2 of my favourite things...

Knitting...and tattoos! When they come together it can be a beautiful thing!

I love this knuckle tattoo...way better than love hate anyday! The lady in the photo is Punk Rawk Purl an awesome all round crafter, click the photo to read more about her amazing tattoos on her lovely blog!

This sweet specimin is by one of my favourites sunny buick, you can get a better look at this tattoo on her website, she also has lots of loverly pictures she's done on there, check it out!

High Street Horrors !!!

So...I have been designing and making scarves for 4 years now and until now I have only had one previous run in with 'design theft'...I count myself lucky as most independent designers experience being ripped off/copied at least a few times in their career. That incident was harsh because it not only involved a company that I had been producing scarves for...but it involved them developing an idea we had discussed and going into scarf production themselves (cough...mass produced in china..cough). I had some good advice from a fellow knitter (who has had one of her designs ripped off by NEXT..among others) who told me 'being copied is the highest flattery' which makes sense and made me feel better!
Anyway...I'm dragging on, this post is about one particular scarf of mine...the pencil scarf (see below image) first designed and made by me in 2007. All my designs are special to me but this is a favourite, and I have made many more of these than any other scarf!

So... on Sunday I got this photo of my partner in craft Seleena with this H&M version of a knitted pencil scarf, and I was pretty horrified. Initially I was angry, then laughed it off (cos that's what I do) but it put me in a real mood, mostly because I feel that this design being on the high street somewhat de-values my product. I have spent hours designing and days making these scarves for someone else to find something on google images and send a sketch off to a factory somewhere to get thousands made(said H&M designer could have had this idea off the top of their head and if so, I apologise for de-valuing their creative thinking)! I know it's not identical and mine is MUCH hiogher quality...designer-made...lambswool..but, grrrrr all the same...oh, and the facial expression below is wrong...she should be looking angry, but I wanted to post this asap, no time for a re-shoot...
I know that dirty deeds such as this go on all the time in the 'industry' as I had a stint in the world of commercial fashion knitwear design during my University course. It was the blatant copying and lack of creative input that I experienced in that job that put me off going back to work in it and set up my own business. It seemes that setting up my own label was one of the few ways I could really be creative and work with knitted textiles. Having worked in t'industry means that I also know the 'how to copy stuff without getting into trouble' rules...'change 5 things and yr off the hook' apparently. I am angry about this design stealin' but even if I did have fat stacks 'o cash to try to sue H&M....they would have that up their sleeves!
On returning from the knitting conference in Shetland I was already feeling very anti mass production having learnt about the hand knitters that still work in Shetland and on Fair Isle and generally being surrounded by people who knit a high percentage of their own wardrobe. I had told myself I would be more considered about what I buy and make an effort to make clothes where time and skill allow it....but now I feel like never buying anything from a high st shop ever again! It hasn't put me off doing what I do though,if anything spurred me on...
If you are still reading, that means you probably share some of my views voiced here, if not and you just stumbled upon this and it held your attention, I hope it has made you think about/given an insight into the world of commercial design. If you want a simple,well designed, conscientiously produced winter cardi go here.

Happy Designing, Making and SELECTIVE Shopping!

Kandy x

Like....adventuring!!!

I've been away from Knit and Destroy HQ these past 2 weeks on 2 very different but equally fulfilling adventures.

Part 1 was a trip to Shetland to attend a knitting conference. A lot of firsts in this one...first time...visiting Shetland...going to a conference...staying on my own for a week...and I was suitably apprehensive but the trip had many treats up its sleeve.

Bed and Breakfast decor in Edinburgh..on the way downstairs to my basement room, to brighten things up like!!!

Beautiful weather and a sweet view at lunchtime! There was also some beautiful countryside and loads of wildlife including seals saying hello from the sea. Not to mention all the knitting and talk of knitting...far too much for a blog...zine to follow.

Oh, and the Shetland film festival was on, which meant Jason Issacs was there and did a signing which meant Icould get my photo with him, SCORE...he totally took Lucius Malfoy to a whole 'nother level for me!!!

From Shetland to Sud-France, camping, beaches, pizza n ice-cream!

And this...amazing lady (the one sat up with black hair) knitting on the beach...

Now I'm back and ready to get my knit on for the winter. I leave you with this song by one of my fave bands...

CAT - a - LOG

My birthday week o fun was ace...now it's back to 'work' here at Knit and Destroy HQ...we had a fun day yesterday taking photos for the new catalogue which will be available soooon. Here are some 'in progress' snaps.

Wandering in the woods looking for a good place to take some photos...

Just some of the MANY mushrooms we saw in the woods, there were some purple ones too and some shaped like eggs! No red n white ones though...maybe next time!

Cushion line-up on my favourite chairs. Looking at these now it looks like a waiting room, which reminded me that these chairs originally came from my Grandad's surgery waiting room.

Some old Knit n Destroy classics re-worked in lambswool, look out for these in the shop very soon.

At work...and play...and birthdaaaay

WORK

PLAY

BIRTHDAY

Kandy x

Last weekend....this weekend...

So...last weekend was Craft Candy in Sheffield in the lovely millenium gallery. It was a good day out, and my summer fete themed stall went down a treat...

The hamper is a lucky-dip and in the middle, a tombola which was favoured by the older generation! Also, a guess how many sweets in the jar competition! As well as the fun and games there were actual real life products to buy..

And a pair of real life people bahind the stall. I had a stall next to the lovely Helen from hello memo, she was there with the fine city friends stall, which has a great collection of work from awesome crafters (who share the same views on modern craft...more of that another time). When it came to the end of the day all the helium balloons were getting popped but I nabbed some seen as we swere heading dtraight over to Donny for an awesome lady's birthday sleepover!

Baloons plus hamper equals twee, plus, the ballon colours co-ordinated to seleena's hair/eye-make-up combo...magic!
THIS WEEKEND...we will be hosting a craft session at the (almost as twee as a hamper with ballons tied to it) Indie tracks festival, so come down to the craft tent for a bit of summat to make and do.

Kandy

Knit and Destroy's left-hand man!

So...you all know that I do the knitting here at Knit and Destroy HQ, but there are lots of other things that I don't do like drawings, website creation, photographs etc. For all these jobs there is my left-hand man (like right-hand man but he's a left hander and proud of it) Ben.
He works hard to make Knit and Destroy the hand-crafted presence that it is! With the recent re-work of the website etc, he has been putting in the hours so I thought it was about time I gave him a big up shout out so here it is...

First up this awesome summer fete themed advert for NUDE magazine: my products + his drawings = lovely stuff!


Secondly, the new website...he made all the paper-bits I wanted, the catalogue and knit and destroy past collections pamplets are real-life little booklets he designed and made. Oh, and he designed the whole website and made it work, snaps for that!

The last example for today is this video, we made it because we thought you might like to see how the products are made and the different stages involved (also directed and edited by Ben). As well as doing all these things for Knit and Destroy, he does...skateboard graphics, illustrations, and is currently working on a comic! To see more, check out his website .

Kandy x

p.s. don't forget, if you are anywhere near Sheffield this weekend you MUST come to the candy floss summer craft fair. My stall is summer fete themed and there will be lots of fun bits as well as ace knitted stuff to buy!