Five hobbies that I’ve gotten into recently

In the past year or so, I’ve been quite keen on trying new hobbies and interests that I’ve never given consideration to. It’s been a really good experience for me, as now I have some really fun, relaxing ways to spend my free time – previously, I’d have just been aimlessly browsing the internet or watching TV (not that I don’t still do those things!).

I thought I’d write my 5 favourite new hobbies down into a blog post in case you may be looking for something new to try. I’d definitely recommend all of the below!

1. Crochet. I’ve wanted to try a yarn craft for years, but I could never get the hang of it. I’m not the most practical person, and nearly all of the YouTube tutorials I looked at didn’t help at all. A few months ago though, I discovered Bella Coco who is a fantastic crocheter. Her tutorials are the best I’ve seen, as she goes very slowly and thoroughly explains each step. I’m definitely no master crocheter but I’ve made a few things, and it’s such a therapeutic activity. I’ve made a couple of infinity scarves, a phone sock, little flower brooches and I’m working on a granny square blanket at the moment. Later this year, I want to crochet some poppies so I can sell them in aid of the Royal British Legion.
2. Cycling. This isn’t only a hobby for me, but is also my method of travelling to and from university, which is two miles from my flat. I find it really enjoyable, and it’s really helped to tone my body as well as giving my stamina a boost. You don’t need all the equipment you think you need – I just have the bike itself, a helmet, lights and a good lock. You’d be amazed at how quickly you can get to places on a bike, and it’s also a nice way to spend a weekend afternoon if you want to cycle along a canal or through the park. I’ve suggested getting a tandem bike for me and James, but I don’t think he’s too keen!
3. Cross stitching. Okay, I had to include another craft on the list! I’ve actually been cross stitching for a little over a year, and it’s one of my favourite hobbies purely because it’s just so simple and so so easy to learn, yet you can go as small or as large as you want in the picture you choose to stitch. Like crochet, it’s had a resurgence recently so you can find loads of patterns online. It’s helped my hand eye co-ordination massively, and is best done on a cold winter night with Coronation Street on in the background! I made my grandparents a lovebirds picture for their 50th anniversary, I’ve made a couple of things for James and my mum, and recently I made myself this ‘You Are Brave’ picture. And if you’re wondering where I got the kit from, this takes me to my next hobby…
4. Charity shop hunting. I’d never really given charity shops much thought before, as I assumed they wouldn’t have the kind of things I’d like. How wrong I was! I’ve discovered some real treasures in there, such as a large vase for my succulent plants, the cross stitch kit I mentioned above, and don’t even get me started on the clothes. There are so many clothes in fantastic condition just waiting to be bought for £5 or less. You may have to rifle through a few clothes that you wouldn’t buy, but there are some utter gems to be found in charity shops.
5. Writing reviews on Amazon. This is something I’ve only gotten into in the past few weeks, but I’m really enjoying it. Basically, I have signed up to a few websites (such as AMZ Reviews which offer you free or heavily discounted products in exchange for you doing an honest, thorough review of the item. So far, I’ve received free or next-to-free face serum, a windproof umbrella, essential oils, a scarf, a phone case and quite a few more. You will need to review some products you’ve bought on Amazon to show sellers that you’re a good reviewer and it helps to have a Prime account, but I’ve found it to be a fantastic way to get useful products for next to nothing.

So there are my 5 favourite hobbies at the moment! As I said, I only really started most of these in the past year, so it shows that it’s never too late to try something completely new. I’m always looking out for new things to try, and I’ve actually just ordered some card making items as I want to give that a go. I’d love to write longer blog posts about some of these hobbies in the future as I really do think they’re worth giving a go. What are your favourite hobbies and interests? Please let me know in the comments, and thank you for reading!