Beware Craft.

I love craft; currently I'm crocheting granny squares. I get obsessed with a different craft every so often. Sometimes I realise I'm not really into it… scrapbooking, for example. I knew it wasn't for me. In these cases it is crucial to FINISH your project, because if you know you aren't a knitter, and you predict getting bored of knitting, you will have half of something in a bag for all eternity. Best to really crunch through it while you are keen. Unfinished craft items are awful. The joy of creativity has leaked away and all you have is a chore, a piece of clutter, an object of guilt. Beware craft.

Some crafts are prone to long stagnant periods, due to their slowness. I have 2 cross-stitches which have well passed their tenth anniversaries, but I no longer feel guilty about them. Cross-stitch and tapestry were invented before television. While easy, they require attention to detail, the effort of following patterns, and a lot of patience. There are times when this is exactly what you need, i.e. my Mum did several impressive tapestries when she was pregnant and unable to sleep. The important thing with these slow projects is to:

a) choose a timeless design*. Dragons go out of fashion, for example. Although they may come back ironically, so you could play the long game.
b) never stop and put it away when you've made a mistake and gotten frustrated. When you get it out a year later you'll be so cross, and be put off. Unpick it so you can start fresh later.
c) store it carefully. Accept that storage is part of the project and look after it when you aren't working on it.

*This bike picture is what I want one of my cross-stitches to look like when it's finished. I still like it now as much as when I bought it. The other one is teddy bears, and unsurprisingly I have no interest in stitching teddy bears anymore.