It's1:00 amon Wednesdaymorning. I'm completely satisfied with an exciting day. I thought we'd be able to show you a new product we've been working on today. Instead, we're just giving you a tiny peek since it isn't quite ready yet. The new project is past the hardest step, but we are still about 10 days from having a final version. We had a string of three last minute wedding projects and I wanted to help make those weddings perfect.
Our Team
Our knot business is more than a little weird. We have been blessed with a great family legacy and a 'line of products' that are a New England icon, but there is one aspect people often overlook. Every piece of ropework Mystic Knotwork sells was made with an artisan's hand. With this upcoming exception, the only tools we usearehands, scissors, prying tools (marlinespikes), and clamps. Our work will always take time.
Each knot is very personal. Over the last 40 years, I can tell if I'm having a good day or a bad day based on the look of my knots. When there is a little more anxiety or something really exciting is happening, the knots are a little tighter. When it's time to chill out to Donovan or Linkin Park (how I got into them, I'll never know) the knots are more open and rounded. To keep things consistent, someone always follows behind the initial knottyer and checks the work before putting the finishing touches in place. If I'm not having a Donovan Day, one of my team members will smooth thework out before it gets to the customer.
We Love Being a Part of Your Lives
As we grew and went online, we lost a little bit of the personal. When I was a kid, all our knots were sold through friends in their shops or in person at shows or my grandfather's house. We knew our customers personally and saw the looks on their faces when they saw our newest ideas, or even more often when we touched on their nostalgia. I've been around the excitement of knotting enthusiasts since I was born. Their passion is infectious.
I'm excited that we got a little of that back when we reopened our shop to the public in 2013 and even more so when it arrived in Downtown Mystic in 2014. Now, we see that excitement in every kid's eyes when they stop by our shop. We get to listen in as the couple decides how they'll use our doormat when it arrives back in their home out of state. We get to feel like we're a little part of our customers' lives. Our knots are personal and made by hand. It's sappy, but I feel like a little bit of our spirit is in each thing we make. I have a deep appreciation for the love we receive when someone decides to let one of our creations into their lives. It's more than a commodity, it's an artisan craft that's been in my family most profoundly for 60 years, but indirectly back through 6 generations.
We spend hundreds of hours as a team as makers, I wish I could see how everyone uses our knots. I'd love to see that cool coffee cup at work supported by a coaster. It's my deepest desire that everyone that gets our knots takes a moment to show us how they use them.
Wedding pictures hang in our shop from friends that chose to buy from us all around the country. We have pictures on display from all over the US, Canada, and beyond. Celebrity weddings in California and local affairs, quietly held riverside with a small family. (Which reminds me, Real Weddings section of CT Bride is looking for submitted nautical weddings to feature online and print.)
I proudly proclaim my love of family, my love of my town, and my commitment to both. Something you may not know is how much it means to me to be a part of our customers' lives. I wish we could share how pictures from our customers make us feel. From simple snaps to a small portion of a professional shoot, they all mean more to me than anything else fostering this business allows. Easiest is a quick Instagram share (use @MysticKnotwork so we're sure to see it). It's like a Christmas morning moment every time we see someone else share a photo using our stuff. Every once in a while we even get a series of pictures by email. They all mean so much to me. It inspires our team as well.
I set deadlines for myself and sometimes I miss them. It's ok. As much as I wanted to share a new product today, the real goal is sharing our love of knotwork with our customers. We achieve that goal every day and for that, our team is really grateful. I am super excited to show you these new products, and I know they'll be ready soon. In the meantime, please keep an eye onMystic Knotwork's InstagramandFacebook page orsign up for our newsletterso you don't miss the announcement. We'll be keeping an eye out for your pictures, too. They really do mean so much to us!
