# What are your hobbies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606 "2014-12-07T22:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/81 "2014-12-12T00:30:41Z")
I write, play videogames (particularly Pokemon), and do needlework. For quite awhile I collected stuffed Hello Kitties, and those tiny My Little Ponies that come in the blind bags. I haven’t given up; I just haven’t been following either recently. I’m currently working on a cross-stitch of the moth Pokemon, Volcarona. Also, I’m near the start of a crochet shawl I’m not entirely happy with. But restarting would be so frustrating. :-/ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/82 "2014-12-12T02:33:06Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Sewist sounds better than sewer too. 😉 Heh. I looked it up and sexist is a thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/83 "2014-12-12T02:34:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. I looked it up and sexist is a thing. 🙂 Sewist actually autocorrects to sexist. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/84 "2014-12-12T04:31:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. I looked it up and sexist is a thing. 🙂 (sewist) Oh I know! Gender neutral and it doesn’t remind you of sewage. > [@Arabella Flynn](#): > > Weird, stiff, or scratchy yarns, especially acrylic, get made into hammocks, pockets, and tunnels for tiny rodenty animals like rats and mice, and forwarded to Mainely Rat Rescue, the regional small caged critter rescue organization. What a wonderful idea! A rat on a little hammock. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/85 "2014-12-12T08:18:18Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yeah…I think brewing beer qualifies as a hobby at 1 gallon. > > You don’t have to be obsessive about it. But IMHO it’s the sort of thing that requires you to actively learn how to participate in an activity that is fundamentally pointless for anything but your own enjoyment. As soon as you start repeating the activity and trying to do it better, then it has effectively become a hobby. > [@msmith537](#): > > I’ve had numerous debates with people over the semantics of what is considered a “hobby”. IMHO a “hobby” requires a significant amount of time (almost to compulsive levels) collecting, trading, analyzing and discussing the minutiae of some eclectic (almost pointless) topic (wine, stamps, Star Wars action figures, etc), so I suppose I don’t really have any. At best I have various “interests” and “activities” I do regularly. I don’t think you really have a solid opinion of what you think a hobby is. Your statements aren’t completely contradictory, but there’s at least a fair amount of dissonance between them. I’m not trying to be a dick by pointing it out, but you don’t have a consistent definition for yourself, nevermind the dictionary definition. > [@](#): > > Playing sports aren’t hobbies. They are “playing sports”. Collecting sports memorabilia or joining a fantasy football league is a hobby though. Is golf a sport or a hobby? How about Ping Pong? Bowling? Skiing? Frisbee? Seriously, if you’re not a professional athlete, what is the meaningful difference between sport and hobby? ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/86 "2014-12-12T16:37:36Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > (sewist) Oh I know! Gender neutral and it doesn’t remind you of sewage. > What a wonderful idea! A rat on a little hammock. I love it. The Hammock Rats! Band name! ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/87 "2014-12-12T20:39:23Z")
Kayaking - what about you kayaker? Home brewing sometimes - Scotch ale bottled a couple of weeks ago. Camping But the most awesome of all - flying a sailplane. Someone once called it “The sport too good for kings”. It is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/88 "2014-12-12T22:18:10Z")
> [@TheFaerie](#): > > Knitting, weaving, beadwork, needlepoint/cross-stitch, sewing/quilting. My craft room is stuffed to the rafters. [![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wyeCnSYwoe8/UJW7ZgBEMZI/AAAAAAAANf0/39DVADswJZw/s1600/I+have+all+the+fabric+I+need+-+said+no+quilter+ever..jpg) ](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wyeCnSYwoe8/UJW7ZgBEMZI/AAAAAAAANf0/39DVADswJZw/s1600/I+have+all+the+fabric+I+need+-+said+no+quilter+ever..jpg) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/89 "2014-12-12T22:25:30Z")
As I think on it, baking soda s really just a hobby for me, as I rarely eat the desserts I make. Stoopid diabetes. But I enjoy the process for its own sake. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/90 "2014-12-12T22:37:24Z")
I get in touch with my inner child and I write stories and poems and somehow they all involve terrorist Andreas Baader killing Santa Claus during a hijack. Whoa, No, mostly I just paint and the docs say since I switched to a new brand of paint thinner, looks like things are getting better. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/91 "2014-12-12T22:45:47Z")
Dear Athena, I don’t know how soda got inserted into my last post. Goddamn smartphone. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/92 "2014-12-12T23:07:54Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I got sucked into this, my girlfriend got sucked into this and niether of us have any idea why??? Because writing with a good pen on good paper is really fun? Because it’s kind of a thrill to write a word or a letter that looks like it could have come from the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution? Because there’s a certain elegance to well-crafted handwriting? Because it’s really fun to make swoopy letters? These are why I enjoy pens and handwriting. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/93 "2014-12-12T23:20:10Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Because writing with a good pen on good paper is really fun? Because it’s kind of a thrill to write a word or a letter that looks like it could have come from the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution? Because there’s a certain elegance to well-crafted handwriting? Because it’s really fun to make swoopy letters? > > These are why I enjoy pens and handwriting. I learned to write using a Schaffer pen which is a refillable fountain pen. I had decent handwring. As soon as I switched to a ballpoint my handwriting went to hell! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/94 "2014-12-13T00:12:52Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Because writing with a good pen on good paper is really fun? Because it’s kind of a thrill to write a word or a letter that looks like it could have come from the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution? Because there’s a certain elegance to well-crafted handwriting? Because it’s really fun to make swoopy letters? > > These are why I enjoy pens and handwriting. I have four fountain pens through which I rotate at work. The kids love them enough to actually want to watch when I sign something for them. I’ve promised lots of kids fountain pens as graduation gifts and I like following through on that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/95 "2014-12-13T12:23:47Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > Kayaking - what about you kayaker? Yep. More a lifestyle than a hobby, though. Like my beer appreciation.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/96 "2014-12-13T21:32:02Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > What a wonderful idea! A rat on a little hammock. I love it. Hammocks are actually standard equipment for critters, although the ones you can buy at pet shops are usually fleece or flannel. (Knit fabrics are very stretchy, and acrylic yarn can be washed hot-hot, so it’s good at standing up to squabbles and messes.) Rats are sybaritic little creatures, and they think pockets and hammocks are wonderfully comfortable places to nap. Once one settles in, the rest of them tumble onto the bandwagon, and you end up with a little sling overflowing with fur. Every so often, the rat on the bottom of the pile gets too warm, and convection occurs. 😃 Do an image search for ‘rat in hammock’ and you will turn up enough cuteness to last you through the winter holidays. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/97 "2014-12-15T03:28:52Z")
> [@Arabella\_Flynn](#): > > Do an image search for ‘rat in hammock’ and you will turn up enough cuteness to last you through the winter holidays. Get those effin rats out of my effin hammock! [![](https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~akerr/socrates/personal/Rats-hammock-n07.jpg) ](https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~akerr/socrates/personal/Rats-hammock-n07.jpg) Gosh, that’s adorable. > [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > Dear Athena, I don’t know how soda got inserted into my last post. Goddamn smartphone. Huh. I just kind of skimmed past it thinking, Skald’s an interesting guy. Maybe he has come up with myriad uses for baking soda, what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/98 "2014-12-15T07:05:01Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Knitting > Crochet > African violets > Shooting > Gardening Am I the only one to notice this post’s What Thing Doesn’t Belong With The Other Things? quotient? Hmmm… _homebody_ _homebody_ _homebody_ I’LL SHOOT YOUR F%\*#ING HEAD OFF! _homebody_ Veddy interesting. Sounds colonial to me. 😛 Care to fill us in, **Rhiannon**? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/99 "2014-12-15T07:56:50Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’ve had numerous debates with people over the semantics of what is considered a “hobby”. IMHO a “hobby” requires a significant amount of time . . . I think the semantics of the (modern–i.e., last 200 years) term have less to do with the activity itself (or how much time you put into it) than with the socio-economic circumstances in which the activity is framed and regarded. Before the rise of the middle class (and the accopanying idea of “work”) people didn’t “have _hobbies_”–they just amused themselves. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606/100 "2014-12-15T12:07:15Z")
I play chess, bridge, D+D and computer games. With incredible luck, these hobbies are also how I earn a living. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-hobbies/706606.md?page=6)