Woman cannot live by yarn alone. There's also things made with yarn. And things made for the sole purpose of helping you make things with yarn.
In recognition of these facts, as well as the fact that there are a handful or two non-knitters out there, I have been working at bringing in more handmade items to the Room. Please allow me to introduce you to the three artists currently stocking the shelves and bins. (Pictures of their work can be seen in the "Artist Spotlight" album to the left, as I am still having a bit of trouble getting the pictures into the post.)
First up, we have Judy of Jewelry - One of a Kind. Judy is one of those infamous non-knitters, so when I tried to explain the Row Counter Bracelet to her she looked a bit dubious. Apparently my explanation of "See, it's like an abacus you wear on your wrist. With beads, you know?" was not quite creating the vivid mental imagary necessary. However, after a bit of research Judy graciously agreed to work up a few bracelets for the shop.
Now, I have admired this concept online for quite some time. For me, knitting brings with it a connection to the past and a romantic notion of Jane Austin characters sitting in settees with tea and scones by their side. Standard plastic row counters, no matter how practical in nature, just don't seem to fit the image.
Don't get me wrong, I do use these tools frequently and they are invaluable. It's just that sometimes, you want to evoke those romantic notions. You want a tool that is both functional and attractive. Something you could wear in public and which would bring compliments from some and smiles from those who know your functional secret. Judy's Row Counter Bracelets have brought that smile for me.
Moving on to our second artist, what other function could use a smile more than washing dishes by hand?
Trust me. I have no dishwasher.
Enter Kathy and her handmade dishcloths. In the interest of full disclosure I must confess that I have not previously been a fan of the knit dishcloth. They always seemed too bulky and my fingers slipped through the holes to where I felt I was washing the dishes with my fingertips.
I do believe Kathy has made me a full convert, however, with her crocheted cloths. I am well on my way to tossing the old, thin, store-bought rags and replacing them all with Kathy's! And as luck would have it, she would be happy to whip up a few in other colors if what we have in the shop doesn't suit. Just let me know what color you're looking for, and we'll see what we can do!
Last but not least, we have Tori. Tori has a fantastic Etsy shop of her own but was willing to add a few of her neckwarmers to the brick-and-morter cause. They really are wonderful, and while I love them all I would appreciate it if someone would remove the two pictured from temptation for me. Please.
I mean, come on! That one is brown! The color of coffee beans and chocolate! Yummm...
If you made it through this entire post, I thank you. If you live in the area or are planning a visit, stop in and see what we have to offer. I plan to be there for a while in the morning (Monday), so maybe I'll see you there!
