As September gets into gear, Halloween will soon be here..!

Visit my Etsy shop for more

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BreezeOnTheLake 

#Halloween #Spooky #Crows #WallHangings #WallArt #KnittedCrafts

Knitted roses heart wreath - a knit version of the dozen red roses for Valentine's Day!

I've just made and listed in my Etsy shop this heart shaped wreath bearing a dozen deep red knitted roses, a very sweet, rustic addition to your home decor around Valentine's Day.

Each little rose is about 1 & a half inches in diameter, hand-knit in a deep red yarn (acrylic, so it's fine for those with allergies to natural wool yarns). The twelve roses are secured around a wicker-work heart-shaped wreath made of woven willow rattan.









The size of the wreath measures 7 inches wide by 8 inches long, and is suspended on a sheer red ribbon that makes the total drop-length 10 inches from the top of the ribbon bow to the pointed end of the heart.


This lovely little wreath is best hung indoors or in a place that's sheltered from the elements, and would make a great gift for the person who loves to add seasonal accents to their home decor. Or display year round as a romantic floral rustic piece!

You can purchase the wreath at my Etsy shop at this link: hand-knit red rose heart wreath for Valentines 

Handmade in, and ships from, London, UK.

Jute scrubbing cloths, a natural alternative to dish sponges

I hand-knitted these alternatives to dish sponges using a fine twine made of natural jute fibre, an eco-friendly,  biodegradable, renewable resource, and when it wears out it's compostable.

Artificial sponges shed particles of micro-plastics into the water system, and so a move to more natural materials to use when hand-washing our dishes is a good move.

Jute is a plant that doesn't require pesticides or fertilizer, another bonus to using this material, as it's sustainable with less impact on the environment than other types of crops.

I made these as a set of five square cloths - there are four which measure 4 inches by 4 inches (10cm) and one larger square measuring 5" by 5" (12.7cm).

I knitted them in a highly textured, nubby stitch and they're very effective at scrubbing off stuck-on food particles. They are a single layer of fabric rather than a layered pad, which means they are easy to rinse out, give a light squeeze, then hang to dry. They can be microwaved or machine washed for hygiene.

Jute dish scrub cloths 

#jute fibre, #jute scrubbing cloths, #jute pot scrubbers, #jute dish scrubbers, #natural fibers, #handmade cloths, #home and kitchen, #home wares,

My new shop banner on Etsy

I've made a new shop banner! It was fun to literally do an "in the field" photo shoot and feature an actual lake in my shop named "Breeze on the Lake," lol! To be fair it's not so much a lake as just a pond, but it's a beautiful little pond, with swans and ducks, surrounded by verdant woods. I took some of my knitted bird figures out to a fine old weathered bench that sits with a perfect view of the water. You can just about make out a swan who happened to be floating in the perfect spot too, and got into the picture.

breezeonthelake.etsy.com

 I shot this scene at the end of August, so this is my summer scene/summer banner. I plan to do an identical shoot for each season, and change them to suit - but things will be slightly behind for the next year. I'm waiting to do the "Autumn/Fall" scene -- but the leaves are still green! I'd like to shoot the real thing rather than work some photo manipulation, so, patience is the order of the day! When the leaves turn I will be out there, albeit with a different robin, as the one depicted here just sold and is now in its new home 5,000 miles across the globe!

My banner project will be fun to do as the seasons change and I collect the set, so to speak. Many Etsy sellers say that not many people actually land on your shop page, thus not many ever even see it and your banner, but rather they arrive on a listing after a search for an item. That may be so, but still I find it to be enjoyable to make the shop look nice, make changes and improvements, etc. Fall and winter are my least favorite seasons, but I'm excited to do my photo shoots and create my seasonal banners - something to look forward to. :)

Come visit and take a look around -- and watch this space for the next season in my banner photo!

breezeonthelake.etsy.com

Crow or raven art print - an eerie Halloween accent or unusual year-round wall art

This is the second in my series of different and unusual ready-to-hang art prints, rustic and weathered looking, using a pure rag-paper print and base of the same again, firm enough to hang without frames or mats. Lightweight to ship, too!

The whole hanging measures  8 inches x 11 (22 x 29 cm) and the crow print image itself is 5 x 7"
(13 x 18 cm), mounted to "float" upon its home base, casting subtle shadows that echo the eerie quality of the saturated, monochromatic silhouette image. This is a close-up view of the float-mount:

 The rag paper I've used for both my print and its mount base is 100% cotton, acid-free, and hand-made in India. It contains embedded 'inclusions' of leaves, petals and grass stems, giving a random, natural and rustic look to the print and the paper, with rough-hewn edges.

I really love this paper and this look! It makes for an unusual print and an unusual piece of wall art, weathered and romantically odd. The piece hangs by firmly secured jute twine, adding to the rustic, handmade and natural-looking quality of the wall art. I have more of this style of wall hanging to come, creating a whole series to collect!

Crow print available here: https://www.etsy.com/breezeonthelake/listing/621609772/

#crows #ravens #CrowArt #ArtPrints #BirdPhotography #HomeDecorIdeas #WallArt #UnusualWallArt

Coasters for your coffee (or tea, but I was going for the alliteration!)

I went for something new with my latest knitting project, departing briefly from my beloved bird themes to make this set of coasters for coffee mugs or other drinks!

Worked in spiral tubes of double yarn to create firm, sturdy platforms half an inch thick, I used four different colors to make it interesting, instead of matching the set. The set of four coasters comes with one each in cream, charcoal grey, a lighter grey, and a variegated 'oatmeal' of mixed cream and light fawn-brown tones.

Each round coaster measures 3 1/2 inches wide (9 cm), and 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick.

I knitted these in yarn that's a blend of 50% wool and 50% acrylic, and they can be machine washed at 30 degrees /cool wash.

These neutral stone-colored tones are cool and classy, making this a stylish though still home-grown and cosy set of coasters to keep around your kitchen, your table or your coffee table.

I've known some people who don't own and never bother with coasters for their cold or hot drinks, but coasters are great because they catch those drips, or condensation from a cold drink, and they protect your surfaces from rings and moisture damage, or just save you from having something else to have to wipe up! You can never have too many around, especially when they look as stylish as these, though I shouldn't say it myself!

Buy this four-coaster set at my shop on Etsy

Crows and ravens, my palm-sized tribute!

My newest addition to my Etsy shop is this mini crow or raven, a hanging ornament designed and hand-knitted by me as an elegant little home accent for corvid lovers out there.

 Hanging ornament crow or raven

The crow and the raven are popular as symbolic spirit animals to many people. Some traditions have them as ominous birds, but they can also symbolize transformation and transition, spiritual insight, wisdom. And just as animals in themselves, they are incredibly fascinating for their massive intelligence and demonstrations of reasoning ability in using tools,  planning and even teamwork for survival.

When you get to know a crow in person, as I have, you find that they know and remember you, and one of those I know has even learned what I call him by name, and will fly in to see me when called out to.