with wool and i

for a while I have wanted to start a craft blog, but I am generally put off by the excessive cheeriness of it all. also it took me ages to think of a good craft pun. I think this is acceptable: with wool and I refers to the 1987 film starring Richard E. Grant Withnail & I which is, I'm told, a UK cult classic. Apparently there are drinking games based on how many times they drink or smoke. I just watched it because I was bored over some holidays last year and my university library has a very healthy supply of DVDs. If you haven't seen it, I guess you would call it a 'black comedy'.

I should explain my relationship with wool perhaps. I basically have been knitting for years - my 'grandma Betty' taught me how to knit when I was about 10 - I've since been quite a voracious winter knitter, beginning scarves enthusiastically in the winter then letting them fall by the wayside after realising you can make pudding - an equal comfort and source of warmth - faster. A few years ago however I started foraying more into craft generally, making some little trams (will post a pattern and pictures later) as presents for my friends. If I could knit them faster I would make more and sell them on etsy or something. Maybe this blog will inspire that, you never know. Then last year I decided that it was time for me to learn how to crochet. And crochet I did. I became addicted. It's really bad. I've got about 7 hats to show for my time - have finally got the sizing down - and this inhatuation has transferred back over to my knitting. I think I'm also obsessed with the idea of seeing my friends wearing the stuff I've made.

So on this blog I will start making a back catalogue of the things I've made in the past and new things I do make, inspiration I find and so on.

First, a picture of me, wearing something that I made!

Stay tuned for the pattern...

ps really hard to resist temptation to call this post 'casting on'