I'm not sure I would have shelled peas for the privilege, but I sure loved those pecans

[rockstar]

My hobbies usually involve the other people. But they mentioned something they can do while sitting on the couch.

I first mentioned miniature painting. Then I mentioned LEGOs. The first you can use the miniatures and play wargames with other people, so it’s only half sitting around. This isn’t the most fit people in my experience, but they’re usually good people. LEGOs have a fan base and meetup groups. Building isn’t always social. I also read books, which isn’t social. But I belong to a bookclub that’s really social.

You don’t always have to be out doing something 24/7. I enjoy hiking. But since I’m not thru hiking, that doesn’t take more than a couple of hours on the weekend unless I’m traveling to a national park.

… because folks will eventually start dropping dead on you.

While proper hobby diversification is essential for many, those with a high risk tolerance might be comfortable going all in on one hobby.

From a socialization aspect, I get to meet a more diverse group of people having multiple hobbies. My in person social network gets much bigger. So when folks die off, there are still more remaining.

[KneePartsPro]

While proper hobby diversification is essential for many, those with a high risk tolerance might be comfortable going all in on one hobby.

From a socialization aspect, I get to meet a more diverse group of people having multiple hobbies. My in person social network gets much bigger. So when folks die off, there are still more remaining.

Sounds like a great way to stay engaged with a broader range of people through multiple activities despite inevitable lifespan attrition. I was purely relating your hobby “allocation” to investing in good fun. I applaud your intentionality to utilize hobbies to maintain both purpose and connection which are both obviously important to our quality of life as we age. As someone whose hobbies (weight lifting and mountain biking) are relatively physical and solitary I could benefit from “diversifying” my hobbies into different areas and with a broader range of people. Cheers.

[Luke Duke]

Lockpicking, aka locksport, sounds perfect for what you want. TOOOL has a good set of training locks for the very beginner and a decent set of picks. Also a great introductory set of intro slides to watch free. There shipping times can be a bit slow, though (all volunteer).

Once you can do the training locks, move up to a master lock #3, then branch out from there.

To see where incredible expertise can lead, watch YouTube videos by The Lockpicking Lawyer.

I was going to post something similar. I've been sucked into his channel too many times.

[rockstar]

From a socialization aspect, I get to meet a more diverse group of people having multiple hobbies. My in person social network gets much bigger. So when folks die off, there are still more remaining.

Sounds like a great way to stay engaged with a broader range of people through multiple activities despite inevitable lifespan attrition. I was purely relating your hobby “allocation” to investing in good fun. I applaud your intentionality to utilize hobbies to maintain both purpose and connection which are both obviously important to our quality of life as we age. As someone whose hobbies (weight lifting and mountain biking) are relatively physical and solitary I could benefit from “diversifying” my hobbies into different areas and with a broader range of people. Cheers.

I don’t recommend mountain biking alone. I have seen a lot of bad spills on trails. You want folks to help you if you get injured, rather than hoping to run into people.

[KneePartsPro]

Sounds like a great way to stay engaged with a broader range of people through multiple activities despite inevitable lifespan attrition. I was purely relating your hobby “allocation” to investing in good fun. I applaud your intentionality to utilize hobbies to maintain both purpose and connection which are both obviously important to our quality of life as we age. As someone whose hobbies (weight lifting and mountain biking) are relatively physical and solitary I could benefit from “diversifying” my hobbies into different areas and with a broader range of people. Cheers.

I don’t recommend mountain biking alone. I have seen a lot of bad spills on trails. You want folks to help you if you get injured, rather than hoping to run into people.

Thanks for the input. If not crashing is the goal I suggest you ride alone, yet when others are also likely to be riding the area. If having someone nearby when you crash is the goal then yes, mountain bike in a group. Too many times I’ve seen people crash as a result of riding faster or more technically challenging trails than they are capable of simply because they’re trying to match the skills or speed of someone they’re riding with. There’s nothing inherently safer about riding with others or more dangerous about riding alone. I appreciate your opinion but have an extensive experience in this “hobby” that differs greatly from what you are stating. One area I would agree with you on is when you are intentionally pushing your capabilities whether beginner or expert. If you’re attempting things you’ve not done before it could be really useful to have someone nearby. All of that being said it can be more fun to ride with an equally skilled riding companion although I find their best use to be related to getting out of a situation where there’s a mechanical issue. To each their own. My interest in this thread is to explore an additional, more interactive hobby to add to the rather solitary mountain biking hobby I already have.

[rockstar]

I don’t recommend mountain biking alone. I have seen a lot of bad spills on trails. You want folks to help you if you get injured, rather than hoping to run into people.

Thanks for the input. If not crashing is the goal I suggest you ride alone, yet when others are also likely to be riding the area. If having someone nearby when you crash is the goal then yes, mountain bike in a group. Too many times I’ve seen people crash as a result of riding faster or more technically challenging trails than they are capable of simply because they’re trying to match the skills or speed of someone they’re riding with. There’s nothing inherently safer about riding with others or more dangerous about riding alone. I appreciate your opinion but have an extensive experience in this “hobby” that differs greatly from what you are stating. One area I would agree with you on is when you are intentionally pushing your capabilities whether beginner or expert. If you’re attempting things you’ve not done before it could be really useful to have someone nearby. All of that being said it can be more fun to ride with an equally skilled riding companion although I find their best use to be related to getting out of a situation where there’s a mechanical issue. To each their own. My interest in this thread is to explore an additional, more interactive hobby to add to the rather solitary mountain biking hobby I already have.

This is probably a gender thing. Join a hiking club. You’ll find an imbalance between men and women. Women tend to participate more in groups than men. No idea why. But besides war gaming, all of my hobbies are predominantly women in a group setting. Book club is the most imbalanced, where it’s 90% women.

[mtwistercapitalist]

Thanks for the input. If not crashing is the goal I suggest you ride alone, yet when others are also likely to be riding the area. If having someone nearby when you crash is the goal then yes, mountain bike in a group. Too many times I’ve seen people crash as a result of riding faster or more technically challenging trails than they are capable of simply because they’re trying to match the skills or speed of someone they’re riding with. There’s nothing inherently safer about riding with others or more dangerous about riding alone. I appreciate your opinion but have an extensive experience in this “hobby” that differs greatly from what you are stating. One area I would agree with you on is when you are intentionally pushing your capabilities whether beginner or expert. If you’re attempting things you’ve not done before it could be really useful to have someone nearby. All of that being said it can be more fun to ride with an equally skilled riding companion although I find their best use to be related to getting out of a situation where there’s a mechanical issue. To each their own. My interest in this thread is to explore an additional, more interactive hobby to add to the rather solitary mountain biking hobby I already have.

This is probably a gender thing. Join a hiking club. You’ll find an imbalance between men and women. Women tend to participate more in groups than men. No idea why. But besides war gaming, all of my hobbies are predominantly women in a group setting. Book club is the most imbalanced, where it’s 90% women.

How does one go about finding a hiking club? Meetup/Eventbrite?

[roamingzebra]

How does one go about finding a hiking club? Meetup/Eventbrite?

I'm not the one you're asking, but the Sierra Club has local chapters you can join for meetups and local hikes.

[Northern Flicker]

My wife and I like to sit and watch television in the evenings. She often works on a craft project such as weaving. My main hobby is chess, so I usually play or study chess. But there are days when the mental energy is not there for me and I'd like to do something with my hands instead. When I did electrical work, I liked the process of terminating control wiring: carefully stripping the outer cable jacket without nicking the wire jackets, then stripping and landing the wires.

My first thought was whittling, but I don't want to cut myself with poor lighting or excite our dog who loves to chew wood. So now I am thinking about learning to knit.

Any advice on beginner knitting projects? Or other hobbies to try?

You could get a spinning wheel and spin yarn and other fiber products for your wife to use in her weaving. I was once at a textile fair and observed a woman with an Angora rabbit on her lap. It was shedding fur as she pet it and fed the fur into her spinning wheel. A fleece from a sheep is the normal input to spinning. It requires more prep before spinning the wool, but you can buy the fleece without having to tend to the animal(s).

Of course you also could do knitting projects with the yarn you produce.

[FeralCat]

Women tend to participate more in groups than men. No idea why.

There is an evolutionary theory about this. Back in the caveman days, women tended to stay back at the cave, to pick berries, clean the cave, etc. For their protection, they would congregate and be very chatty, so that potential animal predators would hear many people socializing and stay away. Meanwhile, men would be out hunting animals (e.g., deer) for meat, and required absolute silence to avoid scaring the animal away. So they went solo and didn’t talk.

Women were both hunters and fighters, not just gatherers: https://archaeologymag.com/2023/06/wome ... societies/

[Clamshell]

Try photography. Modern enthusiast cameras have dials and controls for aperture, shutter, and ISO, to learn. There are features to manipulate focus, and zoom. Natural and artificial lighting techniques. You get hooked into learning to work quickly and optimize the look of your images. On a "shoot" I feel fully involved and free of distractions. Set out to learn Photoshop - when I come back from a shoot I can't wait to see what I have gotten and spend an hour or two on the computer culling and tuning the images, again oblivious to distraction. Mounting and displaying prints is uber-touchy feely, what with mats and frames and hanging. Give away your best results to enhance friendships. Been my hobby for sixty years.

[rockstar]

This is probably a gender thing. Join a hiking club. You’ll find an imbalance between men and women. Women tend to participate more in groups than men. No idea why. But besides war gaming, all of my hobbies are predominantly women in a group setting. Book club is the most imbalanced, where it’s 90% women.

How does one go about finding a hiking club? Meetup/Eventbrite?

If you go hiking, you will eventually run into hiking clubs in large groups. Hard to miss. Talk to them.

Otherwise, I've found them on both Facebook and Meetup. And before then I found them on the bulletin boards at REI.

You only have to look. If you're ever in Atlanta, check out this group:

https://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/

They really aren't hard to find.

[MrNarwhal]

I was once at a textile fair and observed a woman with an Angora rabbit on her lap. It was shedding fur as she pet it and fed the fur into her spinning wheel.

Our dog has been laying on my lap while I've been knitting this week, haha.

There is an evolutionary theory about this. Back in the caveman days, women tended to stay back at the cave, to pick berries, clean the cave, etc. For their protection, they would congregate and be very chatty, so that potential animal predators would hear many people socializing and stay away. Meanwhile, men would be out hunting animals (e.g., deer) for meat, and required absolute silence to avoid scaring the animal away. So they went solo and didn’t talk.

Women were both hunters and fighters, not just gatherers: https://archaeologymag.com/2023/06/wome ... societies/

I will have to explain this theory to my introverted wife. Maybe she and I both inherited a surplus of hunter genes. (Our little hunting dog says otherwise; we aren't hunters.)

[yankees60]

My wife and I like to sit and watch television in the evenings. She often works on a craft project such as weaving. My main hobby is chess, so I usually play or study chess. But there are days when the mental energy is not there for me and I'd like to do something with my hands instead. When I did electrical work, I liked the process of terminating control wiring: carefully stripping the outer cable jacket without nicking the wire jackets, then stripping and landing the wires.

My first thought was whittling, but I don't want to cut myself with poor lighting or excite our dog who loves to chew wood. So now I am thinking about learning to knit.

Any advice on beginner knitting projects? Or other hobbies to try?

You could get a spinning wheel and spin yarn and other fiber products for your wife to use in her weaving. I was once at a textile fair and observed a woman with an Angora rabbit on her lap. It was shedding fur as she pet it and fed the fur into her spinning wheel. A fleece from a sheep is the normal input to spinning. It requires more prep before spinning the wool, but you can buy the fleece without having to tend to the animal(s).

Of course you also could do knitting projects with the yarn you produce.

"observed a woman with an Angora rabbit on her lap. It was shedding fur as she pet it and fed the fur into her spinning wheel. "

Would have LOVED to have seen that and hope that someday I can.

[Northern Flicker]

That Angora rabbit was at the 1982 Black Sheep Gathering, or a related event of that group. I recall it being in Seattle, but the primary gathering/fair that year was in a different location.