Hi, I'm Anna and I'd like to invite you in to the world of WombleKnits. Where my twin passions of sustainability and knitting meet and have babies, in the shape of cotton mesh shopping bags, soap saver sacks and wool nappy soakers, to name just a few!
I began WombleKnits back in early 2017, and since then I've enjoyed posting on Facebook and Insta, and pinning to Pinterest… But for some time now I've been chafing for a better way to share my passions in more depth.
Hence the blog!
So. Who am I? I'm a 48 year-old wife and mother - and household manager (because running a household is so much more than just being a 'housewife'!) and part-time audio typist. I'm also an amateur singer, dancer and actress, a decade-long low-carber, and occasional seamstress.
And mother to a gorgeous silver tabby cat, Kasper, who you'll see occasionally in photos when he cat-bombs my photo shoots!
There are two things I'm incredibly passionate about.
One is the environment. My parents brought me up with reusable EVERYTHING (hankies, napkins, cleaning cloths, nappies, water bottles, flasks of coffee, lunch boxes, you name it!) so I've never seen the point of anything disposable. And then at university in the early 90s I learned about climate change and all the dreadful things we're doing to our planet which, frankly, scared me to death! And then I watched for decades as… nothing changed. It's soul-destroying, realising so few people care about this. I want to get the word out there.
My other passion is knitting. I learned to knit as a child, then did nothing until I went through a really hard pregnancy in 2005. I was exhausted and nauseous and spent a lot of time on the sofa, and wanted to do something useful that didn't involve too much energy! So I took up knitting again.
And when I discovered you could knit wool soakers for your baby's cloth nappies, my two passions came together beautifully!
Since then I have learned sooo much about choosing Earth-friendly yarns, and sustainable alternatives to mainstream products.
Which all led to setting up WombleKnits on Etsy in early 2017 and then, once I began selling my knitting patterns too, onto Ravelry as well.
And now this blog! A chance to better connect with people and share this journey we're all on towards living a little greener.
So what's in it for you?
Tips on sustainable living and products
Help files on things like using cloth nappies and wool soakers, shampoo bars instead of liquid soap, and reusable gift bags instead of wrapping paper
Ways that WombleKnits can help you live a more zero waste life
The chance to connect with other people who are as fervent about the environment as you are!
I'm not going to be writing loads and loads of blog entries. I have a mega-busy life influenced by a lot of outside factors I have no control over. But I'll try to post one or two entries a month. And, more importantly, make them worth your while to read!
And I'd love your feedback on what you'd like to see here. Questions, suggestions or complaints? Comment here or email me at wombleknits@gmail.com, or contact me via any of my social media channels linked below.
And why not sign up for my newsletter too? You'll get first notification of my new blog posts and any offers at my store.
Aaaand I think that's enough for a first blog. Till next time!
Anna