Like everyone during the pandemic, I decided I needed to take up a hobby. I still loved my two old hobbies, cooking and reading, but both of those weren’t providing the same level of satisfaction as they used to. Now that my family was home more frequently, I seemed to be cooking all of the time and suddenly the time I used to spend preparing dinner went from relaxing to stressful as I cranked out three meals a day for everyone. Of course, I still love to read and I do read voraciously but I still felt like I needed something that wasn’t so closely connected to my job to help me unwind.

Should I take up knitting? No shade to my fellow librarians who knit but I just couldn’t bear to live up to the stereotype associated with my profession. Crocheting also felt too close to knitting to seriously consider. What about bread baking? Everyone loves fresh bread! Bread baking was the ultimate pandemic hobby. It was also over social media and so many folks on TikTok made it look soothing and magical. A bread-baking library colleague advised me on what basics to purchase and soon I was ready to begin my new hobby!

Except my daughter had other plans. I was informed that she “doesn’t like bread” and thought baking it would be boring. Dreams dashed, I stored my bread baking supplies in my basement, next to the other equipment from failed hobby attempts. Maybe she’ll come around in the next few years and we’ll dust those items off and bake bread together one day!

After realizing I’m not really outdoorsy or sporty, I shelved the idea of more active pursuits and went back to crafty hobbies. Something about embroidery really caught my attention. I think the initial attraction was the rows and rows of rainbow colored floss at the craft store coupled with the romantic notion that embroidering was a literary craft, like something a character in a Jane Austen novel would definitely be doing. In addition, embroidery didn’t have a lot of rules or guidelines to follow and it’s not a very expensive hobby to try out.

Embroidery is an easy and cheap hobby to take up but the possibilities are endless. It can be a little overwhelming to know where to begin so I used Craftsy, a website that offers tons of instructional videos on all kinds of crafts for Norwood library patrons. Craftsy can be accessed with your library card through Overdrive’s free Libby app. I was able to learn embroidery basics like what equipment I would need and how to do  basic stitches by watching Kat McTee’s Startup Library video on hand embroidery.

I’m still working my way through some samplers to practice basic stitches but the library’s embroidery craft book section has me dreaming about my first project. Stitch-opedia by Helen Winthrope Kendrick claims to be the only embroidery reference book I’ll ever need. I’m not sure about that but Winthrope does provide an exhaustive look at basic equipment and techniques, along with an exploration of the different types of hand embroidery work.

On the other end of the spectrum, Enchanting Embroidery Designs: Whimsical Animal and Plant Motifs to Stitch by Miw Morita is a delightfully odd mix of poetry about embroidery paired with fanciful designs for readers to try out. Each project is showcased by a beautiful photograph and a descriptive poem about the project. Morita provides the patterns, tools, and techniques necessary to achieve the designs she describes in her poetry.

For folks looking for basic, easy projects to create, Stitch & Sew: Beautifully Embroider 31 Projects by Aneela Hoey has practical instructions to help enthusiasts choose their first item to embroider. Projects like the small change purse or the flex glasses case include easy-to-follow embroidery instructions with basic sewing skills to create unique items. Patterns for the specific embroidery designs for each project are included in the back of the book.

Finally, fabric is not the only thing that can be embroidered. Japanese Paper Embroidery by Atsum, Minako Chiba, and Mari Kamio shows readers how to create patterns on paper and embroider them with traditional embroidery floss. Each project is beautifully photographed and detailed instructions are provided at the end of the book. Cards, invitations, and even a paper clock project can inspire paper crafters to dabble in embroidery.

So far, embroidery has been extremely satisfying and unexpectedly relaxing. I’ve enjoyed teaching myself the basics and learning about the different types I can explore with future projects. I’ll be watching more Craftsy videos to keep sharpening my skills and you can expect to see a growing embroidery book collection in the library’s stacks.

Kate Tigue is the Head of Youth Services at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Look for her article in the September 16, 2021 issue of the Transcript and Bulletin.