Hobbies To Get You Excited For Fall

I never think I’m going to get excited about autumn, but I always end up super pumped about the trees changing and it being cold enough to wear a sweater. Between that and knowing that warm mugs of spiced cider lie ahead in the near future, I’m very happy with the seasons changing. To spread the festive fall cheer, here are a couple autumnal hobbies I’m excited about that you should pick up too!

Knitting

Knitting is something you’re probably relatively aware of. It’s not exactly a new concept. But I’m starting to think its obviousness has gotten to the point where we miss it even when there is yarn staring us in the face. Knitting is the perfect craft. Yarn is relatively cheap, there’s no mess, and it’s very portable. It’s also perfect for autumn because knitting is cozy and warm and makes me think of hot chocolate, and by the time you’ve made a couple scarves and hats you will be all set for winter. The most basic concept is straight forward, but there are a number of directions to go with it if you are so inclined. I usually stick with making trusty scarves, but there are tons of ways that you can make knitting more interesting than that if you are feeling crafty, plenty to keep you occupied throughout the season. I like having a knitting project going because it’s something for my idle hands to reach toward that isn’t my phone or the TV remote. Especially in the fall when school is in full swing and I need designated distractions that I can go to, knitting makes a very good one because it keeps you focused but also feels like a break.

Making Jam

I actually just made jam for the first time last weekend, so I am not a good person to ask about the finer points of jam making techniques. But I can say that it isn’t nearly as intimidating or difficult as I expected it to be. We followed the directions that were included in the pectin packet, which is the preservative you use in making jam. According to the internet, though, there are about a million different ways you can go about making jam, and some of them don’t require pectin. Where I live there are a lot of berries still in season, so if that’s the case for you you can go out and pick your own, or you can buy some or use frozen ones. Blackberries are, in my humble opinion, the greatest food to ever grace our earth, and making jam is the perfect way to make them and all the other delicious late summer/early fall fruits and berries last all year long. Here is a comprehensive guide to canning, and here, here, and here are are specific recipes for different types of jam!

Geocaching

Geocaching is essentially a world-wide, never ending treasure hunt, and I love it. The premise is that people hide things, use a GPS to keep track of exactly where their geocache is located, and post the coordinates online so that other people can find it. What’s hidden can be anything from a large tupperware container to a film canister or even smaller, and there are often knickknacks to trade or a log to sign and say you’ve been there. There are geocaches in neighborhoods, parks, on hiking trails, at campgrounds, every outdoor place you can think of. Once you sign up on the geocaching website, you can use their map function to show locations of geocaches near you. Once you have the general location of where it is you’re looking, you can head out with a GPS (an actual GPS device is great if you have access to one, but if not there are plenty of smart phone GPS apps that work just fine) and hunt it down. I always look up caches before I go hiking, or to the beach with my family, pretty much anywhere that I think it might be a fun way for a group to spend an hour or so. All the information for how it works is on the geocaching website. Geocaching is great all year long but this time of year is my favorite for it because it is cool enough for long walks and hikes but hasn’t started raining yet. When I do get depressed about summer being over it is usually because I feel like I’m going to get stranded inside, so this is a perfect excuse to get out in the world and take advantage of the beautiful fall weather.