Check Out My Etsy Shop Celebrating British Materials. Take 20% off too!

Have you seen my Etsy shop? It's stocked with textile jewellery made with British and recycled materials, all handmade by me in Essex, England. From Harris Tweed Button Brooches and rings embellished with pretty recycled fabric "blooms" to Fair Isle brooches and necklaces hand knitted in Shetland wool. I'm working hard to create a shop that is a celebration of British and recycled materials, using traditional techniques re-invented with a modern twist. 

I'm offering 20% off in my Etsy shop until Sunday 5th April- just use the code BRITISHMADE20 at the checkout and treat yourself or a loved one to a handmade gift this Easter! Have a browse here

My Harris Tweed Button Brooches and rings are all made from offcuts of Harris Tweed, embellished with pieces of pretty recycled fabrics

I hand knit pieces for my Fair Isle jewellery collection using beautiful Shetland Wool, which is traditionally used for Fair Isle knitting

I've just launched my Fair Isle Jewellery Collection!

I'm very happy to tell you that I've just added my new Fair Isle knitted jewellery collection to my Etsy Shop! I have used Shetland wool to hand knit each brooch and necklace as this was traditionally used for Fair Isle knitting and I love to use British made materials.

The pieces are very easy to wear- I've been wearing mine with my favourite Tweed jacket. Each piece comes packaged in a beautifully hand decorated gift box too, making them the ideal Christmas gift. I've really enjoyed making them so I'm so excited to finally be able to share them with you!

Getting there...

The Fair Isle jewellery collection is gradually beginning to take shape. I've been busily hand knitting Fair Isle pieces and felting them in the washing machine, cutting them into the brooch shapes and embellishing with a little scattering of sparkly Swarovski Crystals that highlight the colours of the beautiful British wool. I'm planning to make some non felted Fair Isle brooches too, I'll share those as soon as they're done.

However, although I love the Wendy Ramsdale DK yarn I've been using, it's beautiful to knit with and it felts beautifully (as well as being 100% British made) I'm feeling like the colour palette may be a little limited. I've been looking at some ranges in Shetland wool that come in a huge range of colours, so I'm going to order some of those to try.

This is one of the larger pieces I knitted and then felted

I'd recommend The Very Easy Guide To Fair Isle Knitting if you'd like to learn too. It's the best book for beginners that I've seen as it takes you through the stages of learning to Fair Isle in manageable lessons, from the very basics of regular knitting, to holding and stranding the yarns in Fair Isle patterns and then on to lots of stitch patterns and projects to apply them to. I didn't find it very easy at first, but I think it's a case of perseverance!

Do you have any Fair Isle tips you'd like to share?

Louise Dawson Design at We Make London, Camden!

I'm so happy to tell you that until the end of June you can find Louise Dawson Design jewellery at We Make London in Camden!

We Make London was established five years ago as a showcase for British made work by designer makers and to support a return to the handmade and unique at Camden Lock. The shop offers handmade jewellery, gifts, cards and much more and the designers are rotated each month so that there are always new products to discover. Visit We Make London at 53 Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AF or find out more here!