January is National Hobby Month
By Joan Janzen
January is National Hobby Month, a time to pursue your passions while reducing stress and engaging in activities you enjoy. There are so many options available … crafting, reading, hiking, or learning to play an instrument. It could also be a time to get back into a hobby you haven’t thought about in a while.
January is National Hobby Month. During WWII, the Canadian Red Cross called on knitters from across Canada to help knit essential items for the war effort. Photo: Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan
The Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan have a copy of a booklet entitled Knitting Instructions for War Work from the WWII era. During that time, knitters across Canada were called upon to help knit essential items for the war effort. In 1940, the Canadian Red Cross published the booklet, which provided knitters with patterns for socks, sweaters, and hats. Each division of the armed forces had different requirements for what they needed. Even hospitals needed knitted items for recovering soldiers.
You’re never too young to begin a hobby. A couple of years ago, I wrote about McKayla, who taught herself to crochet at the age of nine, simply by researching stitches on YouTube. Fast forward to the present, and she is selling her personally designed stuffies at markets or giving them as gifts.
A visit with a teen named Bennett was so enjoyable as he talked about how he has been writing and producing his own songs since he was 12 years old. Both young, old, and everyone in between can enjoy hobbies.
A few years ago, I visited a rancher who crafted a realistic-looking headless horseman out of scrap iron, which stands on Highway 884 near Veteran. His hobbies also include leatherwork, painting, making jewelry, stone carving, crafting knives and spears, carving wood, and doing taxidermy work on everything from deer to pheasants.
A talented local artist from Luseland paints on canvas and rock with acrylic and oil paints, as well as designing, sketching, and burning felt and suede hats. Sheryl creates beautiful work.
I also met Trina, who transforms chunks of old Saskatchewan farm glass into beautiful ornamental trees and other creations. She’s crafted a forest of hundreds of ornamental trees in just a few years.
If you enjoy quilting, there are quilting groups in many communities, including Kindersley, Plenty, and Oyen. Or maybe you like ceramics, pottery, or woodworking. After my brother-in-law retired, he began carving life-like animals out of wood, and no one even knew he liked wood carving.
If you love acting, you could join a drama group, or those who enjoy a good book can share their passion by joining a book club. January is the perfect time to begin a new hobby—or revive an old one—during National Hobby Month.