Why we all need a cosy hobby

Now more than ever

Love Note sweater by TinCan Knits

Suddenly it seems that ‘cosy hobbies’ are big news. You can’t look online or observe the world around you without becoming aware of the fact that quietly introverted hobbies such as reading, gaming and crafting are becoming much more talked about.

And hooray to that I say.

Hobbies such as reading and knitting were definitely not considered cool when I was a teenager. As a socially awkward child who was bullied at school and never really fitted in, books were my refuge and I spent most school break times with a book in my hand. Time at home I often spent knitting or trying to teach myself crochet from books while my classmates were meeting up socially.

During my student years in an attempt to emulate my peers and fit in more I dropped the yarn crafts and the books (apart from those needed for my studies). Knitting was out and hard partying was in. In fact I don’t think I read a book for pleasure during my entire first degree, and the knitting definitely didn’t get a look in.

Looking at my son’s University friends their experience could not be more different from mine. Yes, he is a non-drinker as are many of his friends so I guess it is a fairly self-selected group, and student nightlife is of course still legendary. But there is far less stigma attached these days to announcing that your hobby is something considered to be less than cool. Both of my son’s are gamers (as well as being into sports and other activities) and have a fabulous network of fellow gaming pals at Universities up and down the country. They keep in touch with friends from home via online games as well as making new ones.

Our local café for a more craft-based example, is experimenting with ‘quiet hobby’ nights. You are free to take your quiet hobby of choice - whether it is needle crafts, reading, drawing, gaming (with headphones) and just quietly enjoy your hobby in the company of others. Drinking a hot beverage, relaxing and and enjoying the feeling of being quietly, introvertedly sociable.

My friend went to the last one with her travel water-colour set and reported that there was such a lovely range of hobbies on display, she spent more time seeing what everyone else was doing than working on her own piece.

It honestly sounds like heaven - and as soon as I can persuade myself off the sofa and out of the house past 7pm I will be right there to check it out.

Stopping the scroll

The other very obvious point - and one that seems even more important right now - is that it is really hard to doom scroll when you are engaged in your favourite hobby. Whether you are losing yourself in a book, immersed in your cross stitch or just enjoying the stripes as you knit a sock. The crucial thing is that you aren’t scrolling your way through an endless parade of social media posts designed to capture the attention of your ‘fight or flight’ response and get your adrenaline levels soaring.

Cosy hobbies offer the complete antithesis to this. Pick up your project and your heart rate drops, your blood pressure lowers, you are physically, measurably calmer. Even better, you enter a psychologically beneficial flow state where you aren’t just avoiding the harm that doom scrolling can do, you are taking positive action to improve your mental wellbeing.

All is fine with your cosy world. The real world can wait a while - you have knitting to enjoy.

If you want to give your 2025 reading a boost and enjoy getting lost in a book - keep your eyes open for an email coming later this week. I’ll be sending you an invitation to a cosy Everyday Knitter Bookswap - subscribe below to make sure you don’t miss it.