The Connections Warren Watchung Edition Feb/Mar 2022

theconnectionsnj.com HOME & DESIGN PAGE 36 Winter is here. I love the 4 seasons. Yet, after the holidays and the first snow, the joy is gone and I’m ready for spring. Really ready! Since that dream is out of my control, while remaining in the northeast anyway, let’s get through it together. Think Hygge. Hygge (hoo-ga) is defined by the Oxford English Dic- tionary as “a quality of coziness and comfort- able conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” It comes from a 16th century Norwegian term “hugga” which means “to comfort” or “to console.” Hygge is a feeling, a state of mental coziness or con- tentment achieved through simplicity. Winter is a perfect time for Hygge. We’re indoors more than any other time of year, yet there are so many ways to be involved, comforted, connected with others, and even earn in- come. Winter is a perfect time for a Hygge Hobby. Below are some Winter Hygge Hob- bies. I’m sure you have others. Calligraphy Pottery Chess Poetry Cooking/Baking Renovations Crocheting Scrapbooking Dancing Sewing Drawing Skiing Gardening (Bonsai) Sledding Graphic Design Tennis Guitar / Music Writing Hiking Weight Lifting Ice Fishing Yoga Knitting Hobbies are not isolated time wasters. They are acts of engagement; a way to use leisure times to produce something tangible, learn a new skill, and strengthen your body. Hobbies are pleasurable and active. Hobbies allow you to be in your own company. Hobbies can be done anywhere, engaging hands and mind. Hobbies bring us peace. Hygge involves mindfulness, coziness and nourishment of the soul. The idea is to stay active and enjoy what you are doing. Just be- cause it’s cold and dreary outside, we don’t need to be alone or sedentary. My grandmother used to say, “You will al- ways have a friend if you have a book.” So true! During the pandemic, we all learned to Zoom, Skype or FaceTime to stay connected. I also realized that during the winter months, it is a great way to have an evening out without the worry of bad weather, early darkness or dis- tance. The combination of a warm room, cups of tea, camaraderie, great conversation, prob- lem solving, lots of laughter and knitting made the blues fade. Hobbies can help promote healthier living; yoga, strength training, cross country skiing and knitting! Why knitting? Well, not just knit- ting, but any hobby that keeps your hands and mind busy will deter binge eating. Keep a water bottle nearby. Increasing water consumption will also help you to stay healthy. Hobbies offer new challenges and provide a positive type of stress called eustress. Eustress is the good feeling from endorphins achieved from success, motivation, performance or feel- ing of well-being. Just think how you feel once you’ve accomplished something new. Positive stress helps us build resilience and sticktoitive- ness (follow through). Hobbies can provide a venue for additional income. Remember the saying, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”. Painting, calligraphy, photography, pottery and graphic design are some ideas that can generate income. Etsy, Instagram, and Face- book Marketplace are all sites where you can sell your work online. For drawers, painters and graphic artists, there is Spoonflower.com. Here you can take any drawing or design, post it and sell it as fabric, wallpaper and/or wrapping pa- per. It is so cool. Some of my favorite winter hobbies are the needle arts: knitting, crocheting, sewing, mending, embroidery. Usually, I’m combining those with audio books and podcasts. Add a cup of herbal tea, please. Ahh! My current projects are: The Twigs Sweater by Junko Okamoto, Sea Glass Tee by Wool and Pine, A Good Vintage Cardi by Fran Morgan, mending a friend’s sweater, and em- broidering our family chris- tening gown with the name of our 14th addition. The handmade gown is 96 years old and still in perfect con- dition (Find all the patterns on Ravelry.com). Create a Hygge space for yourself. Light a candle, fire- place or twinkle lights. Get cozy with warm socks and hot chocolate, coffee or tea. Add a book or a project. Try The Little Book of Hygge by Miek Wiking. For project ideas, try a nice comfy throw like the Hygge Holiday Throw (crochet) hygge-free-beginner-crochet-blanket-pattern or the Braided Cable Knit Throw (knit) RHK0502- 015859M.pdf. My projects are ready for a Hygge win- ter. It’s time to light the fire and get cozy. Hobbies offer new challenges and provide a positive type of stress called eustress. Eustress is the good feeling from endorphins achieved from success, motivation, performance or feeling of well- being. Just think how you feel once you’ve accomplished something new. Positive stress helps us build resilience and sticktoitiveness (follow through). 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