by Morgan Herbert
“New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” –Mark Twain
It’s no big secret that most of us don’t keep our new year’s resolutions for more than a few weeks. In fact, US News reports that a whopping 80 percent of resolutions are history by this time of year—midway through February. But maybe that’s because resolutions just aren’t that fun. If you’ve given up on your shiny new diet or gym membership, why not make a resolution that you’ll be happy to keep, like starting a new hobby? Here are some of the most popular hobbies that you can indulge right here in Downtown Wytheville.
Arts and Crafts
Our region is a hotbed of artistic talent, and it offers plenty to do for the artsy and crafty types. From hobby shops bursting with supplies and inspiration to clubs and classes of every type, Downtown Wytheville has you covered.
Batiks Etcetera and Sew What Fabrics specializes in authentic Indonesian batiks and hand-dyed fabrics, but they also offer a dizzying array of quilting cottons, sewing machines, patterns, notions, and accessories. Newbies or those who want to expand their knowledge can try one of their clubs or classes, like their Embroidery Club, Legacy Quilt Club, or an Open Sew session.
Want to take up knitting or crocheting? Wythe Yarn Shoppe caters to the fiber arts community, offering a wide variety of yarns including specialty blends like alpaca fiber. On Thursdays, the shop hosts open Sit & Stitch events from 6:00 to 8:00pm, and novices can take advantage of Beginning Knitting lessons on the second Saturday of each month.
Rose Cottage School of Art offers private lessons, paint parties, classes, and other hands-on events throughout the year.
Gaming
Did you know that 200 million North Americans are playing video games at any given time? Whether you’re an old-school gamer from way back, or you’re looking for a fun new hobby that will allow you to connect with the kids or grandkids, video games are an undoubtedly popular diversion. Wytheville’s own Video Game Exchange offers a great selection of new, used, and old-school games, plus collectible card and tabletop games like Magic: the Gathering and more.
Reading & Social Groups
Reading is a great way to learn about something new or to just keep yourself entertained for an hour or two. The Wythe County Public Library offers access to not only the thousands of books they house onsite, but also all the books and media at the four other branches of the Wythe-Grayson Regional Library System as well as the Galax-Carroll system. And they can get you an item from one of hundreds of other participating libraries through a process called inter-library loan. They’ve also got a great selection of e-books available for short-term download… FREE. As if that weren’t enough, they offer a wide array of clubs, from book groups to coloring to card games.
Winter is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby. Stay indoors with a good book, a new knitting project, or your favorite video game—after a quick visit to Downtown Wytheville! Visit our newly revamped events calendar to stay on top of all the events, classes, and programs happening Downtown.
