Hibernation Hobbies: Surviving the Dark Seasons in MN (Part 2)

Campfire Bay at Sunset

As frost has settled in the panes of your windows, your mind itches for something to do. Your fingers do as well. The dark seasons are here, and with them, the chance to pick up a new cozy hobby.

 

The Depths of Hibernation Season

Even in the middle of winter, with the sunrise of spring starting to glow on the horizon, we can still add a hobby to enrich our lives. In fact, many cultures around the world think winter is the perfect time to start new things. We want to help. Did you read our other post on hibernation hobbies? If not, go check it out! If the options listed in that post aren’t your style, we’ve got you covered here. Or maybe you just want to get into a bigger cozy hobby and let it consume you. Either way, grab your blanket and tea and read on!

Choosing a Higher Commitment Cozy Hobby

If you have longed for a hobby that you can carry with you your whole life and are willing to spend more money on your new projects, here are some of my favorites. A friendly reminder, however, that this is meant to act as a springboard for you. None of these will have full instructions, so be sure to do your research on the activity you’re interested in!

Reading

You probably weren’t expecting to see this one here, were you? But as printing costs rise, so does the general price of even mass market paperbacks, not to mention all the special editions and hardcovers. Besides, once you get into reading (or back into reading, for some of us), there’s a high chance you will just want to keep reading. You’ll find new books to intrigue you, new authors whose entire library you just have to collect. Not to mention the bookmarks, page holders, book lights, maybe even a Kindle… trust me, it all adds up!

However, it doesn’t have to be expensive. I know plenty of readers who don’t own a single book and instead are regulars at their local library. This is an option I fully support. Libraries are a vital third space we need to keep alive, they don’t just have books, they have programs and supports for everyone in the community!

Stories have been an escape for humanity as early as the existence of language. They teach us, shape us, and make us feel seen. During the dark seasons, having that camaraderie is a life line. Aside from connecting to the characters and stories, we also have the rest of the bookish community! Stories bring people together, they always have. In the modern era, though, we’ve traded sitting around a fire for sitting around a living room or even in online spaces such as Discord, the Fable app, or even Tome, a new community for readers (mostly fantasy-centric) that I’ve come to love!

My recommendation, however, is to grab a book and some besties and get out of town. Rent a cabin for a little getaway, and escape into a world with your closest friends. Then, stop by the lodge, grab a coffee, and discuss your recent reads. And hey, if you’re staying with us at Campfire Bay Resort, maybe you’ll find a new read in our store! 

Knitting and Crochet

Fiber arts are largely overlooked, but have had a recent resurgence in younger generations! A quintessential cozy hobby and traditionally seen as “women’s work,” knitting has stayed the course as a beautiful art form, as well as a practical one. And as for crocheting, did you know that there are no machines that can recreate crochet patterns? It’s truly one-of-a-kind. Now, young folk have taken both up as a way to sustainably make clothes and gifts for themselves, friends, and family, as well as take a stand politically. Have you, too, felt that itch to pick up some knitting needles, choose some yarn, and whip something together? Well I hear you, and I support you.

The one thing I will warn you of is that yarn is expensive, and oddly addictive. You may not think it now, but in a few months, after your first project is done, you’ll find yourself wandering through a craft store, lingering too long on the yarn, marveling at the colors. You also need a wide range of needle sizes for both knitting and crocheting, in order to size your projects properly. I recommend circular needles for knitting, whether you’re working in the round or not.

Knitting and crochet are wonderful ways to keep your fingers busy and your mind less-so. In the Brainerd Lakes Area, A2Z Yarn, LLC  is the place to go for yarn and knitting or crocheting with others. If you’re in the Twin Cities area, I recommend stopping in at BeWoolen. If you’re closer to the North Shore and Grand Marais, stop and visit my friend Dorothy at Dappled Fern Fibers! Aside from the crafty aspect of it, one of my favorite things about knitting is the community around it.

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is Junk Journaling’s older, sophisticated sibling. While Junk Journaling is compiling all the random tidbits from an adventure or day into a notebook, scrapbooking is curating aesthetics. Each page of a scrapbook often has a different vibe, each spread a meaning. It’s less of a journal and much more of a keepsake. You can collect stickers, scrapbooking papers, and other little bits and bobs such as stamps, detail scissors, quote books, and small photo-card books. Add in your own photos and bam! A beautiful keepsake of your memories and your creativity. Check out some of my favorite inspirations and vibes on our Pinterest page!

Traveling with your scrapbooking kit is quite easy as well. Select a larger bag you’d like and all the things you plan to use (I recommend planning out a few pages at a time and collecting all your decorations for them ahead of time), then toss them in the back of a car and drive to the destination of your choice! I highly recommend trading the bustle of a winter city for the tranquility of a cabin – and the scrapbooking retreats we get to host every year would agree! The qualities of a cozy hobby often lie more in how you go about it than the actual hobby itself, so settle up somewhere nice and peaceful.

Jewelry Making

As my best friend can attest, once you start making jewelry, you never stop. It could be as simple as a beaded stretchy bracelet to trade at concerts or conventions, or it could be as dramatic as pearl and bone earrings! Whatever fits your style, I promise you can make it yourself. The cost comes in when you need to buy your materials (obviously). Chains, stones, beads, and all the little notions and clasps you may or may not need add up. Still, it’s worth it! And once you purchase your first bits of supplies, you’re not going to have to buy more until you run out of all your beads and hardware, which can take a while depending on what you make. This cozy hobby (and others like it) are wonderful ways to pass the time on dark winter evenings.

Simple bracelets like these are staples for a lot of young women in my generation. Often linked with concert-going, where we trade these friendship bracelets with other young women in merch lines and in our seats. They’re a simple, more affordable way to express ideas, allegiance, and so forth with a simple stretchy band that fits a myriad of wrist-sizes. If you want to get more into it, like my soon-to-be sister-in-law, that’s easy too! Stock up on chains and hardware and before you know it, you’ll have more necklaces than you know what to do with. And if these simple crafts aren’t enough, fear not! There’s a whole world of design you can get into.

Perfume and Oil Making

You may be sitting there thinking it can’t be that easy to make your own scents, but it truly is! They may not stay as long as professional perfumes, but they’re going to be much healthier and, in my opinion, smell better! But keep an eye on your wallet–essential oils can get expensive, as are the large bottles of carrier oils and whatever you put your perfumes in.

To start making your own perfumes, you can choose between different formats. If you want a cream perfume, get your hands on some beeswax or tallow. If you want a liquid, get your favorite carrier oil and a roller, or even a spray bottle for a body mist! Add scents by using essential oils or real plant matter. Essential oils will be quicker, but the plant matter has a knack for looking gorgeous in your bottle. Not only does the act of sitting and measuring these things out make for a cozy hobby, but the scents you can whip up will make for a cozy life!

A quick Google search will come up will have plenty of videos and guides to get you going in the right direction! The one tip I will leave you with, however, is that you don’t have to keep spending money! Once you have your spray bottles, your rollers, etc, reuse them–it’s much easier to clean glass than buy a new one.

Hopefully this article has inspired you to pick up a new cozy hobby just in time for the tail end of winter. Don’t forget to check out our Hibernation Hobbies Pinterest board full of ideas to kickstart your crafting, and as always, we hope to see you back At The Campfire soon!