"A simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends"

I am busy working on a really exciting but still top secret project....so, because I can't talk about what I'm doing, I figured that now is a perfect time to talk about what all my talented friends are doing! I often marvel at how talented my friends are and rather than keeping them all to myself, I thought I should share so here goes... 

Benjamin Cooney: Comic dude, Illustrator, Southpaw, Superstitious

Ben writes and draws comics and is an awesome illustrator.His designs have featured on skateboards and t-shirts that have been sold around the world. He is one talented dude!

This is one of my favourite pieces by Ben, see lots more on his website.

This is another fave and his most recent piece, printed in blue risograph, the detail in this is amazing. This along with other paper based treats can be found in his shop.


Seleena Laverne Daye : Artist, Craftster, Zinester & Dancer Extraordinaire!!!

Seleena is a super-stitcher, her weapons of choice are needle, thread and felt, she creates a whole world of wonders from felt, check out her website for more info and lots more pictures!  

Alison Erika Forde: painter extraordinare, lover of bears, curios and all things wooden.

Alison's world is full of paintings, illustrations and collages of all sorts of anxiety stricken characters often awaiting impending peril in their playful scenarios.  

This is one of my favourite paintings by her, see lots more on her website.

Also, Alison has recently opened a little online shop where you can buy all sorts of treats, like these postacrds...

  

Nickie: Photographer, BLACK AND WHITE TV WITH THE SOUND TURNED LOW.

Nickie is a super talented photographer, working solely in black and white Nickie's photography has a classic feel to it, she has a natural skill of capturing people's personalities in her photographs. She has snapped many a famous face...here's a couple 

Amanda Palmer

Diego Luna

To see more of Nickie's photography and to contact her, go here, there are loads more amazing photos!

I hope you have enjoyed the creativity of my friends as much as I do.

Kandy x

MANIC Monday....

For a whole year, I worked full time! I know this is totally normal for a lot of people, but it meant a completely different routine and a big step back from Knit and Destroy for the whole year, which was hard.

Living in chesterfield and travelling to Manchester for work (plus roller derby 1-2 evenings a week) meant very little time at home. I'm not the tidiest person at the best of times, but when I'm only swinging by home in the week, eating, sleeping and having a bit of sofa time was SO much more important than tidying! The feeling of leaving the house on a Monday morning with barely more organisation than there was at the end of the previous week wasn't good.

The year went quickly and I got to do things at work that I wouldn't have being part time, and now, finally, I have my Mondays back! My studio is almost back to an acceptable workspace, and I have been spending my time at home working on my still secret (sorry) Knit and Destroy project. I feel extremely lucky to have my Mondays and Tuesdays back, and have lots of making that I can't wait to get my teeth into! Also, I now have time to do such things as organise my coloured knitting needles... 

...and putting my 2 roller derby triumphs on the wall. 

It might seem a bit showy or like 'something parents might do for their kids', but pre-roller derby I was NEVER the person who got the award for anything so I'm super-proud of them!

I think what I am saying is....I'm happy that my Mondays are no longer Manic.