I've been knitting and crocheting for quite some time - it's such a wonderful hobby. Like cycling, it can often be what I'd call 'active meditation'. There's bound to be a yarn shop (or two, or three) in your area and that's where I'd go for classes. Here's a shop in Newburgh (I found the listing in one of my knitting books), maybe they can point you to a shop in your area:

http://www.thevillageknitter.com/

As for other hobbies, how about quilting? As a beginner, you can just cut a bunch of 4x4" squares and stitch them together. When you finish the entire quilt, you would just need to add some backing (and insulation if you want) and there, all done. This is one of those great hobbies because your first quilt and all the obviously newbie stitches will still look great - imperfect quilts are often the most appreciated. And, any old shirts, pants, towels or curtains can easily serve as material for a quilt. This is a great little craft project to do with kids, too.