Every Christmas I'm on the look-out for unique gift items for knitters. I was feeling like there was nothing new this year and out of the blue, I got a call from Claudia Carlson who wondered if I'd be interested in seeing her shawl pins. I haven't come across a shawl pin I've liked in eons, so I readily said yes. Claudia and Larry, her best friend and husband of 35 years, came to the Grove on Monday with D.O.G. (pronounced dee-OH-gee) and knocked my socks off with their gorgeous pins!!! Each one is hand-made with wood felled in the Julian fires. There's manzanita, white oak, black oak, and pine. The grain of each is stunning. It's as if Larry teases out the textures as he makes them. They are shiny, lightweight (he hollows them out), and each one has a unique embellishment. They come as singles or doublets. The doublets can be worn 9 different ways (instructions are on the back of each card). And every one has a heart charm that says "made with love". You can see and feel the love that has gone into each one of their creations. The prices are incredibly reasonable starting at $28. We have less than a dozen on hand, so if you're interested do visit us soon!
A NOTE FROM CLAUDIA: My hope is each creation finds an owner who just adores it. I find such satisfaction and solace in my creations, each item is a part of me and I’m very picky when I put my name on it, it has to be unique, beautiful, and of course makes you proud to wear/own it!.
