In late June I made the short pilgrimage to Mystic, CT; my absolute favorite town to visit in the state. A bit of a drive, tucked down in the far southeastern corner, this quaint, idyllic town is worth the drive.
After a quick stop at Mystic Supply Co, where you can now find a small collection of our mens tees, we hurried downtown (by that i mean a 2 minute walk down quiet Holmes Street past this beautiful harbor) for the ribbon cutting at Mystic Knotwork's newest store.
At the ribbon cutting I learned that this is truly a family business! Owner, Matt, cut the ribbon (rope) with his wife and daughter who now "manages the show." Mystic Knotwork has been in business for generations in Mystic, CT and is a beloved staple within the community.
The new shop is located right across from S&P Oyster Co (my absolute favorite for an afternoon cocktail + spin dip), just before the historic bridge. You literally can't miss it. But what you can easily miss is their flagship store and workshop!! Luckily for us, Matt left the celebrations to give us a quick tour!
Just a minute walk from that busy intersection, you'll find where the magic happens on Cottrell St. While my boyfriend got swept away by the sheer amount of rope in this building....
I was too busy posing with these beautiful door mats!!
I first met Matt at the New England Made Gift Show this Spring up in Portland Maine. His booth was SWARMED with buyers (I was a little jealous), but he tells me he's still working on fulfilling those orders 3 months later (definitely not jealous). The rapid growth has been a blessing and challenge at the same time.
Aside from wholesaling to local shops, like Minka in Kennebunkport ME where I recently spotted their iconic coasters, Mystic Knotwork is also the number one seller on Amazon Handmade! I got a glimpse of the STACK of orders he was processing from today alone (jealous again!!) and commiserating over finding good help and training all the new hires on how to tie (jealousy fading)!
After a few minutes poking around and being jealous of their locale right along the river, we headed back to the Grand Opening celebrations. The new shop is small, but stocked with great product, including CAT TOYS! After ten minutes of debating the color (because yes they have a dozen different colors of cat toys) we settled on tropical blue. Our very fat cat. Bridget, approves and after 5 minutes of play....
Cat Toy : 1, Bridget : 0
Next time you've got a free afternoon, consider a trip to downtown Mystic, CT. Aside from the awesome makers, the town also boasts heaps of independently owned retail shops, sea-to-table restaurants and tons New England charm!