Have you developed or enhanced any skills or hobbies during the pandemic? I bought a cheap

[Floyd R. Turbo]

set of watch repair tools and have been replacing my watch batteries and straps. It’s been cool getting old watches running again and updating them with NATO straps. I’m now wearing watches I haven’t had on for thirty or forty years. 😃

[redstatebluegirl]

1. Running to the fridge and back to the chair :-).

[Floyd R. Turbo]

2. I emptied my fridge of all fattening food. It took three days but it was

delicious! 😋

[redstatebluegirl]

5. Well now there is an idea!

I retired about the same time the pandemic hit. I had planned on doing lots of volunteer work, being out and about. My doctor scared the life out of me so I stayed home. I worked on my pile of books I intended to read while I was working, I worked on training my dogs and did some gardening. Not enough for me. I go back to volunteering at the university as a tutor starting next month.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

8. Nice!

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Wow! I've got a few watches I need repaired, Floyd.

What do you charge?? Just kidding. That’s a great and very useful hobby!

I actually have taken up painting again, which I haven’t done in oh … thirty years.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

6. Awesome!

👨🏻‍🎨

[SheltieLover]

4. Taking zoom drawing class

Through senior center.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

7. Way cool!

[Sneederbunk]

9. Looked real hard at banjo in corner.

Never learned how to play it, but still thinking about it.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

10. Now I'm going to have dueling banjos in my head all day!

[griffi94]

11. Friends don't let friends play the banjo

[Sneederbunk]

15. Or accordions.

[griffi94]

20. Especially accordions

[electric_blue68]

23. Baaahahahahaaaaaa! Actually...

there are a few songs (a very few) that I sort of like them in.

But that's it! 😄

[Chainfire]

12. I have started making wooden toys for the two to six year age range.

I am recycling waste wood for the most part. I am trying to make at least one per day. I will be donating them all to charitable organizations. I like making sawdust, it is good for the soul.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

13. Awesome!

[crud]

14. I got a dart board

But no matter how much I throw, I still suck at it.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

17. If at first you don't succeed,

have a drink!

[Chainfire]

31. Try throwing the board at the darts. Some of us find that easier.

[KarenS]

16. learned how to knit using YouTube videos )

I'm not good at it bec it takes lots of practice. But learning is a good thing!!

[Floyd R. Turbo]

18. Nice!

[electric_blue68]

25. Congratulations! I learned to knit by ...

book back in mid 00's. (my mom knitted & crocheted, her mom crocheted)

Only one of the 5 books I borrowed from the library had the right combinaruon of text, and really clear drawings that I could "get". And this was preceeded by a failed attempt at 17, then mid 30's. 😄 I was now ?mid 50s.
Been doing it off and on ever since (drawing, and jewelry come first). Left handed but learned right handed.

Learned to crochet left-handed late 50s on line with drawings, and photos.
I do look at videos on occasion.

Keep going you'll get better, and better.
I was so excited when I made my first crocheted hat!
(wouldn't attempt it in knitting 😄 )

[KarenS]

27. yes,,,,

I am a self-taught (learned while I was 20-ish) crocheter been doing that for 50 some years knitting kind of stresses me out but I've always wanted to learn it. My Mom was a knitter. Seems like a person is kind of drawn to one or the other.

[electric_blue68]

32. I really like both...

I saw more crochet bc of my grandma (even though my mom did some, she did a lot more sewing). But it "scared" me for some reason.😄 The initial "grid-ness" of knitting felt easier.

I asked my mom to teach me at 17. Buuuut she was right handed vs my left handedness. Well, after 3 tries we ended up yelling at each other, and that was that!

Then I found some written instructions in my 30s. I did like ?30+ rows by 5 inches middle weight - all stockinette
AND the instructions didn't say anything about
blocking, OR using a purl stitch pattern to counter the tension.
So it rolled, curled right up! I was like "what the 🤬 is this good for!???? I never even thought to ask my mom.

I got inspired again when I moved to Brooklyn, and a vendor at the big Green Market sold finished knitted items, kits for items, hanks of yarn, and frozen lamb. They managed a modest sheep farm!

I got so inspired by one piece I decided to learn. They told me one piece of important advice for the particular piece,I was really interested in, and suggested to me to get some books. Luckily my library had a bunch.

Thus finally my successful learning began!
😄🎉🎉🎉🧶👍

I'd call myself barelyva low-end intermediate considering what they catagorize an intermediate as! 😂

Still, I'm glad to have learned both. 👍❤️

[bello]

37. I self taught how to knit

Back in the early seventies, my girl friend was quite an accomplished knitter. Along about then I caught mono and was bored out of my mind, so I grabbed a couple of her knitting needles and proceeded to teach myself how to knit. However, I never quite caught on how to purl, so when I got to the end of a row, I’d switch from right handed to left handed and knit back the other way.

She couldn’t watch me without getting all tensed up and frustrated. -B

[electric_blue68]

38. Oh boy..

😄
I guess that would bother her.

Good for you for being creative in a physically restricted time. 👍

I don't think I could switch from right to left hand knitting!
😄 (laughing at myself) Good for you.

[zanana1]

46. I attempted learning how to crochet from YouTube.

My cat had other ideas.

[KarenS]

47. !!

We just got a new puppy & she made a huge knot of yarn for me while I wasn't watching
Gotta love'em!

[Kali]

19. learned how to use whatsapp

so I could day drink with my friend in Germany

[electric_blue68]

39. Ha!

[Tucker08087]

21. I have been a published poet for a long time, but..

…was asked to allow one poem to be turned into lyrics for a song. Then we tried 2 more. When the pandemic hit, we decided to keep going virtually. Then I started writing for various musicians, purposely switching to lyrics in a variety of genres, and then decided to take up keyboarding and guitar (mostly through youtube tutorials). I still write poetry, but at least 80% of what I do now is song writing. And by the way, although I work on the guitar every day, I still REALLY stink! But I’m VERY slowly getting there. If there’s one thing I have, it’s time!

[electric_blue68]

42. How interesting, and cool.

[Pinback]

22. I'm a total failure.

I haven’t made one single batch of sourdough bread!

I have, however, done a bunch of online training — mostly music-related (software and music theory) — and I blew some unused travel funds on music software.

I’ve also done a few audiobooks for little kids we know, including original music and silly voices. Lotsa fun!

[electric_blue68]

40. That sounds pretty cool.

[Pinback]

48. LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)

has a bunch of online training. I get free access via my local public library system! You can learn about Photoshop and other photography software, music applications like Ableton Live and Logic Pro, and lots more — plus many business-related courses for those so inclined.

Also through the library, I have access to Kanopy, which includes movies and TV shows, but also the whole range of “Great Courses.” So, during the mostly home-bound periods, these have been ways to use my time somewhat productively.

[Emile]

24. My magic cannabis chili will keep you high for 6 hours!

The gas alone will get everyone in the same room high. Good Shitl

[NCjack]

26. I am scanning (digitizing) camera color negatives from 1960 to 1980.

Having fun with SilverFast-9 scanning software and RawTherapee-5.8 editing software.

[Emile]

28. Great idea! I need to do that with my old fishing trip photos!

[LuckyCharms]

29. Refinishing furniture with gel stain vs. a traditional

penetrating oil-based stain.

[Corgigal]

30. My ears have super human strength,

because I listen to music even louder now.

[MOMFUDSKI]

33. Doing a lot of stained glass

which is a perfect pandemic hobby. Love it. Learned how the summer before pandemic set in.

[electric_blue68]

41. Oh, wonderful. My artist aunt did that off & on. She was a printmaker (wood) as her ...

most frequent creative expression, along with etchings, watercolors, pastels, bits of other stuff.

[berniesandersmittens]

34. Cutting hair

Been giving my family and neighbors hair cuts.

My buddy across the field asked me to trim up around his ears. I said "Ok. But you have to lie down"

I'm an embalmer, so we still like to laugh about it.

[3catwoman3]

35. Now that I am retired, I have gotten really good...

…at hitting the snooze button in the morning.

[electric_blue68]

43. A nice skill to have! 😄

[William Seger]

36. Lockpicking

... but I still suck at it. Got hooked on the Lockpicking Lawyer Youtube channel.

[electric_blue68]

44. Ha. I've never quite understood how those tools can do that...

as in -- well, I guess get a sense or feel of how to manipulate those tools move the lock pins into alignment to unlock.

Unless it takes longer than when you see it on a TV show! 😄

[HipChick]

45. I studied and got certified on cloud technology...

and pivoted a career change...