InspirOgirl: Knit and destroy

As the cold winter nights draw in, staying in is a so much more do-able option than going out, isn’t it?

So, whats a girl to do? Well, if you’re a pink thinkin’ Pink Lady, you’ll know the word ‘bored’ just isn’t in our vocab, so amongst the many coolio-a-go-go things we’ll be suggesting over the next couple of weeks, I wanted to start with my absolute favourite - knitting!

Fancy getting your stitchin’ girl on?

Well, Miss Kandy Diamond (sucha showbiz name) is your absolute go-to girl for all things knitting - not only is she one half of our fave read, Sugarpaper zine, she’s a totes inspir-o girl who has her very own business, Knit and Destroy, making super-cute knitted accessories - j’adore!

Describe Kandy, the girl behind the label, in 5 words…
optimistastic knitrageous craftalicious candyflossed cakefiend!

What is Knit and Destroy? What’s with the name? What is it?
Knit and destroy is my own little business where I design and make all sorts of funtastic knitted goodies. I started making stuff last winter because I wanted to make fun scarves to brighten up the many dull winter days we get here. When it wasn’t winter anymore I kept knitting whatever i could think of and now Knit and Destroy now has a wide range of products from tea cosies to tampon cases.

The name is something I stumbled accross on a journal and thought it makes a great catchy name for what I do… I suppose it fits cos everything I make is knitted, so that’s the KNIT part, and the destroy, well, when people think KNIT they usually think granny, dull, tea cosy…so DESTROY that preconception by making bright, fun, novelty knits that not only keep you warm but help you look hella cool at the same time!!!

Tell us about the prods you sell - how do you create them, what’s you inspiro?
I sell all sorts, scarves are my fave but i do brooches, hairclips, tampon cases, cushions and so on… I make everything from home using my trusty knitting machine from the 1980’s! Most products involve some embellishment when they’ve been knitted e.g. ribbon, rhinestones, stuffing, pom-poms. There is also a very important ‘behind the scenes’ member of knit and destroy, Ben, he is in charge of website design and creation, tea making, moral support, and… sewing, sticking and pom-pom making when I’m supa busy! I couldn’t do it without him. I love novelty things, and this love is a big inspro especially for my scarves, if i can think of a thing that I like that would translate well into a scarf I’ll give it a go e.g. cat, paintbrush, tapemeasure, crayon, lipstick and so on.

What would a K&D soundtrack sound like?
Like the B52s.

What’s your best selling prod right now?
It is….the knitted hair bows! Closely followed by cat and crayon scarves!!

What’s your style bible - book/mag?
Oooooh, my FAVE mag has to be BUST cos it has everyhting a grrrl could want in a mag.

How has setting up an online shop been for you - can you give us an insight please?
I started with an e-bay shop but found their charges quite high and I couldn’t really personalise it, so I switched to using ‘big cartel’ which is great cos you can have different colour schemes and it’s more like a proper online shop! It was also really easy to set up and it’s cheap.

What’s your secret to success?
Plenty of tea and cakes, doing what i heart, working hard and staying positive!

What’s a typical day in the life of Kandy at K&D?
Here goes…get up, have breakfast (i can’t function without it). Make a list for the day, usually start off with a bit of sewing up or embellishing of whatever i’ve been knitting the previous day or making pompoms to get my brain working. Then i’ll knit…working on orders i’ve had, ideally spend a bit of time working on or writing down new products. Obvo lunch, yum, more knitting, check online shop for orders, make another list. I usually end the day with a trip to the post office to send off any orders i’ve finished, woo!

What’s your motto for life?
I suppose it’s something like, do what you enjoy/ enjoy what you do! Oh, and smile more, everyone…it’s good for you!

What advice would you give to wanna-be creative girls who wanna set up their own shop?
Do it…it’s super-easy and inexpensive and it’s a really good feeling when people buy stuff you’ve made! Don’t ever be scared of showing people your ideas and doing whatever it is you want to do.

The colour pink. Discuss.
I heart pink, candy floss pink is my fave colour! I have had my hair both bright and candy floss pink. My dream car is a pink nissan figaro. I love baking cupcakes with a bit of red food colouring in so they’re pink when you bite into them, mmmm.

Go visit: www.knitanddestroy.co.uk