# Hobby Lobby today....



## JJBlaine (Mar 17, 2020)

I'm not quite sure if a crochet emergency will qualify as "essential" travel in case of a lockdown, so I decided to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby while I was out shopping today for a little extra yarn.

I was shocked. Amazed. Stunned even. Row upon row of fully stocked shelves. Aisle after aisle devoid of customers. Only two cashiers and both with only 1-2 people in line.

What exactly are people planning on doing when it comes time to quarantine/lockdown? Doesn't anyone have hobbies anymore? Is it seriously all just Netflix and Playstation?

I find thoughts running thru my head like "What is wrong with young people today?" And for the first time in my life, I feel old. : (


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## Obsidian (Mar 17, 2020)

Lol, the last thing I'd want to do is crochet but I hate yarn work in general.

I have my games and books. I don't go out much anyways so my day to day life isn't impacted as of yet.

At least I live in a area where I can go outside and not worry about being exposed or endangering others. Yard work is come, then gardening.

My hubby will go crazy if he won't be able to work. Maybe he can get some of those projects caught up.


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## TheGecko (Mar 17, 2020)

JJBlaine said:


> I'm not quite sure if a crochet emergency will qualify as "essential" travel in case of a lockdown, so I decided to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby while I was out shopping today for a little extra yarn.
> 
> I was shocked. Amazed. Stunned even. Row upon row of fully stocked shelves. Aisle after aisle devoid of customers. Only two cashiers and both with only 1-2 people in line.
> 
> ...



We have a huge Mennonite community...the ladies were out in full force this weekend stocking up on basic goods such as yarn, fabric, thread, etc.  Our LYS (local yarn store) has closed till at least the end of the month, but is taking on line orders...she said business is good.


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## Alira (Mar 17, 2020)

That's how it was for us yesterday at Hobby Lobby. There might have been a total of 100 people come through my entire day shift. Fun part was when it seemed like they all wanted to come right as our power went out for 20-30 minutes. I don't know about the other 3 cashiers, but I rang up an awful lot of fabric, yarn and puzzles when I wasn't scrubbing down the counters and buggies. If we shut down, I've got plenty of soaping stuff to do. I've also got a large stockpile of fabric and yarn for my daughter and I to play with. She's also got soap projects to do as well as painting projects.


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## cmzaha (Mar 17, 2020)

I probably have enough yarn to stock a store.


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## Alira (Mar 17, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> I probably have enough yarn to stock a store.



I've got 4 oversized totes overfilled with yarn, along with a couple of suitcases and several large bags tucked around the apartment. My fiancee told/asked me last year to not bring home any more yarn after I cleaned a couple of thrift stores out, lol. He's perfectly fine with the constant stream of soaping supplies though. Go figure, lol.


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## Lin19687 (Mar 17, 2020)

I'm good........ This shut in should help me 1) finish the back of this big quilt.  2) make more with the stash i have


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## Arimara (Mar 17, 2020)

I could take advantage and use my yarn stash. I really should.


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## TheGecko (Mar 18, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> I probably have enough yarn to stock a store.



I’m not that bad, but bad enough that it’ll be a year before I run out.  I’ll probably use my gift certificate to stock up a little, but right now I’m laying in some extra soap supplies...noticed I was running low in Castor oil and I;ve been getting requests for Lotion Bars with all the hand washing going in.


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## Susie (Mar 18, 2020)

I have hobbies, thank you for asking.  I have enough yarn to crochet or loom knit several house covers, thank you very much.  My hand, though, after the fracture, says not so fast.  I really have tried to convince myself to give it to someone, but it never happened.  I am going to see if I can crochet or loom knit for 1 hour a day.

I am already planning on how to spend my lockdown time.  I ordered an Italian loaf mold for bread.  I am planning to go this afternoon to the farm and ranch store to buy summer vegetable plants and another parsley plant as mine bolted.  I have not ordered any soaping supplies as every time I turn around I am finding more already that is already made.  And as it is, I have enough made for our extended family for about 3 years.

I am also going to wrangle my hubby around to my way of thinking and letting me order a sewing machine (hand cranked that I can convert to using a battery operated screwdriver to run) for leather so I can use up the supplies I have (and maybe get more).  Hand sewing the leather kills my hand.  I also have a co-worker that has offered to let me borrow a cloth sewing machine (she has 9 at last count), so I may pick that back up.  

I almost have too many hobbies at this point.  And a sudden influx of time may just be what I need to work some of this stuff into usable items.


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## Kcryss (Mar 18, 2020)

I have enough yarn to make several large afghans, a few sweaters and lots of doilies. 

I learned how to make rag rugs last summer and have bags of old t-shirts just waiting to chopped and braided. 

Loaned my best sewing machine to a daughter but could still sew if needed with the other two sitting here collecting dust. 

All of that and I'd rather make soap!


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## Kiti Williams (Mar 18, 2020)

JJBlaine said:


> I'm not quite sure if a crochet emergency will qualify as "essential" travel in case of a lockdown, so I decided to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby while I was out shopping today for a little extra yarn.
> 
> I was shocked. Amazed. Stunned even. Row upon row of fully stocked shelves. Aisle after aisle devoid of customers. Only two cashiers and both with only 1-2 people in line.
> 
> ...




  I am stocked for the next 2 weeks at least with things to do, then  there are the 4 quilts to long arm, the parrots to play with, the husband (working from home as of today) to deal with.......my plate is full.


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## AliOop (Mar 18, 2020)

I always work remotely from home, and as part of management, have more work now that some of our staff is out. I will have less time for hobbies now, not more. Not complaining one bit tho - I'm incredibly thankful to be working for a company that can stay open and keep auto-depositing that paycheck into my bank account. Many others are not so fortunate... like my daughter, who just opened a business and had to let go of her two employees since she's in a forced closure area. And her husband works remotely at home for a business that is seriously impacted by the closures, AND their two young kids are home from school. It's pretty rough out there.


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## Steve85569 (Mar 18, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> I probably have enough yarn to stock a store.



Not me but DW Jan has a very nice stash. She does finger weaving ( native American tradition) and baskets ( same) and always has at least one project going. She stocks enough yarn to last her a year. 
I need to get a stash of lye...

We both also have outdoor hobbies and live remote enough that those will still be available if we need to "shelter in place".

I am REALLY hoping this is not the "new normal".


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## Millie (Mar 18, 2020)

You knitters and crocheters amaze me. My hands are slow, my stitches are clumsy and I'm too impatient for anything large. I did order a darning foot for my sewing machine though so I can try free motion quilting during the shelter-in-place order we've come to expect. I have a quilt top ready to go. I am pretty excited to try it. I have only made utility quilts before from old clothes, but this one has pretty new fabric. And I have plenty of soaping supplies to tide me over til gardening season.


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## Relle (Mar 19, 2020)

Plenty of hobbies to keep going for 100 yrs or more. Knitting, crocheting, poly clay, stained glass, Chinese painting, drawing, pottery (haven't done any for ages), soaping of course, gardening after the rain, lots and lots of sewing, embroidery, colouring in books etc etc.

I've been crocheting a blanket ( Persian Tiles) for the last 3 weeks day and night, I stay up until 11pm, then do some while I eat breakfast and probably do too much crocheting when I should be doing other things.


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## cmzaha (Mar 19, 2020)

I did forget to mention I could pull out some of my unfinished cross stitch and a king-sized Giant Dahila quilt top that needs one row of Seminole Indian Patchwork border that was started many moons ago. The Giant bias dahlia is all hand sewn with only the border done on a machine. It really is a shame I never finished it. Maybe I will get it out and look at it since I am not sure if I will have a market when this mess is over.


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## Nanette (Mar 19, 2020)

Just stay safe folks!


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## amd (Mar 19, 2020)

JJBlaine said:


> What exactly are people planning on doing when it comes time to quarantine/lockdown? Doesn't anyone have hobbies anymore? Is it seriously all just Netflix and Playstation?



I have approx enough oils and supplies to make 100 batches of soap, so I should be plenty busy, as well as enough other supplies to be well stocked in B&B products. I also have 100 books on my shelves to read. Provided that we are not quarantined by the weekend, hubby is picking up paint so that should I not be able to work from home I will be able to paint various rooms in our house. We also have four totes of various board games to enjoy lots of family time. So ... no... I actually foresee very little Netflix and gaming in my future.


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## Relle (Mar 20, 2020)

cmzaha said:


> I did forget to mention I could pull out some of my unfinished cross stitch and a king-sized Giant Dahila quilt top that needs one row of Seminole Indian Patchwork border that was started many moons ago. The Giant bias dahlia is all hand sewn with only the border done on a machine. It really is a shame I never finished it. Maybe I will get it out and look at it since I am not sure if I will have a market when this mess is over.


Would love to see your cross stitch and quilt . I have some cross stitch too - now where is it ? that is the question.
Maybe now is the time we can work on our UFO's and share photos. Always love to see what other hobbies, craft etc that everyone does. 

This is what I'm working on (google image), I decided to add an extra row and make it 4 rows across and 5 rows down. I blocked some of it today and will start the extra octagons tonight.


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## Alira (Mar 20, 2020)

As of today, the Hobby Lobby I work at is officially closed until further notice. Even though we sell essential oils, we are not considered an essential store. (someone actually called and asked that according to my CSM) We stayed long enough to unload and process the truck and make sure the registers were cleaned. I can't say for the other stores, but our registers were soaked down completely. I used an entire bottle of disinfectant on them. If a customer could come in contact with it, it got soaked down to the baseboards, lol.


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## Sally Scheibner (Mar 20, 2020)

JJBlaine said:


> I'm not quite sure if a crochet emergency will qualify as "essential" travel in case of a lockdown, so I decided to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby while I was out shopping today for a little extra yarn.
> 
> I was shocked. Amazed. Stunned even. Row upon row of fully stocked shelves. Aisle after aisle devoid of customers. Only two cashiers and both with only 1-2 people in line.
> 
> ...



*Retired* Teacher here, , and when students said they were bored!!! I’d go ballistic. I taught in a Special Center w/ profoundly disabled students & reminded my behavior challenged kids how our friends ate blended food & couldn’t run, play, interact, learn!  They eventually got my drift. Slipped in my own soap for boys to use  after tinkling, etc. 
It hurts that most kids are under the influence of gaming technology but many are really utilizing their brains w/technology towards great


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## Steve85569 (Mar 20, 2020)

Sally Scheibner said:


> and when students said they were bored!!!



Mom would say "only boring people are bored" and then wait to see if you found something to do or if ya "needed help".


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## Misschief (Mar 20, 2020)

Steve85569 said:


> Mom would say "only boring people are bored" and then wait to see if you found something to do or if ya "needed help".


We learned very quickly never to tell my mom we were bored. She always found something for us to do and it was never something we wanted to do. I still despise weeding the garden!

Like many of you, I'm also a knitter. Right now, I have at least three projects to finish, including a pair of felted slippers for my husband, a shawl for myself, and a knitting repair job for a friend. I also need to organize my soap storage room (aka the spare bedroom). Maybe then I'll find that lost batch of gardener's soap. 

That said, I'm still working but we're reducing our open hours. We're usually open 8:30 - 5 Mon. through Friday but, starting next week, it will be 9:30 - 3:30. Already, three of our eleven staff (in 2 locations - two had been travelling and are now in self-isolation) have been laid off. My co-worker and I work half days for now and next week, depending on how busy it is or isn't, some production staff will be working alternate days or as needed.


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## Mobjack Bay (Mar 20, 2020)

@Relle  wow, I love that afghan.  I can crochet, but not very well.  My sister is a very accomplished knitter. 

Before I started making soap, my main hobby was sewing.  My fabric stash is ginormous.  I have gorgeous wool that I bought in the Los Angeles fabric district to make a coat, but it would be a MAJOR project. I haven’t even managed to make simple curtains for the cabinets in my pantry since I started making soap.

I have never understood how anyone can say they are bored.


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## Relle (Mar 21, 2020)

If we put all our stashes together (that is fabric, wool, craft supplies ) I'm sure we would have enough for a shop.


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## Relle (Mar 21, 2020)

My next project, no current pattern available, I'll have to improvise.


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## Relle (Mar 21, 2020)

In case you run out of things to crochet.


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## Mobjack Bay (Mar 21, 2020)




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## Susie (Mar 21, 2020)

I was asking my hubby if he thought I might need a new hobby to stay sane in case of a "shelter in place" order.  He looked at me as if I had grown an extra head.

The bandwidth of our internet and the cell phone systems are getting overloaded in this area.  I was getting lots of "all circuits are busy" when trying to call cell phones the last two days from work.  And I was having trouble streaming video to my bedroom TV last night (I primarily only watch TV to fall asleep, as it puts me to sleep.  That's why I have hobbies.) So, more people need to step away from the devices and find hobbies.


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## Susie (Mar 21, 2020)

Relle said:


> In case you run out of things to crochet.



LOL


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## amd (Mar 24, 2020)

Steve85569 said:


> Mom would say "only boring people are bored"


I need to remember that one for the youngest boy. "Boring" is his canned response to most questions about how things are.


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## Millie (Mar 27, 2020)

Happy to report that free motion quilting is woooonderfulll!!!!! It also goes a lot faster than I realized and I'm jonesing for more fabric.


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## Kiti Williams (Mar 27, 2020)

Millie said:


> Happy to report that free motion quilting is woooonderfulll!!!!! It also goes a lot faster than I realized and I'm jonesing for more fabric.




  I know the feeling!


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## cmzaha (Mar 27, 2020)

My girls learned at a young age not to tell me they are bored. I always un-bored them.  I hate that word, it is just not in my vocabulary.


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## SmockingRN (Mar 27, 2020)

JJBlaine said:


> I'm not quite sure if a crochet emergency will qualify as "essential" travel in case of a lockdown, so I decided to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby while I was out shopping today for a little extra yarn.
> 
> I was shocked. Amazed. Stunned even. Row upon row of fully stocked shelves. Aisle after aisle devoid of customers. Only two cashiers and both with only 1-2 people in line.
> 
> Our local Hobby Lobby is still open in spite of a strong stay at home order from our governor. I would so love to go to Hobby Lobby! Our’s is usually packed with dozens of crAfters. I meet the nicest people there, usually in the fabric dept. I sew, quilt, hand embroider and smock, and just lately make soap!



I love Seminole patchwork! As soon as I get over this plague I mean to do some!


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## Alira (Mar 27, 2020)

I learned quick to never claim boredom around Gram, lol. She'd find some chore or another for me, be it tending the animals, mending fences, gardening or crafting. To this day, I have to have my hands occupied with something no matter what my brain is occupied with. I can't even watch TV or a movie without losing interest in 5 -10 minutes. 

My SO has decided that if something can hold my interest throughout the entire thing, it's worth his interest, lol. Unless it's a movie or show that he's interested in or seen before, he doesn't always pay attention to what I'm trying to watch. If I can sit and watch the entire thing without distraction the first time, then he'll watch it when I rewatch it.

Now I'm wondering if that's why he so encouraging about the soap making, lol. He knows I can spend hours on that without distraction.


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## Millie (Mar 28, 2020)

I have a handful of hobbies, and have even come to enjoy my chores about the house, but I also enjoy a little time to stare into space and let my brain roam about. It's not laziness, I swear!


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## Kiti Williams (Mar 28, 2020)

My Gran,a had a sure fire way of getting rid of "bordness", she plunked the 1st book of our Encyclopedia into my lap and had me read.  She even bookmarked it so when I said it again I could "pick up where I left off"!  I got all the way to "G" before I figured out her strategy.  I read the rest of the volumes just so I could know the ending!  This has made me a wiz at Trivial Pursuit!


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## Alira (Mar 28, 2020)

Kiti Williams said:


> My Gran,a had a sure fire way of getting rid of "bordness", she plunked the 1st book of our Encyclopedia into my lap and had me read.  She even bookmarked it so when I said it again I could "pick up where I left off"!  I got all the way to "G" before I figured out her strategy.  I read the rest of the volumes just so I could know the ending!  This has made me a wiz at Trivial Pursuit!



I love that! I was made fun of in school because I always read either the dictionary or encyclopedias during free time. But, ya know? I always made high grades in nearly all my classes. I still have the massive Webster's dictionary my mom had growing up. Printed in the 1960's, complete with a section on etiquette and other social stuff. According to my family, I became a walking dictionary thanks to that thing.


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## Kiti Williams (Mar 29, 2020)

Rene Kilzer said:


> I love that! I was made fun of in school because I always read either the dictionary or encyclopedias during free time. But, ya know? I always made high grades in nearly all my classes. I still have the massive Webster's dictionary my mom had growing up. Printed in the 1960's, complete with a section on etiquette and other social stuff. According to my family, I became a walking dictionary thanks to that thing.




  I had dyslexia as a child (still do) and the readings helped me out.  Gran said that the word was spelled right in my head, it was just when I wrote it down that problems started.  I didn't know what happened to those revered tomes, but I have all of them via the "Net" now.


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## Alira (Mar 29, 2020)

Kiti Williams said:


> I had dyslexia as a child (still do) and the readings helped me out.  Gran said that the word was spelled right in my head, it was just when I wrote it down that problems started.  I didn't know what happened to those revered tomes, but I have all of them via the "Net" now.



One of my cousins is dyslexic. Wonder if gram and his mom had done that, if it'd have helped him any. Took years before they were able to get him tested for it. By the time he was acknowledged as having it, he'd grown too freaking lazy to put forth any effort on things. 
While I love being able to access up-to-date(ish) info on the web, I really miss those heavy books.


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## Kiti Williams (Mar 29, 2020)

Rene Kilzer said:


> One of my cousins is dyslexic. Wonder if gram and his mom had done that, if it'd have helped him any. Took years before they were able to get him tested for it. By the time he was acknowledged as having it, he'd grown too freaking lazy to put forth any effort on things.
> While I love being able to access up-to-date(ish) info on the web, I really miss those heavy books.




  I know, nothing smells as good as an old book.  I still read real books, and love to go to the Library.


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## Ladka (Mar 30, 2020)

I am one of those old-fashioned people who only read printed books. And when I bring fresh books from the library I might not go to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning ...


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## Sally Scheibner (Mar 31, 2020)

Kiti Williams said:


> I know, nothing smells as good as an old book.  I still read real books, and love to go to the Library.



I’ve always loved old libraries that have old books in them waiting for me to discover what I don’t know yet. I learned to love the nonfiction about  “sailing around the world” stories of men and real women who either finished the trip for their captain husband ( she was navigator for trip) that died or those running away from poor conditions in England.  Love Joshua slocum & Bernard Moitessier.  I actually have a long time fear of water but learned to have faith in a floating boat. Wanna go drift fishing again!


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