So...

So... yeah... Technically I did just about keep my promise of not leaving it four months between posts, although 8 days shy seems pushing it slightly... Sorry about that :)

That's not to say I haven't been reet busy in the guise of KD - I've had more new commissions over Christmas, our traditional retro soccer scarves have started to take off and as we speak I'm churning out a line of handbags and accessories for spring *excitement face*. All that, and time to fawn over the goldfish. How do I do it.

It's about this time of year that I knew I'd be facing my biggest challenge though - it's not exactly knitting season, and I've a pretty well stocked shop to promote. Oh God. I've been dreading this bit.

The admin bit.

So dear readers, what do you find most challenging about running a shop on Folksy, Etsy, Artfire etc? (Please feel free to comment below.) I make a point of reading all the Etsy blog posts, some with very relevant and useful info, some less so but all worth a shufti. It's fantastic hearing tips from sellers who've made it their full time job, their experience of how to manage both crafting and business, what tips they can impart on a new or struggling seller and what they'd do differently next time. I've learnt that running a small business is a combination of the following things (amongst many others!): good management of time, money and resources; the right attitude; good customer services; the right products; the right market; and the ability to self-promote.

But as someone who manages theatrical productions - and the creative, technical, logistical and budgetary challenges therein - in my real job (which I'm not ready to give up by a long shot) I'm pretty confident that management isn't my failing here. I've not yet read a blog post about time/money/resource management that hasn't made me think "well, I know that..." If that sounds arrogant, well, it's not meant to - I'm only 8 years into a career that most people spend 40+ years perfecting and experience alone can make you better at it, which is quite some way to go for me yet. What I mean is I know where I'm headed in that respect, and where I don't always know how to get there at least I know who to ask for directions :)

I'm reminded of something my wonderful course tutor taught us in the first year of uni about the circles of knowledge - there's the things you know you know, the things you know you don't know, the things you don't know you know and the things you don't know you don't know. Julian, you said that would stick with us and it did.

My attitude - really, point one of my business plan - is enjoy what you're doing and don't do what you don't enjoy. I LOVE knitting, and I do it because I love it. Equally, I wouldn't sell anything that I wouldn't buy, which isn't necessarily a tried and tested marketing method, but I'd feel like a charlatan promoting something I don't believe in. As a production manager I'm often put in the position of tasking a crew to do a particular job I know they're going to be unhappy about doing, but I never ask them to do something I wouldn't do myself - if they ask why they're cleaning up a piece of scenery that only three audience members will ever see and I either can't give a good reason or don't know why it needs to be done, they won't do it, and neither would I. Certainly there are elements of running the shop that I can't wait to get over and done with - photographing my stock is always a bit of a chore! - but I understand why I do it, and what it means in the grand scheme of things. And ultimately I could give it all up tomorrow and kick back with a book every evening, gaining myself a good 30 hours a week of quality me-time with no financial loss whatsoever, but I never will. My shop is my me-time.

The next item is good customer services which, if it ever needed to be said, is essential. I don't just mean be good to your customers and they'll come back, I mean be a good person, be good to people (they may be communicating through a computer but the people buying your wares are actually human, after all!), and if you've been as kind and helpful as you can you've done your best, and whether or not they choose to return is up to them. As it goes I do happen to believe in brand loyalty and the comfort in what you know as a consumer, but as a seller I don't like to feel like I'm hawking for future business when conversing with my customers, for the fairly simple reason that someone who is being nice just to get your future business sounds like someone being nice just to get your future business - UGH. Manners cost nothing, as my nan often says, and she's wrong about nothing except perhaps the best way to mix a gin.

Then we come to my product line, which is unfortunately where my great business plan starts unravelling... I've been using the first year as a sort of workshop - trying ideas, seeing what's popular and what's worth the time it takes me to make it. I started out with the rule that I would never spend more money than I had made, and to me patience and perseverance is the key so if I've not made it in 6 months then no bother. Getting back to the practicality of the shop however, I've learnt that knitting has the occupational hazard of being time consuming, so even by charging myself a minimal cost per hour and excluding overheads I'm still finding that some items are coming up too costly for the common market and are therefore not worth making. Of course customers will appreciate the effort that goes into handmade and pay more in comparison with the Primarks and the Accessorizes of the world - hence the point of Folksy/Etsy/Artfire - but not many people spend £50 on a pair of lace gloves when there are so many cheaper options; and "not many £50s" = "hardly a stable income" for me. So, I've started to whittle down what's profitable and what's not, at the expense of principle number one (nobody said they had to be absolute) but I still can't be sure that knitted woodland animal shaped accessories is really what people want. Certainly no-one else makes them, but not every gap in the market is there to be filled. *thinks of the lime green mankini, shudders* So how can I make sure that I'm selling the right things? The answer I suspect, is more workshopping, trial and error, and a bit of market research. Which brings me on to...

...my pathological fear of marketing. Pathetic, really. I'm not a stupid person, I've articles on the hows and wheretofores coming out of my ears - I just don't get it. I don't have the gumption to be bold and noisy about promoting myself. Conversations that start with people asking me about my wares usually end with me shyly mumbling, drifting off to another subject and eventually wandering off for fear of ridicule, which, given that none of my customers are 8 years old or Nelson from The Simpsons, is a slightly barmy thing to assume would happen. I know this. I know. I must have wasted countless opportunities to make a sale because of it. So let's put a pin in that and go for an infinitely more appealing and empirical tool of marketing, market research. So how exactly do I do this without annoying people?

That's not a rhetorical question this time. I really want to know. The last thing I want is to come across as lazy about this - "Dear internet, how do I make more money out of my stuff? Yours etc, Me" - although I really would love to hear what you as a seller have found as a useful research tool and what you as a buyer find to be a turn-on/off. I'm aware of questionnaires, but I don't know what on earth I would write questions about, and quite frankly every questionnaire I've ever received as a consumer has filled me with dread. See principle one. So, browsing the other listings on Etsy is another suggestion I've come across. But what am I looking for? As I mentioned there are plenty of knitters but few make the sort of accessories that I do, so I have very little to compare with. and the whole point of handmade is the unique quality - if I find a hundred other knitted apple brooches then to be noticed I'll be forced to resort to noisy promotion, which is still struggling against the massive pin I stuck in it. So how else do I find out what people really want?

There is of course the argument that people don't know what they want until you tell them - sounds suspiciously like that noisy marketing to me - but if we consider that as a plausible theory, you then need to know how to show them what they want, which is all about getting your voice heard. It's that perenneial question: how do you get your products out in the great beyond with a limited budget? I've found that Facebook and Twitter are a good place to start but are nonetheless complex tools in themselves, and in no way to be used as a shop front. The forums haven't really worked for me. I've got business cards a,d all the stationery. I've made the best use I can of my Google presence. The next step is craft fairs and the like - got the first one lined up for May! - but there's only so many I can attend with a full time job. Is the real answer that you don't see a serious return until you make it a serious job? It would make sense, but flipping hell it's a scary thought. Doesn't stop me poring over every single QYDJ article with longing though :)

I know I'm asking more questions that I'm even attempting to answer here, and as I look back on it I know I've answered all my own questions: clearly I know what I need to do and I'm too afraid to do it. Maybe I have to confront the fact that KD can't compete with my career in theatre, and will just have to play second fiddle; it's worked out fine so far, so why rock the boat? There are only so many hours in the day after all. I just feel like I've been asking myself these questions for so long and getting no answers, and with the frustration reaching boiling point I just don't know who else to ask. I hope that if nothing else this post has made other sellers feel like they're not the only ones asking questions to thin air and getting no answers. I'd love to hear if you're having the same problems, and if there's any advice I can offer to ever newer newbies than me then even better!

And if nothing comes of it, well, I at least feel better for having written it down. My poor boyfriend will have some respite from my rhetorical knitting-related questions...

Bless you all for reading this far - I will bring back the slightly more upbeat Folksy Friday blog as soon as the dayjob settles down a bit, so please check back soon. Also I promise not to whine so much this time, honest.

Love and knitties :) xx

Return of the Duck...

Well, I am rubbish.
I know, I know, understatement much - my last post was on the 29th July! I do have a good excuse, mind - since I last blogged my new job in the glamourous world of theatre has presented me with something of a baptism of fire, and even as I write it's the last Friday for a while that I'll have the chance to blog. I'm talking 8am starts and 5am finishes, cancelled performances and 6 versions of misbehaving scenery - but I wouldn't change it for anything. Except maybe a few more hours' sleep. YAWN.

So what's occurring? In that time we've added a whole new winter line for the Folksy and Etsy shops, acquired our first employee - welcome Wendimum, literal and figurative mother of KD :) - to keep up with demand, been on holiday, had a haircut, drunk gallons of tea and coffee, and spent hours fawning over Jeff and Bob, our new goldfish. (Don't judge me, they're really bloomin' cute.)

We've also overhauled our Facebook fanpage - now with 207 fans, whoop! - and are gearing up for Christmas with plenty of giveaways and offers, including postage refunds for our FB and Twitter fans on all Folksy orders placed by 12th December. We're just too good to you.

Not to mention occasionally squeezing in the odd bit of knitting! Here's a few of our most recent commissions...

Green Anchor iPad Sock :: Kris

Another of Kris' requests that turned out to be a brilliant little intarsia design - a chic way to protect your iPad or netbook from the elements! Although this one was sold as a commission, we have a similar iPad/netbook sock in Chocolate Stripe currently available in both shops...

Rosy Tea Cosy :: Glenn

A commission that came to me via Twitter, I was originally asked to make a teacosy with the word 'Rosie' on the side, but knowing how hit and miss words can come out at the chunky gauge needed for a cosy with insulating properties, I suggested going for an actual rose detail instead, and this is what I came up with. It turned out to be a good decision, and a commission I'm really proud of.

Long Leg Goth Socks :: Charlie

I love these, and as soon as the backlog of knitting is cleared I'm making myself a pair too... The brief was to make a pair of long slouchy socks for a lady whose friend didn't believe gothy versions of yoga socks existed - just goes to show you can knit anything you can think of knitting! Next step: reading my new bible, otherwise known as Anticraft: Knitting Beading & Stitching For The Slightly Sinister...

Seaside Scene Cushion Cover :: Sue

My piece de resistance - Sue requested this as a decorative cover for a young lady who lives in Brighton and always wanted a sunny seaside view, even in winter! She was so pleased with it she promised to return for another commission before long - there's simply no publicity as good as a happy customer :)

So what's next? Well as soon as I'm done here I'm off to rejig my website, organise my large but disorganised stock, and get cracking on a couple more knitties.

Not least of which, our latest signature item, the Mobius Snood - inspired by the famous Mobius Strip - which is designed as a continuous loop with one twist, meaning it can be worn as a long scarf, or doubled over as a hood and neckwarmer! Knitted with 9mm needles in thick but light yarns, they are cosy, chic and great at insulating against bitter winds and cold.

That's all from me for now, but although I won't be able to blog again for a couple of weeks I promise not to leave it as long as 4 months... Please feel free to comment on anything in this blog you found interesting, and as always keep us up to date with your crafty goings on!

Love and knitties,

KDx

*yawn* Folksy Friday is off to Bedfordshire...

Another two week wait for my Folksy Friday post, but I’m back! Since the tragic demise of my poor laptop (which has now gone to the great PC World in the sky) I’ve struggled to find another one that can handle my destructive EMP, despite the best attempts of my lovely other half to find me a temporary replacement. Apparently, the unsufferable ignominy of being my laptop drives every machine I’ve come in contact with to harakiri... until now. So, armed with a really cute – and hitherto stable (fingers crossed) – netbook courtesy of Andy’s sister, I’m back causing havoc. Grin.

Not much havoc, mind. I always joke about ‘getting too old for this’ (I’m 26) but I have to concede these world-weary old legs can’t stand up to a whole weekend of shenanigans without payback any longer. And I am KNACKERED. So when I asked my knitty Twits for inspiration for this blog post, too tired to even think straight, the answer came back immediately – the blissful respite of bed.

I’m surprised to note that even in the height of summer – the hottest on record since 1998 – there are some lovely cosy items on sale you just couldn’t wait to curl up under the duvet with (oo er). And I think I could imagine away the sun just long enough to enjoy a cuddle with the Ted in a Bed Hottie Cover by Tea and Crumpets. The hot water bottle cover itself is made from vintage blanket fabric, with a crocheted pocket on the front to hold Ted in place, so he’s always there for that extra little bit of comfort. Aaaaah...



Course, summer or winter you never want to be woken up too early by the unforgiving rays of sun – which is why you need the Lazy Daisy Eye Mask from 4getmenot! This neat little accessory is made from double thick green felt to keep out any pesky light, and embellished with daisy motifs. Such a simple solution to an age old problem!



This next item is absolutely my sort of thing – if only Annie Rose made other housewares I’d probably get her fitting out my whole house!



Bang on vogue, the scruffy chic mix of colours and motifs goes with pretty much anything and immediately revives a warm feeling of nostalgia and comfort. I’ve made no secret of the fact I’m more a winter girl than a summer one – quilts like this Panache Scruffy Throw make me pine ever fervently more for the first leaves to fall.

And finally, Knitted Duck's own little contribution to the Land of Nod – this Blighty trio is hand knitted with crochet trim on the Union Jack and intarsia houndstooth motif on the two smaller cushions. I made this set while feeling especially patriotic and Vivienne Westwood-y and immediately got a commission for a second in pink and pale blue. Britannia just got cool.



Now I really am struggling to keep my eyes open... time for this snoozy little duck to go to Bedfordshire. If you like what you see here or have something related of your own you’d like to add feel free to comment below – the more the merrier!

Night all, (sort of)
KDx

Jingle jangle - It's Folksy Friday!

I'm back! Granted, my laptop very much isn't (sob) but I'm working on that. Nonetheless, it looks like replacing it is going to put a sizeable dent in my bank balance, so any hopes of a new wardrobe have gone right out the window this month. Sigh.

All is not lost however; if you've read my blog before you'll know how much I love a bit of accessorising. There's no end to how much you can update a tired old outfit with the right finishing touches, with the double advantages of making your look unique and fresh every day, and saving you pennies along the way. And one of the most classic yet constantly evolving accessories is a favourite of mine - the bangle.

I've just listed this on Folksy and Etsy - the base is made of cardboard tubing I rescued from work which just happened to be a perfect diameter for the project, and the 'upholstering' is acrylic yarn and gold thread knitted together so the gold flecks are picked out in the light. It's a real statement piece, certain to get you noticed... :)

And it has a matching ring - also available on Folksy and Etsy. Tiffany's has nothing on me.

But enough of my bragging - here are a few lovely things I've unearthed from Folksy's intrepid sellers!

This one leaves me speechless - surely it needs no explanation? KNITTING NEEDLE BANGLE. By Bettie Sells Stuff. A-maze. I love that she's spreading the knitty word in new and wonderful ways. :) As well as extolling the virtues of re/upcycling - a cause I champion - the ingenious usage of the needle effectively teaches an old dog new tricks. And they say that can't be done...

This Peach Floral Filigree Bangle by My Beady Eye is more traditional, and a beautiful example of vintage chic - the delicate filigree detail is subtle, feminine and timeless. I find items like this are perfect for dressing up work clothes - muted dull workaday blouses become Chanel, Primark becomes Prada. Almost. Ah well, a girl can dream.



This last item is fun and striking and mouthwatering all at once - tall order, capably fulfilled! I love the sense of playful nostalgia, and the bright colours are really enhanced by the crystal clear resin they're set in. Hats off, Sour Cherry - your Smartie Bangle is truly scrumptious!



That's all from me now my lovelies - as ever, please feel free to comment below or post up related items. Show us what you got!

love and knitties
KD x

Have your birthday cake and eat it...

Well, I can't, it's not my birthday - but it was my gorgeous little sister's birthday this week, as well as about fifty other people I know, and I never need much of an excuse for cake... So happy birthday to Leyla, and to everyone else who's been cutting cake recently!

It was partly this and partly the triumph of finally finishing a long standing commission that inspired this weeks' blog - subject being, as you've guessed, birthday cake. It actually goes back to a house party in May when Natalie and I were hailing the virtues of cake, and everything cake related (in fact, I'd just listed a couple of knitted cupcakes on my shop - one has sold now but the other is still available!); so she charged me with designing a cupcake shaped knitted handbag... and here's what I came up with!

The body of the bag is knitted with three strands of wool together on slightly-too-small needles, thereby making it stiffer and with a tighter weave, and giving the walls more practical integrity. It's also great fun knitting with more than one strand when you mix up the colours, as you get these beautiful depths of colour and texture. The base is in good old fashioned seed stitch - I experimented with more complex stitches but this one worked the best - and the top in even more old fashioned stockinette stitch, with a row of loop stitch (as used also in KD's Loopy Teacosy) to give the cake a little bit of decoration. And of course, there's the customary cherry on top. Perfick :)

The keen eyed among you will notice that it's not Friday ergo this is not a Folksy Friday post (boo), for which you can thank the tragic demise of my laptop on Wednesday (double boo); nonetheless I thought it would still be nice to take a shufti at the Folksy vaults.

And how can you have a birthday without a birthday card? Especially one with a cake! This 'Happy Birthday' Cake Greetings Card by Quite Contrary Crafts is simple but so striking, and can be personalised! They are painstakingly handcrafted and each comes with a coordinated envelope. Moonpig can sod off.

Now, look at this next item and tell me just how delicious it looks. Getting your mouth watering yet? Yeah, it's a candle. Don't believe me? Click on it. This amazingly lifelike Banana and Bubblegum Glittery Cup Cake candle by Mr Wick is not only mouthwateringly tempting, it also has a yummy banana fragrance. I'm almost annoyed it's not real.

This final item is - IMHO - sheer brilliance. These Birthday Cake Meerkats from Nifty Knits are knitted in the round in one piece, rather impressively, and make excellent birthday gifts. You can even choose which kind of cake your meerkat is holding, and wires in the legs and tails enable them to be freestanding. WANT.

This is just torture for me now, what with my own birthday being a full 8 months away... I'm off to stuff my face with cake. Please feel free to comment if you have a birthday cake related crafty thing or have seen something as beautiful as these!

Love and knitties,

KD x

Time for Tea - and Folksy Friday!

Lo all! This week's Folksy Friday theme is close to my heart: a British institution, the bedrock of our society, the cure to all our ills... the humble cuppa. You can set your watch by the regularity with which my friend Ruthie gets her brew on, and there's a good reason for it. The answer to all life's problems is a good cup of tea.

I decided upon the theme after completing a design for a new item for the shop; a set of four knitted Teacup Coasters, on sale on Folksy:


which after a number of Frankenstein-esque prototypes (most of which now lovingly adorn my bedside table) came as something of a breakthrough on Sunday evening. Needless to say I celebrated with an apposite cup of char.

So I started idly scanning Folksy for some tea-themed goodies, and look what I came across...

These teacup candles by Rosie Maguire are so simple and yet so pretty - there's a lovely 'vintage' chic about them that make them great gifts. In fact I've bought one as a present for someone very close to me - that being said I'm making no promises about actually giving it to them...



This charming teatime necklace by Little Red Star is one of those items that really stands out for its ingenuity and quirky charm; it's a great example of what Folksy is all about, because you're never going to find this on the high street...



Tangerinie and Purple Hippos is the talented creator of my final pick this week; this adorable pair of teatime earrings which look good enough to drink!



I'm not sure if it's the mini-ness of the pieces or the intricacy of the detail, but there's something about these which really carries me back to my childhood - to doll's houses and playing grownups and make believe - with such nostalgia that I forget I'm old enough to drink the real thing now. Tee hee.

That's enough of the tea eulogy from me now I think - I'm off to get working on the next line of designs. Maybe after a brew... ;)

KD x

Summertime AND Folksy Friday? We're so spoilt...

Summer's here! Ah, the great British summer - strawberries, wasps, Wimbledon, surprise when it (shock, horror) rains, grumbling when there's a heatwave, Glasto, hayfever, barbeques, flipflops and sunburn. Man, do we know how to do summer.

Don't mind my acerbic tone - there's a lot I love about summer really, especially when you can properly kick back and enjoy the sunshine and lovely vitamins. :) The thing about summer, as with any season, is knowing how to dress to get the best out of it. Course summer's miserable when you're swaddled in workaday attire, suits and button up shirts and the like. But when you've got a beautiful breezy dress to keep cool in, like Recycled Junkie's Summer Maxi dress, below, what's to worry about?





I have to admit, I'm all about the accessories. You can make two outfits out of one with some clever accessorizing - in fact, I often look at my wardrobe and marvel how relatively little there is in it compared with my overflowing baskets full of belts, scarves and neckerchiefs, costume jewellery, hairpieces and
shoes. It's sort of like having a pantry full of herbs and condiments and no actual food to put them on - which is also what my pantry looks like. Anyway, digression aside, I've found a rather genius way to get accessories and knitting into a summer post, and I'm hugely jealous that the next item isn't one of mine - courtesy of Silky Prudence here is the brilliant Summer Betty Scarflette in Peach Melba.







*bow* I'm not worthy...



Finally, where would any outfit for any season be without a little bit of bling? I'll be honest, there aren't many shades of green that don't catch my magpie eye (except maybe lime) and this Summer Leaf Necklace by Swirls and Squiggles is a perfect example of rich colour and delicate silverwork complementing each other for a real showoff piece...





As usual, my trawl through the Folksy vaults throws up so much talented craftwork and original designs that I think a) why did I EVER go through the doors of a Primark?! and b) that sites like Folksy, Etsy and Artfire are criminally underexposed. I can't count the number of people I've recommended these sites to with literally no more promotional spiel than spelling out the domain name; the quality of work speaks for itself. So if you've seen something here you like, pass it on; if you see one of the millions of items who didn't make it onto my post for no better reason than lack of room, pass it on; if you uncover a diamond in the rough, pass it on. That's what Folksy Friday's all about.


Love and knitties,
KD x

IN-GER-LUUUUND! First of the Folksy Friday's...

OK OK, I know I've been rubbish after I specifically promised I wouldn't be... In my defence, I've got a new job keeping me good and busy, a gala to help organise (details of which can be found here), and to top it all off the England team are playing in some kind of sporting event or something. :) So to make amends, I thought it was about time I did my first Folksy Friday blog, and what better way to support our boys with the Three Lions on their shirts?

I consider myself one of those rare things - a girl who likes football, understands the offside rule, but still likes to feel like a girl when cheering on ma boys. And let's face it, football shirts are not designed to flatter the more, erm, voluptuous figures. So how do you stay chic and patriotic at the same time? I give you:

England for Girls by The Jewellery Angel

A feminine and delicate way to show your national pride!

Of course, if you're not looking for pearls and butterflies, you might want to take a gander at the fantastic Wife of Brian's shop - you should anyway - where you can become the proud wearer of the Knitted Loopy England Beard and make Brian Blessed look like Billy Bunter. AWESOME.

Last but not least is one of those gorgeous and subtle items that shows off simple ideas executed with very skilled handiwork (if you've ever wrestled with unruly tendrils of ribbon you'll know what I mean) - this is the St George's Cross Corsage from Lottie Loves.

Well, I hope I've inspired you all to root for our boys - drop us a comment and show us what you've been up to too! More news and items coming up over the weekend - watch this space :)

love and knitties as ever

KD x

The Best of British

Hi again! After taking so long to do the last post I've given myself a sharp rap on the knuckles - and having the last week off has given me a chance to give Knitted Duck a proper spring clean, which was long overdue. The other thing I've been able to finally do (she says, BURSTING with excitement) is get KD's own little piece of cyber real estate up and running - and here it is!

http://www.theknittedduck.co.uk/

Isn't it beautiful? I keep gazing over it like a newborn baby and fretting everytime it coughs...

The package I got was a surprisingly cheap and easy to use one from Mr Site - http://www.mrsite.co.uk/ - one among the many recommendations I got after asking around (thanks everyone for your suggestions!). The package is all inclusive (i.e. domain name, hosting, templates etc all in one) rather than forcing you to buy all the elements separately, and I've got to say the selection of templates is pretty respectable, rather than your standard cringeworthy outdated clip art riddled affairs. I have to say I'm also pretty pleased with the amount of freedom it gives you without blinding you with science - I myself am pretty computer literate and know my HTML from my hexadecimal, but I would have lost interest pretty quickly if I'd had to build the whole thing from scratch. If a website is something you're looking into, but you're not so interested in controlling evert 'bit' of data, then I recommend it - the basic option which I have is only £19.99 for the year with no hidden extras. Bargain.

With that finally up and running and no commissions lined up, I also managed to finish a long outstanding knit just yesterday - as part of my celebration of our sceptred isle, I give you my trilogy of Blighty themed mini-cushions!



I decided to invert the Union Jack to give it a bit of a twist and also to make the darker blue and red stand out more vibrantly against a white background - which incidentally, I think we should do to the real flag, but that's just me :) - and although I had a go at doing it intarsia first, it just lacked a sort of charm, so the crosses are knitted in red and crocheted in blue, and sewn on. The two smaller cushions have a quintessentially English houndstooth pattern knitted into them, which is my little nod to my design hero, the most groundbreaking and important designer Britain has ever had, Dame Vivienne Westwood. The cushions themselves are 24cm x 18cm (Union Jack) and 20cm x 14cm (Houndstooth) and come as a set for £25/$36. You can find them on Folksy for £ and Etsy for $ as usual!

All this patriotism is not just about cushions though - with the World Cup on the horizon, everything that isn't red white and blue is out of the wardrobe until the end of July, and I for one will be praying more for the robust health of Wayne Rooney than I ever have for my own. I was actually pretty chuffed to be tagged for the first time in a fellow Folksy-er's blog recently - that of offbeat greetings card makers Konnie Kapow which was on the very subject of the beautiful game. If you're stuck for something spesh for Father's Day on 20th June I recommend you look up their rather fab Folksy shop.

On that note, as I listen to my compilation of late 70s/early 80s UK scene punk and new wave for inspiration and drink my pot-brewed tea, I bid you ta-ra. IN-GER-LUUUUUND!

KD x

The Importance of Being Crafty

As the old adage goes, you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Well, not old - pretty sure Janet Jackson sang about it, but still... The week that went by waiting for my wool to arrive is fading into a hazy fevered memory now, but it made me realise just how much knitting means to me. No, this isn't a corny eulogy - more a reflective appreciation of something I now realise has been keeping me anchored when life's choppy seas threaten to hurl me adrift.

My job as a production manager (albeit an assistant at the mo) in a theatre - while having more of a creative element than most jobs - is primarily a technical and logistical one, so my knitting is the perfect creative release. Generally speaking, theatre people are one of two kinds; the Brahmas who create the show, building the sets, finding and making props, designing the lighting and sound, sewing the costumes, bringing it all together for the opening night; and the Vishnus who keep it running for anything between 4 weeks and 40 years. (Not to mention of course the Shivas: the crews who come in at the end and pull the whole damn thing apart.) I am most definitely the former; my patience lasts fine getting all the elements in place but as soon as it's done so am I and I'm looking for the next project to keep me occupied. The longest I've ever lasted as an operator on a show was a five week run playing video, and I was so bored I wrote a novella between my cues. So after a production week, 60+ hours of technical rehearsal, running for last minute set and props and painstakingly picking apart every line of text to fit the cues to it, there really is only one thing that brings me back to earth. And it's Knitted Duck.

I don't imagine I'm alone; everyone has their own little refuge, their own little piece of heaven to retreat to after a day at the office. Some people play 5-a-side; others the XBox; my little skin and blister is a dab hand with pretty much any craft you throw at her. I guess the important thing is to appreciate the little things that make a big difference.

KD x

From strength to strength

I've been a bit quiet this couple of weeks, and there are two reasons for this: the first is that my real job has had a good deal of my attention, what with a new show opening and last minute dashes to find props; the second is that I've had three new commissions but been unable to start them due to a wool order that never arrived (if you had heard from me in the last week, in would have been little more than strangled nonsense and filthy expletives). But no more; thanks to another wool company stepping up at last minute, and the curtains well and truly up at work, I can get clacking again, with much relief. HAPPY PLACE.

I have however managed to deliver Claire's baby blanket in the meantime - and here it is!

Great difficulty parting with that in these chilly climes, I can tell you...

As much as I am now and will always be a knitter, I do find a crochet break very therapeutic, and I'm getting pretty quick at it now. (Not to mention dextrous - rewind to two weekends ago: gin in one hand, crochet in the other and a card game all on the go at once! Skillage...) I feel I need to learn a few more stitches though, and to learn how to read crochet patterns properly - I suspect the humble granny square's uses are finite. Given that I learnt to crochet from YouTube, I will happily hold up my hands and admit I am no expert on the subject. Anyone who thinks they can teach me something more complex, I am at your mercy :)

I haven't been entirely honest with you actually; there is one more recipient of my attention at the moment. For those of you who have never experienced the joy of a notepad with your picture on it, a set of return address stickers or a personalised stamp, I give you... Vistaprint. Seriously. I've gone stationery crazy. Most of the items are free or as good as, and if you are self employed or just like to write your shopping lists on your own face, you need to check out www.vistaprint.co.uk. Don't worry, I'm not being sponsored by them or anything, I just wanted to share the love.

Well that's all from me for now, I've got a whole heap of knitting to keep me occupied, and I'm hoping to have some semblance of a website up within the month - needles and fingers crossed!

Love and knitties

KD x

The customer is always right... :)

Today, knitties, I am grinning from ear to ear. No, not because of the £64 I won on the lottery, thank you very much. Not because QPR finished this season in a respectable mid-table position despite 'relegation battles' a couple of months ago. Not even because after locking myself away all bank holiday I managed to finish both of my latest commissions. Because of a lovely bit of feedback I got within minutes of the first of said commissions being delivered, which, if I'm honest, makes the whole process worthwhile!

And here it is: *cheeky grin*

"Just a quicky to say THANK YOU!! I absolutely LOVE IT !! (I am already thinking of getting a couple more made in other colours)... I have showed it off to the girls in the other office and they love it as well :) I am very happy, you're very clever."


I'm not usually one to show off but I couldn't resist!



So bragging aside, here's a photo of the item in question - this was one of those projects I quite enjoy, being given a brief and a photo for comparison but relatively free reign. It's a continuous loop scarf, which can be doubled and tripled over to make a hood or just a nice thick neckwarmer.





If you would like something similar just give me a shout - I quoted this one at £25 including the cost of the wool, as a guideline.

I'm afraid that's all from me for now - thank you to Carly for making my day and to everyone else, love and knitties...

KD xx

New promo - this week only!

Hi knitfans! Just a quick missive this week, as I've just been commissioned to do two projects, rather excitingly! There aren't any pictures as yet but I promise, you'll be the first to know when there are...

The first is a snood of the long loose sort that you can double up, and it's just the sort of project I really enjoy - the customer had a picture of the sort of thing she wanted and a specific colour, but other than that she's letting me loose on it... bold, no? :) It's pretty straightforward actually, but I do get to do it with lovely alpaca yarn, which I AM very pleased about. The second is a traditional baby blanket, which I've decided to crochet, and which again is being made up in lovely soft yarn - a merino mix this time. Between the pair of them they should keep me out of trouble for the meantime anyway... ;)

Even more excitingly however (as if I could deal with more excitement!) is the new Knitted Duck promo - every day this week, I'll be selling a different item in the KD shop for HALF PRICE! The promo only lasts for the day, and I won't be revealing them in advance so you either have to follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/charminglass - or become a fan of us on Facebook - here - to get the most up to date info. It's only for this week though, and each offer only lasts for the day, so get involved!

That's all for now my knitties; I'm waiting (im)patiently for Mr Postman to deliver my wool so I can get started, and the doorstep ain't gonna collar him by itself...

love and cake
KD xxx

The calm after the storm...

I have neglected you this week my knitties, for which I must apologise; the real world called, as it invariably and inconveniently does... It's been all change again, at work this time; bidding farewell to Ghost Stories and its phenomenal run, which has resulted it being picked up for a residency in the West End! V exciting in the world of theatre. I won't bore you if you're not already into your theatre but if you are, it'll open at the Duke of York's theatre in London on the 25th of June ;)

So there it is, and I'm back to the world of knitting now, albeit briefly. It feels like business has settled somewhat, what with the novelty factor wearing off and the backlog of commissions completed, so I need to get my marketing head on good and proper to shake things up again - trouble is I'm terrible at marketing! My next big goal is to get a proper website for KD, although that's some way off yet - my accounts are getting healthier, if not quite yet to the tune of my own little piece of cyberspace realty :) Nonetheless I'm hoping to have it up in the next few months, hopefully with the help of my lovely partner Andy who is a bit of a computer whizz (he has a degree in Artifical Intelligence - I still think that's damn cool). Watch this space!

Meanwhile, I must admit I could do with some feedback on what knitted things attract people and what don't - I've been getting so carried away with all the new designs that pop into my head and what things I'd like to see in the shop that the logical business part of my brain has been drowned out somewhat - apparently the point of this whole lark is to make stuff for other people, who knew... With that in mind, please feel free to add any comments below - you can see what I've currently got on offer in the two shops: Folksy in £ at http://theknittedduck.folksy.com, Etsy in $ at http://theknittedduck.etsy.com. I'd love to hear what you think!

That's it from me for now - short and sweet this time! I'll be back soon enough, probably with more photos and knittynoms for your delectation. For now, adieu!

KD x

All change

Summertime is here, announcing itself in spectacular style by first chucking in the odd snowstorm up north just for contrast, then blistering us with 18 degrees of unexpected (but long deserved) heat over the weekend down in London Town! Don't get me wrong, I'm a winter girl through and through - Halloween, Bonfire night, Christmas and New Year, all the opportunities to wrap up warm around a fire, drink mulled wine and eat lovely stodgy food - but halfway through April and with only 3 hours of daylight I think everyone is getting a little SAD. And, as much as spring automatically renders pointless about a third of my stock, I'm not sad to see a few blooms and put away the winter threads. For now. Even my chilli plant is squinting optimistically at the straining sun.

Of course, it by no means puts me out of business, all this sunshine and warmth... Beanies and scarves may be on hold for the meantime, but the store has loads of new designs and yummy accessories coming in for the season! As it goes, I've just finished a delicious looking pair of cupcakes, which can have fixings for hairclips, brooches or keyrings. Sneak preview, you say? Well, if you insist:



I'm quite pleased with these - I was tempted to make full 3D versions as ornaments or as pincushions, but there are plenty of those floating about already, so I'll put that idea on ice for now. Might try making some ice cubes for summer though :)

Knitted Duck's online presence is changing too; for those of you who haven't already been bombarded with missives on the subject, the Facebook group has been shut down in favour of a proper page, which can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/London-United-Kingdom/Knitted-Duck/282583939861

so please become a fan and show your love for the Duck :) And speaking of online presence, I'm hoping soon to have a website proper, which would be v exciting. I say soon, I mean within the next year (probably), but I'm already excited enough about it to mention it! And probably jinx it. Oh well. I'm not superstitious.

Before I sign off, I would like to say a big congrats to Becky - @howsentimental on Twitter, defo worth following - for winning the RT competition which I completely neglected to mention before! She won a commission worth up to £15 and went for a stretchy beanie in burnt orange in a slightly larger than usual size to hold in all her luscious locks, and the finished product looks something like this:




They're so simple to make; K1 P1 on double pointed needles or circular needles, and decrease at the top. Voila! They stretch nice and wide where necessary, and bunch up small when you're done making them really easy to carry around. Glamourous model not included of course (!) - I have asked Becky very nicely if she wouldn't mind sending me a photo of her wearing it so I have a nice pic to go in my portfolio of happy customers. Watch this space!

That's all for now I'm afraid - I am full (FULL) of roast pork belly (NOM), roasties, chantenay carrots and spicy parsnip mash, not to mention the lemon bars I baked earlier ("for the guys at work" - WHATEVER) and I have a glass of wine and more knitting looking disdainly at me from the sofa. For now, my lovely knitties.

Bon soir,
KD x

Work? Pah!

Definition of happiness? Both of us home on a midweek day, pyjamas, whole series of Twin Peaks to watch, knitting, coffee. After having had two weeks off, 4 relatively easygoing days back at work then the Easter weekend, the readjustment to actual dayjob is going to be, well, tricksy...

So I'm making the most of today. Granted, I've got a lot of work to do on KD but it doesn't exactly feel like a chore; in fact, if I knew it would earn me enough I would jack in the DJ and go full time on the knits in an instant. And I'd live in Candyland where everything is made of sugar and smiles, and the White Rabbit would bring me coffee every hour on the hour. Lovely thought. Not that I dislike my work - I'm pretty lucky to do a job I enjoy with a great bunch of workmates, but let's face it, wouldn't everyone like to be their own boss? Oh well. One Lottery win away :)

Anyway, enough daydreaming. The weekly bulletin picks up where the last one left off, conveniently omitting the two weekends of birthday celebrations that I now realise I don't remember as well I thought (thanks Facebook and friends with cameras). I've been keeping myself occupied with a couple of commissions, which it's nice to see I'm still getting regularly. First up a nice easy couple of iPod socks: purple pinstriped for Jen, who got matching ones for her iPhone and iPod Nano; green spotty for Holly's Nano.

Then Andy's sister Emma, who has just come back from a year in sunny Oz to England's pathetic excuse for spring, commissioned some multicoloured fingerless gloves (or hobo gloves as she calls them, which I quite like), and a pair of long leg slipper socks in boho browns and purples to take on the next leg of her world tour - 3 months teaching in Japan where etiquette dictates that she have separate indoor shoes.

Super pleased with those. They're definitely going on the stock list!

I've also started making old skool football scarves - the very simple but nostalgic garter stitch stripe style - to sell on eBay; it's a more accessible item for that market and easy to do cheaply. There'll be a better pic coming up soon but here's one in red and white before it's been trimmed and finished:

Just to clarify, I've stopped selling my other designs on eBay for the simple reason that eBay is where people go to get secondhand and cheap items, not craft or handmade pieces, and it's simply not realistic to charge even what the materials and labour cost, let alone make a profit on them. People don't want to pay £6 for a brooch when they can get something for 50p out of a house clearance :) Apart from which the listing fees are so much more than Etsy or Folksy - the system of 20p to list for 6 months and then take a commission on the sale which these two craft-specific sites employ is much fairer than charging the Earth to list in the first place for a maximum 0f 10 days, plus commission if by some miracle the item sells. Etsy and Folksy on the other hand are designed specifically for handmade and original arts and designs without the antiquated 'craft fair' stigma; and those who know about chic new designs are beginning to get wind of where to go for them! That's not to say I'll eschew eBay completely, but my primary outlets, until I get a site of my own, are Folksy (UK), Etsy (US) and of course you can contact me here or via the usual channels to get a commission. All the contact details are to the right as usual. Plug :)

Well, as much as I'd love to I can't spend all day nattering away to you lot. I've got some crazy 90s thriller series to watch and a hungry man needing omelettes. That's life.

love and knitties to you all,

KD xxx

KD's travels

Well well well - my two weeks off work is almost up and if anything I'm more exhausted than before, not to mention having made no dent in my long list of knitting! Can't complain though - my roaming ways have taken me to see some long unvisited friends and drink more wine than Jilly Goolden on a Saturday night lash-up. *hic*

First stop last Wednesday was the delectable Ruthie in Leicester - if you're on Twitter look her up under @MissRuthClare - although I still think she should have gone for @RealBridgetJones... :) Ruthie's the sort of galpal who I may not speak to for weeks on end, and then one of us will send the other a message, apropos of nothing, along the lines of "I wish Kim Woodburn was my mum" and we both know exactly what that means. I had the best intentions of taking her a commissioned Inverse Union Jack cushion, although that is still sitting in my to-do pile looking forlornly at me, and will have to travel by Royal Mail now - she certainly came up trumps with a gorgeous bangle and chunky ring set for my birthday though! 3 hours and two bottles of wine later (or orange juice, if her boss is reading) and our mission to put the world to rights was not yet half done. It's tough, this lady-of-leisure lark. Lord knows how Her Maj manages it.

Two days and one mild hangover later I was visiting Foo and Baby Bri in Banbury - no wine this time, although not for wont of trying :) Word of advice to anyone preparing for the London Marathon - you haven't run anywhere until you've run after an 18-month old with a Houdini complex. SHATTERED. Once we'd shoehorned him into the pram and got him off to sleep though, me and Foo had an awesome girly day fawning over craft materials and fabrics and charity shops. She does a rather superhuman job of bringing up the little dude with the pitiful benefits she receives, so when I'd finished fannying around with china duck ornaments (this one shop had hundreds of them) I had to concede I felt a little ungrateful for my relatively substantial lot, complaining about ONLY having two weeks off before getting back to the daily grind. I did briefly consider kidnapping them both and setting them up in our spare room, but I didn't have train tickets for them...

Ding ding! Monday's stop: Loughborough, and Katie B's houseboat. The rain put paid to any chance I had of taking photos, but the set up over at the marina is nothing short of idyllic. I had the extensive tour of the boat, which is compact and perfectly formed - there's a place for everything and everything is in its place. Could only be the home of a stage manager of course :) It's such a close neighbourhood too - apparently you can't bump your knee without the whole marina getting wind of it, but then the upside is you also can't walk 10 yards down the pontoon in the summertime without having a pint put in your hand, which seems like a fair tradeoff to me... Anyway, after a good old sesh of theatre gossip and some fajitas I was quite sad to leave Katie B and the ducks, but having promised it won't be the last I see of them both I can hardly leave it at that, can I?

Same day, different town: this train will be terminating at Bromley South, where I went to bid bon voyage to one of the best housemates a girl could ever ask for. Nola and Damian are relocating *SOB* to the sunny shores of Oz (from whence Damo hails) to become Mr and Mrs Damo and there was a raucous, if slightly weepy, last-day-of-work knees up at the Partridge, hallowed refuge of the Churchill techie. It wasn't all sobs though - good wine, old friends, babies on the way and no fewer than 4 engagements in the room made for a smashing night that really never felt like a goodbye (hmm, must check I did actually say goodbye before swanning off in a merlot mist)...

I could go on, but I've got some knitting to get on with - what with all this socialising I've barely crossed needles in a week and ducks don't knit themselves. Suffice to say I have an awesome bunch of friends and not enough time in the world to see them all. The only solution is getting your knit on.

Laters all. Have a glass of wine on me.
xx

Knitted Duck's Folksy shop is up!

Oh. Em. Gee.

I've finally got my Mediterranean bee-hind into gear and Knitted Duck's Folksy store is UP! Don't take my word for it - check it out at http://www.folksy.com/shops/theknittedduck

The items are currently as per the Etsy store but everything is now in Sterling and so much more UK friendly, and new items are being updated regularly so keep checking in.

I will also be putting up an Item of the Week offer on Twitter so to get in on the act follow me at twitter.com/charminglass - lunatic ramblings disclaimer notwithstanding...

As ever, love and knitties everyone xxx

Ad break...

Just a flying visit knitfans...

The Etsy shop is up to date FINALLY (woo hoo!) - I honestly do not know where the time goes sometimes, I had such grand designs on this about three weeks ago. Anyhoo, it's here now, featuring the knitty bits from last Friday's blog post, and you can find them here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/theknittedduck

And as always, don't be put off by the dollar signs - I do of course sell in pounds (prices on previous blog) and can make commissions and custom makes as well.

Now, if you've looked through the shop and thought "This is great, but what I really need is a knitted beard" then I know just the place for you. Wife of Brian is run by a fellow theatrical type called Vicky, and if you want to see the fantastic things she makes visit http://www.wifeofbrian.com or follow her on blogspot (she's in my list). What that girl can't make with a pair of needles is not worth making. She's also the reason I've pulled my finger out at all and got The Knitted Duck up and running proper, so when I make my first million with knitting it'll be her I have to thank :) If you like what you see please spread the word.

That's all for now - I'll be back soon with photos, new fings and eventually (fingers and needles crossed) a knitting clinic for those of you who want to know the difference between pearls and purls :D

love and knitties xxx

So, March is here then...

Wow, I've been slack. Well, not slack; vv busy with the day job working on Ghost Stories by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith (little plug there) which is pretty effing awesome, if I do say so myself... if you're a fan of having the proverbial scared out of you check it out here.

Anyhoo, I'm out of a production period and back to reality now, just catching up with the days of the week and slightly startled that March appears to have happened without my prior knowledge. Not that I can complain, what with it involving two weeks off to get on with the long list of outstanding knitting, the KD photoshoot, and, ahem, MY BIRTHDAY! There are at least 3 visits to the Adventure Bar in Clapham Junction in the planner, and one night in Project Orange - if you are of the rock persuasion or just appreciate bars run by staff who genuinely love doing what they do, I sincerely recommend both. Adventure is cocktails and cheese anthems, complete with flaring, 2-4-1 happy hour and awesome hairdos; Project Orange is the dark side, Sex Pistols videos and gothic murals on the wall, live music, and a playlist run by the bar staff (who always play Tonight Tonight for us!). I would live there if I could.

Enough plugging I think. In the meantime, I haven't been completely idle - I've finally got my new line of accessories inspired by good old Blighty up and running! The pics and prices are at the bottom of this post, you can also find them in my Etsy shop at http://theknittedduck.etsy.com/, and I can of course make more on request. Currently they don't have any fixings on them unless stated, so they can be brooch pins, hairclips or keyrings - if you're interested in any of them let me know what you'd prefer. And as always keep em peeled - lots more coming up over the next two weeks too!

So, that's that from me for now; be happy and knitty, and catch you all on the flipside...

Red Apple £5
Bumblebee £5
Goth Bow £5
Black Cherries £5
Ladybird £5
Pink Bangle £5
Yellow Duck £5
Emma's Butterfly £5
(as designed for Andy's sister on her return home after 18 months in Australia!)