I expect it varies depending on the store, but a place near me has things like remnants and ends of rolls, upholstery fabric sample books, offcuts of things like leather (the bits left around the edges after the pieces are cut out) and the ends of elastic and lace rolls that are too small for manufacturers to be bothered with but perfect for home use.
I've been thinking a lot about what makes for a good group since I moved to Lemmy. Small and engaged is what I came up with, and authentic is definitely part of that. A lot of people's normal response is to look for the biggest group for everything, but I believe once a group passes a certain size it loses the ability to have good constructive discussions - at best you get a core group participating and a lot of people who just watch, but more often you lose the space for anything exept superficial conversations as everything that is not new gets lost in the volume.
It's a pity Lemmy does not allow for subgroups, as that would be a good option for larger groups. The best options I have come up with so far are including weekly themed posts, and ongoing posts for specific topics linked from the sidebar so they can be kept visible. I think moderating a group well involves being part librarian, not just the rules enforcement most people focus on.
I agree completely with both those points.
It is less important that our hobbies are something that we are "not obliged to do" than that we are actively engaged in them.
Many people spend their free time in activities of passive consumption - watching TV, shopping and doing packaged, purchased "activities". The only active component is searching for the next thing to consume.
An actively engaging hobby is very different, it involves growth and learning. Many hobbies can be engaged in either passively or actively - think of the difference between a photographer who goes out every weekend to take photos and improve their technique, compared to one who spends hours researching and purchasing equipment but rarely "finds" the time to actually take photos.
The real difference between them is the mindset, and that can be applied to things you are obliged to do as well. My hobbies tend to be extensions of things that are necessary - cooking, gardening, sewing. All can be approached as necessary chores, but an approach of active engagement turns them into hobbies. Even scrolling the internet can be turned into a hobby - although I'm not sure if moderating a group and trying to learn enough javascript to automate things will make me a better person or lead to madness at this point!
I guess my argument is that it is not doing things outside of what we are obliged to that is important, it is doing more than we are obliged to do. It does not matter whether that "more" is different things, or things we need to do done in a different way.
That was one thing that really struck me on my trips overseas (Peru & Vietnam). There was public space everyone could use to just sit, to meet up with friends etc. I spent a lot of time just sitting and watching how everyday life unfolded around me.
At home (Australia) there are very few public spaces you are allowed to stay in without paying. Even public parks tend to be built on the assumption people will mostly just pass through, there are not many places to sit (and most of the seats are for parents around playgrounds) We meet up in coffee shops and restaurants where we are expected to buy things to pay for the privledge. Instead of visiting in each other's homes we go out and pay for meals and entertainment. If we do invite people to our house it is generally somewhat competitive - showing off how great our house is, how amazing the meal we provide is etc.
I do manage to carve out some space for myself, although much of it is wandering the neighbourhood with the dog rather than loitering in one spot. But it is almost impossible to do the same with others. The type of relationships that are formed from long lazy conversations doing nothing much have been surplanted by the superficial conections of shared activities. The focus is not on each other any more, it is on the activities done and meals eaten. I really yearn for a few deeper connections, but what I am finding is just expensive meetups to compare notes on what everyone else has watched and eaten.
I was worried about a lump too, but I was not able to feel anything. It might vary depending on where it is though - my socks wear in one spot at the end of the big toe.
I think it is worth doing a netting stitch, and I have found it easier to do than straight once I worked it out. The wear spots happen where the sock is stretched, so I think that reducing the amount of stretch in that area would cause the darned area to wear out again more quickly.
I am hoping to get the time soon to make a short video showing the method I use, as I made it up based on a snippet in a book I can't find again and have not seen anywhere else that does the same.
I'm not sure what type of jam, I made quite a few this year! Most likely a strawberry (maybe strawberry & apple) and a mix I did with plum, peach, apricot and grape.
That looks like a really intersting project. Is the cork an inner sole, or is the sole entirely of cork?
I’d probably try a heavy cotton underneath as a patch and glue to that. If you could find a decorative braid or something that looks ok in a complimentary colour you could glue that around the cuff where it has torn for further reinforcement.
Possibly a strip of perforated leather or vinyl would work.
test comment
I use Excel. Apps generally seem to be focused on tracking spending, and are less useful for modeling future changes. If I want to look at my actual spending in more detail I can use the banks apps for that, the spreadsheet is more future focused.
I have been working on the spreadsheet for years with gradual improvements all the time, and it is exactly customised to my needs. So I can calculate my pay (which is variable and based on a ludicrously complicated structure), allocate the money based on a mix of set and percentage figures, model the impact of future changes such as increases in power costs or getting another pet, and estimate at any time how much I have accrued for utility bills not yet received.