X-treme knitting...

I got these AMAAAAZING large knitting needles from The Knitting and Stitching show in November, and finally got round to using them in the Christmas holidays. Part of the Knit and Destroy makeover that is happening is changing the yarns I use, and this giant knitting is great for using up my acrylic yarn.

The 4 steps of knitting a stitch as taught to me by my mum...

IN

OVER

THROUGH
OFF
This giant piece of knitting is now beign very useful as a rug in our dining room, for more information on where to get hold of these giant needles and what you can do with them, check out Rachel John's fab website.

Inspiro 09 - the ladies - part 1

Eh up,
I think I mentioned, some changes are going on here, and I was having a think about all the people who had inspired me to do Knit and Destroy in the first place, then those who had inspired me to move it forward. I was walking along and daydreaming about these great women who had inspired me, then I realised...2009 was a pretty inspirational year for me! I met 3 ladies who I had admired from afar for years,...first up was Angelique Houtkamp, tatooist and artiste extraordinaire.

I met the lovely Angelique in Admiral tattoo studio in Amsterdam. It was a spur of the moment trip, and a lucky tattoo appointment, she just happened to have a cancellation the weekend we wanted to go, hooray! She was really friendly and chatted to us before and after tattoo time, even reccomended a steak house we could go to for tea, but we are veggie so didn't take her up on that. I got a polaroid of me and her, she was excited cos it was polaroid, ace! Most importantly she gave us the most awesome tattoos which I will have on my wrist forever. You can check out her art at this website http://www.salonserpent.com/Home.html ....YEAH!!! She inspired me to make my work more a part of me, I love what I do, and want to keep it that way!

More about the ladies of 2009 coming soon. x x x

Ch-ch-chaaaaanging!

Ok,
So I made a 'Happy New Year' sweater...the first thing I have knitted in the new decade, this has to be a good sign! I made it to tell you that here at Knit and Destroy some changes are going on, nothing drastic, I will still be making some awesome knitted accessories but I am planning to branch out into more adventurous knits too, excited? I know I am!
More soon.
Kandy x

I love knitting needles.. But 'ARE YOU OLD ENOUGH....'

Yes,

Another Blog already, I know, right! This is more of a rant really, here goes...

Whilst browsing the haberdashery section of a local interiors shop the other day I was admiring their wide range of reasonably priced knitting needles (ooooh, tis a good craft section innit). Wandered off round the small well stocked craft section admiring other bits n bobs, and gravitated back to the needles, which was when I noticed they all had a sticker on the packaging...the same sticker that read..ARE YOU OLD ENOUGH - 25. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat has this country come to?! So if I was a keen crafting teen wanting to pick up some knitting needles from me local shoppe, I would have to:

a) go with someone over 25 - probs a parent, don't wanna do that, I'm out shopping with my crafty pals!

b) go in disguise, those glasses- moustasche - nose combos can make anyone look over 25 for sure!

c) craft yourself a wonderfully home-made fake ID!

d) get your knitting needles from a charity shop - YES, that is what I do, they don't ask if you're over 25 and they're usually 50p a pair, and it's for chaaarity.

So, there you are, the 25 thing has gone a bit far when they are stickering up small plastic knitting needles! I understand needles,especially metal ones, can make a good weapon, the strange coincidence of this story is that the night before this craft shop visit, I saw a 'death by knitting needle' scene in the film - 'Don't Say a Word' on tv!!! I tried to get the clip on here but I am not that techno-advanced.While searching for said clip I realised there have been other films where knitting needles have been used as moider weapons...the photo below is from a 1963 film called the old dark house.

In this film the lady ends up with the needles through her neck aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! So, if you have a collection of knitting needles or you are just starting one, then please, don't go stabbing anyone with them as you will only prove me wrong. A suggestion as to what you could do with surplus knitting needles...accessorise! They make great hair accessories for those of you with longer hair...

Or, if you don't want to use them to knit with and they happen to be plastic, you can make them into bangles...
Click on this Knitting needle bangle link to find out how to turn your needles into accessories!

In conclusion - buy knitting needles from charity shops, don't stab people with them and if you end up with to many you can always turn them into acessorneedles!

Kandy x

P.S. Knit and Destroy is undergoing some changes at the mo, hence the v.small anount of stuff in the shop, check blog for updates and info.

Festive funs...

Hello and Happy New Year,

Here is a quick round up of my festive fun-times before we launch into the new year for Knit and Destroy. First, snow fun, yes, I reached the top of the mountain!!!

Christmas Day at home.

My Mum's awesome baking skillz produced this not only amazing looking but also really tasty chocolate cake candy house. The Curly Wurly fence is my favourite touch!

Now pressies, I got some awesome crafty pressies this year and I decided they were too good to keep to myself. Firstly, this knitting nancy all painted up to look like ME, amaaazing.

Now for this cross stitched work of art of the awesome Rosie Riveter...

Yes, it is cross stitched, check out the close-up photo! And if you fancy x-stitching this ace pic, you can get the pattern in Sugar Paper zine issue 4 (which is available at http://sugarpaper.bigcartel.com/)

That's all for now, more soon.

Kandy x