By Kathleen Szczepanik
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It’s January—the perfect time of year to designate as National Hobby Month.

Hobbyists will tell you that they belong to one of two groups: those who discovered their hobby accidentally and those who were deliberately looking for such an activity; they tried several hobbies to find which one brings them the most satisfaction.

Best dressed dolls
"I look at it as a purposeful use of my leisure time," says Seabrook resident Madelyn (Lyn) Lawson. "I love to knit, and I only do it while watching TV so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time."

It’s been a quick 12 years, but that’s how long it’s been since Lawson has been knitting sweater and cap ensembles, as well as slippers for the popular American Girl dolls.

"I guess I fall into the accidental category because my granddaughter is 23 years old now, and the American Girl doll has long been packed away," Lawson says. "She simply wanted more outfits, so I just kept going."

To date, Lawson has completed 763 sweaters (she keeps impeccable records) that she has designed and perfected over the years. Knitting since she was seven years old, she used to knit the sweaters in separate pieces and connect them, but now the sweaters are one piece and easier to handle. She chooses the colors and patterns and utilizes fashionable buttons like teddy bears, pearls, and flowers as adornments.

"The embellishments are great, especially the ‘fun fur’ that I use on the cuffs," she says. "Sometimes I will copy a pattern from an adult sweater, and it really turns out well as a smaller version.

"I love that people admire and appreciate my creations—that gives me the satisfaction to just keep going."

Hobby options at Seabrook
Take one look at a monthly calendar for Seabrook, and if you haven’t had a chance to pursue a hobby, now is the time to do it!